Author Topic: Compost!  (Read 5084 times)

Suze_O

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 0
  • I love Allotments 4 All
Compost!
« on: September 04, 2003, 01:23:13 »
Will be (when finished clearing area) siting compost bin.  Now - does it matter re sun/shade etc.  Choice of two areas, one very sunny almost all the day, other half day sunshine.  Next door neighbour bought huge Darlek - am I better off with that or traditional square plank type job?

All suggestions gratefully received.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

merv

  • Half Acre
  • ***
  • Posts: 103
  • Umm, just a pinch of.....
Re: Compost!
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2003, 17:30:11 »
Hiya  :)

Umm, IMHO... those darleck things are really for small places.  Ifn you got a lottie, then then your'e looking at 1 darlek to 1 sq m.

Naw, for me...bigger is better.  I use 3xbiggies, so it's usually 3 year old stuff.

Heat, heat, heat  and erm.... worms is my way  :D
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

cdchater

  • Quarter Acre
  • **
  • Posts: 62
Re: Compost!
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2003, 17:52:36 »
I've got a fab book (Compost by Clare Foster) which tells you everything you need to know about compost - what compost bins are available ( & how to make them), what to put on the compost and where to place the bin. I joined one of these gardening book clubs and so the book only cost me 99p - which is a complete bargain because it's crammed full of info, a definite must have it you want fantastic compost!!

I'm at work at the mo, but I'll look up what it says about bin location, and let you know!
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

allotment_chick

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 504
  • comfrey is cool....
Re: Compost!
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2003, 19:35:41 »
Yo Suze - I vote for Sun as heat helps the rotting process.  Can be a bit of a bu**er in hot summers tho as you need to keep watering it!  Dry heaps don't rot down.....I had to water mine when I was the only one there as I was getting dirty looks.....

Doesn't matter what your bin is made of - I have a rather elegant construction of old plastic fake chain link fencing supported by four bamboo canes vertically then bamboo canes woven through horizontally at required intervals!  This is one of my six heaps of various sizes and one gently simmering in a HUGE computer box I got from work.  I have a plastic composter from the council which does work well but as Merv says is too small (you'll fill it in an hour!)  

Would also advise yo get yo'self some comfrey as an activator.  

Have fun!
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:09 by -1 »
Guardian of around 2,950 sq ft of the planet Earth

Ceri

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 680
  • I love Allotments 4 All
Re: Compost!
« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2003, 19:52:37 »
personally, I would have thought sun as well, but my books say shade - is this to stop it getting too dry - as the books always give advice, but rarely tell you why - which drives me nuts!
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

Suze_O

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 0
  • I love Allotments 4 All
Re: Compost!
« Reply #5 on: September 04, 2003, 23:30:30 »
Had another look over the fence at next door's Darlek and it is about 5 foot tall, so how can you ever turn the stuff? Also pretty ugly looking.

Think I'll go for the more artistic bamboo and chain link or traditional planks.

Merv you mentioned worms - do you have one of those can'o'worms thingies?
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

teresa

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,960
  • Happy gardening
Re: Compost!
« Reply #6 on: September 04, 2003, 23:57:19 »
Hi,

I went to the fishing tackle shop ::) and got some braylings not sure of the spelling. tiger worms they are, breed quickly and munch through green stuff good little workers ;) for compost heaps. Teresa
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

Suze_O

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 0
  • I love Allotments 4 All
Re: Compost!
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2003, 00:04:18 »
Hi theresa

Do they stay in the heap or wriggle off?

And what about accelerator powder?  If you used that would it kill the worms?
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

teresa

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 1,960
  • Happy gardening
Re: Compost!
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2003, 00:34:12 »
Hi Suze,

What powder? I have used, well how shall I put it, natuarl organic body water waste ;D works wonders especialy first thing in the morning its stronger and the worms dont mind it. No does not kill them off.
I have a plastic bin so they dont escape but as long as you feed them they stay put.
Why waste something when you can recycle it 8).
and of course it cost nothing which I like. Teresa
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:09 by -1 »

Suze_O

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 0
  • I love Allotments 4 All
Re: Compost!
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2003, 00:45:20 »
Sorry never done compost before! Thought you had to add that pwder stuff as well as the other   :-[
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

allotment_chick

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 504
  • comfrey is cool....
Re: Compost!
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2003, 01:05:14 »
Hi Suze - wee (pardon the pun!) organic gardeners have no need of artificial activators.  Don't need to add soil (there is enough on the plant roots) or lime either in my expereince!

Best activators are the half-broken down bits from the last heap you dug out (only works when you have an old heap, of course), comfrey (naturally), manure (I find strawy stable manure best although a fellow allotmenteer swears by the sweepings from the rabbit hutch) or pelleted chicken manure if you don't have any fresh manure.  I luv making compost, even turning the heaps!  The feelgood factor is off the scale.... :D  

The brandling worms will find the heap of their own accord - I'm always amazed where they all come from!
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »
Guardian of around 2,950 sq ft of the planet Earth

Hugh_Jones

  • Guest
Re: Compost!
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2003, 01:16:03 »
Suze, go along with Merv.  The best bins are the ones which retain the most heat, which usually means a good solid planked one with no gaps between the boards, and a top that fits.  As a quick and cheap substitute you could knock one up from 4 corner posts and a double row of chicken wire (one row fastened inside the posts and the other outside, and the gap between stuffed with newspapers, with a piece of old carpet on top.  Put everything in except perennial weed roots and mature seed heads - lawn mowings as well if you can get them - and buy a tub of "Brandling" worms from the nearest anglers` shop and tip them in.   Don`t use any proprietary accellerators and don`t add any soil (other than that on the weed roots) but keep your hubby well supplied with liquid refreshment and get him to pass the inevitable results into an old plastic milk bottle which you simply empty onto the heap as soon as he fills it.  The trick is to get the heap as hot as possible and keep it hot.  If it gets too hot for the worms they will simply go down into the ground and come back up again when it starts to cool, they will also multiply at a fantastic rate.

