Topic: Winter Composter Project

[Harry]

My compost heap is pretty much that, a heap about a sq metre by half a metre high, and it's now cold and dormant. I doubt the compost will be ready for next year, especially as it is now fast asleep. I chuck about two big carrier bags of kitchen waste on each week, whatever the weather. But the latest stuff is barely decomposing at all. It's kept frozen fresh :(

What's the ideal shape to get the thing full enough to be hot and rapidly decomposing? It's all very well the man on 't internet saying 1 m cubed, but if I only have material to 1/4 fill it it will never work well, will it?

So..... I have some pallet wood. Would it be worth me making some smaller, more cube shaped composting boxes? I'm thinking I could make one or two about 600mm sq by 900 high and have them nicely full, rather than what I have now which never seems to get any higher. I'd leave air gaps in the sides, but the big difference would be height and having a lid to keep it a bit warm.

Worth the effort? Or maybe I should invest in a couple more daleks/tardises?

Incidentally, why don't the daleks have air vents?

I really would like my compost to be ready next year.

[lezelle]

Hi Harry, You haven't mentioned what the weather is like were you are. I made my bins out of pallets and line them with balck damp proof corse plastic. Any will do. we have had a lot of deep frosts but I also line the inside with cardbord that shops are only to glad to get rid of. I recently put some horse manure and veggie' lottie bits in and measued the temp. It was only 10c but after a couple of days has risen to 25. It's working but slow. also cover the top and hopefully it will get going. It does take a good time to decompose and cutting the items up small os shredding helps, anyway Good luck and I hope this helps.

[Harry]

Thanks.

I'm in the Northwest (UK) and there's snow on the ground.

My good fortune and my problem is that I'm forever adding material, and it's not just a fill it and forget it situation, which seems to be the way youtubers sell the idea.

Update:-
I've just been offered half a dozen 80L bins with lids. Slightly smaller than ideal, but they will be almost free. I plan to pop some holes in them, Fill them and water as required.

I could probably immediately fill 3 or 4 x 80 Litre bins and leave them with their lids to do their magic. Meanwhile, I could dump my new green and brown waste into an empty bin or even my existing big heap, thus making a compost stock rotation process of sorts.

Impatient? Yes. Overthinking?: Probably. But is my reasoning sound? Will multiple 80L bins work better than a heap?

[Tee Gee]

In my opinion you are missing one important element and that is you are not covering your compost with some form of lid e.g. a plastic sheet weighted down so it does not blow away
This write up  I did years ago served me well. Have a look https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/C/Composting/Composting.htm

[Harry]

In my opinion you are missing one important element and that is you are not covering your compost with some form of lid e.g. a plastic sheet weighted down so it does not blow away
This write up  I did years ago served me well. Have a look https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/C/Composting/Composting.htm

Yes. That's definitely a major weakness to my current arrangement. It's currently a three sided pallet enclosure. So many different designs assume we can generate tonnes of waste to fill them with, or wait years for the good stuff. I also use a couple of tardises at home and every time I think they are full, they slump down to half empty again :)

Hopefully bins with lids will solve the problems of weeds growing in it ( no light ) - Heat retention ( enclosed better ) - Separation of ready compost ( By filling and forgetting, one by one ) - Vermin issues ( Current heap does get visiting rats ) - Ease of movement

I'll probably set aside one bin without holes to 'drown' perennial weeds.

5 x 80 L bins with holes in and one full of water should look tidy

[Tulipa]

Harry some folded carpet on the top would help keep your heap/bins warm too, I have always used old carpet, cheap and works. My son tried to put some ready for a tip run this week and I had to explain how valuable it is, good job I caught it in time :)

[Harry]

Harry some folded carpet on the top would help keep your heap/bins warm too, I have always used old carpet, cheap and works. My son tried to put some ready for a tip run this week and I had to explain how valuable it is, good job I caught it in time :)

No carpet allowed on the site. I could use canvas or a tarp.

[Tulipa]

Harry some folded carpet on the top would help keep your heap/bins warm too, I have always used old carpet, cheap and works. My son tried to put some ready for a tip run this week and I had to explain how valuable it is, good job I caught it in time :)

No carpet allowed on the site.

That's a shame.  I understand about the rubber backed stuff but something to insulate your bins would help.

[Harry]

5 x 80 L bins with holes in and one full of water should look tidy

My dustbin composters certainly seem far more alive than my open heap. Absolutely writhing with worms and other little critters

[Tiny Clanger]

Harry some folded carpet on the top would help keep your heap/bins warm too, I have always used old carpet, cheap and works. My son tried to put some ready for a tip run this week and I had to explain how valuable it is, good job I caught it in time :)

No carpet allowed on the site.

That's a shame.  I understand about the rubber backed stuff but something to insulate your bins would help.

We managed to get our hands on cutains from an artic lorry that was being rebranded.

[Palustris]

The other thing to do is to turn the heap over regularly, say at least every week. That refreshed the oxygen levels and keeps the process going.

[Harry]

The other thing to do is to turn the heap over regularly, say at least every week. That refreshed the oxygen levels and keeps the process going.

Sorry. I'm far too lazy.

But seriously, I loosen up the big open heap with a fork every week when I top it up. The dustbin heaps might get loosened up once a month tops, because frankly it's awkward. A downside of using the bins.

[Palustris]

If you can find some old lengths of plastic down pipe, then drill holes in it, about every 6 inches and push it down into the heap or the bins. That gets oxygen into the material and does improve the speed of decomposition.