Topic: Compost Bins

[Les_Woof]

Hi all.

Things are starting to take shape in the Lottie except for my compost bins..... ???

They just dont seem to be doing anything does anyone have any suggestions as to what they should be doing or what I should be doing.

Take Care

Les.

[aquilegia]

Have you been turning it? That seems to have speeded mine along. You could add some fresh manure or even soil to get it going.

At this time of the year it will be slow as it's cold. Maybe just wait a while?

[kenkew]

Don't know how much rain you've had over there, but if it's dried out then it will stop working. If it is, wet it again and cover it with old carpeting, that should get the temp up again. If it's wet now, then it's probably just too cold at the moment. Don't worry, all things rot down eventually regardless of conditions. Ideally 2 bins are better than one. With one bin you're tempted to keep putting stuff in before it's rotted down. With a second bin you always have one working and one to work with.

[Muddy_Boots]

Iz hidin in me hat here but get caught short in gardi or lottie, search out compost heap!

[Andi]

lol muddy boots!

Les I cheated to start off my kitchen compost this year, and added some compost starter.  I dont know how it will work in a big heap but a bit of it mixed with some soil did wonders for my little compost bin at home.

I got my compost starter from good ol' Wilko...about £2 for 1.5kg.  Im not sure how organic it is, but Im lead to believe that they are mostly composed of bacteria, probably Actinomycetes spores.  So unless you have problems with bulk manufacture of microbial cultures (like beer brewing!) then theres few problems with it.

If you try it let me know how it works...Im still on a waiting list for my allotment...but I will give it a go as soon as I get one.

[Les_Woof]

Hi all

Thanks for the ideas.  

Aquilegia, I turned it last night and put a bit of soil in both bins to see how that works.

Kenkew, we do have 2 bins on the goand they seem quite wet at the moment, would it harm if they were very wet? ie would there be a chance of over watering?

Muddy, I think I'd get frowned upon for that considering our lottie backs on to our house.......but you never know, I'll try anything once.

Andi, we have used a full box of Wilko's compost starter between the 2 bins. I think I may just be a bit impatient.......it aint exactly gonna happen overnight is it.

[kenkew]

Too much of anything is too much. If your bins seems very wet (soggy) then they won't be working. Best bet in such a situation is to empty it out onto a board, plastic or the like, spread it around and give it a chance to dry a bit in the wind. You'll also be able to see if it's slimy. Cover it at night and mix and spread again the next day. You'll see the difference and possibly smell the difference. When you're happy with it put it back in the bin. Are they on soil? If so, I'd fork over the top 6" or so to help drainage. Put some thin woody bits in to create a gap at the base. Put your bins on bricks at the corners to help the air rise as combustion takes place.

[Ceri]

I've got two daleks in my small back garden and had the same probem.  I emptied them both out at the weekend, and found the haf-rotted compost was really wet and solid at the bottom and dry on the top.  I mixed it all up, added a bit of fresh seaweed and shoved it all back again.  With a small garden, I find it really hard to get enough stuff in there in one go to get some heat so I'm hoping I've helped reactivate the process.

[kenkew]

I have two wooden ones I made and a plastic one on the plot I have a plastic one in the garden too. The plastic one on the plot I use as a starter/storage only. I don't find them as good as the wider topped wooden ones which are also easier to get into. Like you I find the bottom tends to hold moisture and the top dries out. OK, turn and turn but it's not as practical as the wooden ones. The plastic one in the garden looks neater that's all but it only ever gets prunings and the like in there. During the summer it gets some of the grass clippings but in the main I transport stuff to the plot bins. The secret, if there is one to good working bins is heat and ventilation. Without a flow of upward air created by rising heat from the compost, then it's just going to sit there for ages. Someone will know better than me, no doubt, but this has worked for me for around 50 years and I'm not going to change now.

[Ceri]

So Ken, do you think it would be a good idea to build a wooden one out of pallets and throw everything in there as I weed/mow/cut - or would it be better to fill a bin and then empty it, in its half part-rotted/half fresh state, into the wooden one?  At the height of the season, I have two lawnmower collector box's worth of clippings a week, some weeds, prunings and household stuff, plus a bit of seaweed.  I tend to save the seaweed for the lottie rather than the garden.

[Debs]

Ceri,

What a brill idea - seaweed.  I didn't know it was good for the compost heap but shall be down to whitley to get it.

so, now I need some for my jersey pots and also compost  ::)

... does it have any more uses? ie can liquid feed be made by steeping it in water??  ( might pong a bit me thinks  :-X :-X)

what has anyone else used fresh seaweed for ??

