Topic: compost is finally warm

[aquilegia]

I have three bins. Usually one I'm currently filling, one that's cooking and one I'm using. At the moment one has manure in, one is cooking and one is half full. The done stuff is in a bag.

I've never had the compost heat up. I rarely turn it (although every time I empty a bin, I dig one of the others into that one, and when I have nothing else to do I dig the newest stuff to mix it). But it still only takes about 6 months or less to rot (I do have to pick out the chunky bits!). Have no idea how that happens!

[ina]

As I mentioned before, mine never got hot before but it still composted, it just takes longer, which I don't really mind. Still, it's fun to have it hot for a change and see that it really can do it.

[redimp]

I've got four, and anything over goes on the latest soil mountain. I'm finally keeping it in the bins this year, so hopefully once I've dug over a section which has reverted to jungle, I can cover the latest one and won't have to build any more!

I have four too.  One at home and three at the lottie.  I hope to operate a similar bone idle policy to Robert.  Not got enough compost at the moment though - one is full of couch grass & perrenial weed sods and there are a few piles of these around the plot at the moment wating for me to move them  ::).  Only have a few weeds, bits of cardboard etc in one of the others on the lottie.  The one at home is about two thirds full having been completly emptied early in the season and stored in plastic bags on the lottie until it was used.  No doubt, as soon as I become established, the compostables will mount up.

[Crash]

Quick question for you... Can I put bread scraps in the compost bin?

[Kepouros]

NO

[ina]

Oh?

[Robert_Brenchley]

They attract rats.

[ina]

Oh!

[Crash]

Thanks.

[philcooper]

NO

In my experience, one word answers to gardening questions tend not to fully answer the question.

Whilst there is a danger that food scraps will attract vermin, it depends on what and how much else you put in the bin. There's a good article in this month's Organic Gardening on how to compost anything other than the very basic material. It points out that if you surround items like bread with lots of other material and/or you have a hot bin, there is no problem.

Phil

[wivvles]

I found a slow worm in my compost bin yesterday - she was absolutely beautiful - made my afternoon!

[redimp]

Excellent - much better than my rats - which ate all my worms leading to my compost not being anywhere near so quick or good quality this year.

[Trenchboy]

Rats wouldn't stand a chance against what I think are horseflies in my horse manure.

They've bitten me pretty successfully.

Noone warned me about this particular problem with horse manure. All anyone said was to leave it for a year or more until it had decomposed.

Now I expect someone is going to tell me that horse flies hibernate.

Ooh Missus...

[philcooper]

TB,

Horseflies feed on blood and so wouldn't normally waste their time with your horse manure (no slight intended) unless, of course, your heap is surrounded by tasty horses (or gardeners)

Seriously, I have not come across "man eating" flies in compost/manure before, only the annoying little ones.

Phil

[Robert_Brenchley]

Are the flies large brown things? If so, they're probably dung flies. I get hundreds congregating every time I spread some rotted grass cuttings, I just don't know where they come from.