Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: AnnieD on February 27, 2017, 15:22:02
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The RHS of my inherited compost bin is completely enclosed, no slats lift out. It's full of stuff that doesn't seem to have rotted down at all. Any suggestions as to how to manage this? Thanks.
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to me it needs turning more green waste and urine id take half it out fork thru to get air in it layer with green waste then a pint of urine and then do the same with the other half the more air you can get in the layers the better and dont let them dry out hope this helps maybe some black membrane on the top to keep the heat in
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Thanks. I know I need to get it all out somehow. I think I will have to unscrew some of the slats so I can get at it ?
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Personally for the long term I would remove one side of the bin and empty the bin completely, yes this will be quite hard work but in the long term it will be worth it.
Once emptied I would form a partition to split the bin in two.
Then I would sort out the stuff you have removed into usable material and put this on your plot, the remainder I would put into one side of the newly partitioned bin and leave this till next year (2018). The remaining side would be filled with material that will accumulate this year (2017) this would be left to rot down to be used in 2019.
In subsequent years you would alternate filling the bins in a similar manner.
If you are a glutton for punishment you could form an extension on your bin to make it into a three compartment bin and every six months empty the oldest material into the extension which is effectively the 'turning' process Johnny was referring to.
The key to good composting is to form layers of different compost materials, there is a list of these in this article;
http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Composting/Composting.htm (http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Composting/Composting.htm)
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Thanks for this great advice :happy7:
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More great advice!
Drive 2 posts in 3" from the end, left& right. Screw through the existing slats to the new .Saw through all the slats on this end on both sides. Lift away. Either buy two "tee " hinges(14") or find three lengths of binder twine and tie in once you have followed all the advice above. Problem solved for a permanent fix.
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Well I always try to start with an optimistic outlook. The stuff that is visible through the slats certainly looks dry and rather woody. But depending on how long it has stood undisturbed there is a possibility that some of the deeper lower layers might be useable straightaway. Sometimes when a plot gets overgrown a tenant will clear grass and other weeds and create a pile like this that contains a lot of earth in the mix. Some years back I inherited a similar looking heap held in a wire cage. It looked a lot of work but in the event almost half was usable without further composting.
I would suggest a little and often approach. The key is having an empty bin or area so you can dig this one out. Try to shift just a few buckets full each time you visit your plot. Others have given good advice about moisture levels and getting a good mix of green and brown that will compost more quickly.
If, lower down, you start to find friable earth or stuff that is reasonably well rotted I'd put it through a coarse sieve and spread it back on your plot without doing anything more.
Cheers
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I'd dig the lot in. Anything which isn't rotted now would rot over the next few months. No doubt there will be some well rotted stuff down the bottom if you need it for pots etc.
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I'm with Robert here. Dig a bean trench and bury it, beans not fussy.