Debs

[Ceri]

I don't know how you would make seaweed solution from fresh, but I see it recommended so often as a very dilute feed I think I might try just putting it in water to rot like you would comfrey or manure and see if it works.  if anyone knows a good way please let me know.  Ceri

[gavin]

I love Google!  

Searching for "homemade seaweed feed" (cos I haven't a clue either) brought up "Pizza Seasoning with Seaweed" :\'( , "I saved my dog's life with alternative veterinary medicine
" :-\\, "Operation Overgrow * Marijuana Cultivation" :), - and a recipe from a woman who has invented teabags for plants! ???

Her recipe is on http://www.plantea.com/seaweed-kelp.htm.  Somebody less daft than I come along with better advice?

All best - Gavin

[kenkew]

So Ken, do you think it would be a good idea to build a wooden one out of pallets and throw everything in there as I weed/mow/cut - or would it be better to fill a bin and then empty it, in its half part-rotted/half fresh state, into the wooden one?  At the height of the season, I have two lawnmower collector box's worth of clippings a week, some weeds, prunings and household stuff, plus a bit of seaweed.  I tend to save the seaweed for the lottie rather than the garden.

Pallets make excellent compo bins. A very quick way to construct it would be to simple nail 4 pallets into a square and put heavy cardboard between the two levels to semi-seal the sides. People have their own methods but if you have time and a few basic tools, do what I do; (I'll add notes after the basics with ref #'s ie (1) (2) etc; so don't start hammering just yet!)
Take your pallets apart so you have just a pile of planks. Get 4 pieces of 1mtr long 3"x3" timber. These are your 4 corner posts. Nail enough planks to two of them to go from top to bottom and right to the edges. If your bin is on a hard-standing leave the bottom plank off. (1)
Do the same with the other 2 posts. You now have 2 sides.
Nail these two together to form a 3 sided 'corral' about a mtr on each side.
On the posts at the open end, nail on each one a strip of wood 1"x1 1/2" from top to bottom on the edges that face each other but along the side nearest to the inside of the bin. On the outer edge, nail a plank from top to bottom to cover the cut ends of the planks that form the sides and the posts.
You now have a 'slot' from top to bottom at the open end. Make sure the 'box' is square and cut 2 planks to length to slide down this slot. Nail these to the up and down planks you fitted to the front. This should firm up your box. Cut more planks to this length to give you a access 'door' which is adjustable in height. A sloping top can be made to fit which will firm it up even more and will give you control over heat and rain.
,,,back in a mo,,,

[kenkew]

Ref's; (1)
Pick your shortest best plank and cut enough of the others to this size to make the two sides and back.
The 4 post hieghts depend on if you are going to sunk them into the ground or not. Free standing on soil is best if you put the corners on bricks. This will give you an air gap and keep the wood off the ground. On a hard standing, especially if the bin is in view from the house, it looks neater to have 'prper legs'. Before assembly, treat the wood, especially the outside. Use a non-toxic preservative inside or line it with tar-paper. (Replaceable.)

Can you manage at that? I thought I might try and scan in a drawing?

[kenkew]

Regarding what to put in it; There are do's and don't's here. If you need a list I'll do one. But even putting in the right stuff you have to do it correctly. Your grass for instance, if you pile lots in you'll suffocate the heap and it's going to turn slimey and smelly. Ideally, if you have lots of grass to go in there, throw all your waste into one bin, then at the weekend take it out, mix it up and put it in the 'long term' bin. You're looking to have either a good mix of waste or about 6" levels of the same. Large gardens which have loads of grass and little else to compost usually create a grass only heap alongside the leaf heap. Takes longer to break down but where space isn't an issue it's not a problem. You live in a stately home by any chance?

[Ceri]

Ken, that's great - my NGOH is on a promise to build these on Sunday at the lottie - now obviously weather dependent, so I'll print this out for him.  Thanks  Ceri

[kenkew]

Goody. Maybe he'll get the bug when he starts doing a bit. Why not put him in charge of the bin? Get his pride stirred up, put his name on it!!
Hope the above 'assembly' is clear, if not I'll have a go at a drawing and post it.

[Ceri]

stately home.... yeah I wish - back garden's probably 25ft x 30ft and a slightly smaller front garden!  I know what goes in, its just difficult to get enough of it at the same time to start a decent sized heap - I think I'll just have to store in the plastic bins and turn out into the main heap when there's enough.  My grass clippings I tend to keep separate and add in bits with other stuff to stop the slime.

[kenkew]

A basic compo bin: sides and back.
Make dimensions to suit.