As Merv says, you really need 3 bins - one being filled, one cooled down and rotting steadily, and one of maturing stuff ready for use
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

Suze_O

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 0
  • I love Allotments 4 All
Re: Compost!
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2003, 01:34:26 »
Hi everyone, and thanks for replies.

Hugh, we did have a conversation about compost on the Beeb boards.  It was the siting of it I wondered about, although when you gave me construction advice before and mentioned 2 by 3 corners I did think I may be constructing something with six sides ......

Although I can get as much well rotted h.m. from local stables, probs is, have not got room for 3 bins!  Maybe best to just continue to get my compost (as I do and my organic mulch) from local farm?  

Very complicated subject this.  Unfortunately do not have hubby to fill empty milk bottles  :'(  Perhaps I could order one from Internet ' Must have own empty milk bottle'  ;)

Will have to consider pros and cons deeply.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

Hugh_Jones

  • Guest
Re: Compost!
« Reply #13 on: September 05, 2003, 03:34:19 »
Don`t give up for lack of hubby Suze.  I believe it is still possible to purchase utensils which allow ladies to fill their own milk bottles with the magic fluid - or you could just wander up to the lottie, chamber pot in hand........

But to answer the other part of your question, if you are using a bin of solid timber construction, or one with insulated sides, it doesn`t really matter whether it is in sun or partial shade - it`s the temperature INSIDE the box that matters, and this will not be overly affected by sunlight or lack of it.

However, if you use a thin plastic bin, or any other flimsy material then in strong sunshine it will tend to dry out quickly, but in shade it will cool too quickly and the worm activity (and reproduction) will be greatly reduced.
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

allotment_chick

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 504
  • comfrey is cool....
Re: Compost!
« Reply #14 on: September 05, 2003, 12:00:29 »
Sorry Hugh - got to differ on this one - you can make compost in anything - its the time it takes to breakdown that will differ dependant on the amount of heat that is generated and contained.  If you go for the fencing type option Suze, and are bothered about retaining heat just line it with cardboard (I open out the tomato/fruit boxes that you get from the supermarket), but I find there isn't any real need.  Go for it girl - it isn't complicated - just give it time.  I think most folks think it is complicated because they are impatient.  Good compost takes maybe 6 months to make - maybe longer.  Don't worry about to doing of it - just enjoy it!!   :D Let's face it, if you lobbed it all into a heap, it would break down over time...
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »
Guardian of around 2,950 sq ft of the planet Earth

Hugh_Jones

  • Guest
Re: Compost!
« Reply #15 on: September 05, 2003, 19:13:41 »
Sorry allotment chick, but I`m not quite sure exactly what you`re differing on.  We`re both saying that it`s the heat inside the box that matters.  My opinion is that 1inch timber will retain this far better than thin plastic - as also would a 2inch layer of newspapers sandwiched between 2 layers of wire netting - or are you saying that thin plastic or a single layer of cardboard are better?
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

allotment_chick

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 504
  • comfrey is cool....
Re: Compost!
« Reply #16 on: September 05, 2003, 20:23:20 »
Hello Hugh - no, can't fault you on the hotter the better, advice!  I suspect that post was too early in the day for me (not being a morning person :-[....)

What I'm saying, though is that is that those gardeners new to composting sometimes are fearful of the process and get hooked up on size and type of bin and think that the wrong one means no compost - it isn't so.  Lish may be lurking, so I say this in fear of her scorn ..   8) but I love my tumbler compost bin - makes compost in superfast time!  That doesn't stop me collecting old pallets, bits of old carpet, bubble wrap (brill for keeping the wet out and the heat in!) for use up the lottie -  anything that will stop the collection of stuff falling over, really!   :)
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »
Guardian of around 2,950 sq ft of the planet Earth

allotment_chick

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 504
  • comfrey is cool....
Re: Compost!
« Reply #17 on: September 05, 2003, 21:53:55 »
Suze - just found this - hope it helps!

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0903/compost_heap.asp
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »
Guardian of around 2,950 sq ft of the planet Earth

Suze_O

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 0
  • I love Allotments 4 All
Re: Compost!
« Reply #18 on: September 06, 2003, 02:27:01 »
Only just managed to get onto net as server was down, so will type this really fast in case connection disappears.

So it all comes down to heat.  Will check out that site AC tomorrow.

Secondary question to this is leaf mould.  Have very large oak tree bottom of garden, also apple and plum.  Tried making leaf mould in black plastic sacks but they just sat there and sulked.  Separate pile for them or just chuck them on the compost heap?  

Sorry very basic question to all you experts
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »

allotment_chick

  • Hectare
  • *****
  • Posts: 504
  • comfrey is cool....
Re: Compost!
« Reply #19 on: September 06, 2003, 12:06:59 »
Hi Suze
I'd advocate a separate pile.  Four corner posts and chicken wire or similar around - just add the leaves, a sprinkle with wee and leave it.  Takes a loooooong time to rot - but worth the wait!  A year upwards!  One of the best soil conditioners and, if you have one, your strawberry patch will love it..  The rhs link has a tiny bit about leafmould I think.   ;)
« Last Edit: January 01, 1970, 01:00:00 by 1077926400 »
Guardian of around 2,950 sq ft of the planet Earth

 

anything
SimplePortal 2.3.5 © 2008-2012, SimplePortal