Allotments 4 All
General => News => Topic started by: nilly71 on September 27, 2008, 15:39:30
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I am planning my plot and doing a bit of work on it at the moment, i have decided to have 3 bins at about 3'x3'x3' starting with one bin then turning the contents into the next regular, filling up the first to start again, with a final bin at about 5' x 5' for the compost to stay until i need it.
Does this sound ok?
How many bins do you have and the sizes?
Neil
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hello n71 :)
I have 7 compost bins 5 wooden ones
1 black plastic dalek
1 big green swing compost bin which is as tall as me (5 foot!) and weighs a ton when full so I can't turn it (I'm 7 1/2 stone !!)
what you are doing sounds fine to me, I was doing the same thing but I had toads living in one bin, bees nest in another etc hence the 7 bins ::) :P/ shades x
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I have 3 of 8ft by 4ft bins, plus 2 daleks, a builders bag for leaf mould, still not enough!! ;)
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How long has it taken to fill them?
I have had my plot for about a month and 3/4 filled a 4'x4'x3' wooden bin.
I have room on my plan for more bins, do you think i should add more bins or make the bins bigger?
Link to my plan...http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,45762.0.html (http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,45762.0.html)
Neil
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most areas have schemes for subsidised dalek bins. they are the best to go for
this link may help (enter your postcode). We have 6 330 litre bins from them (though strictly speaking they only allow 3)
http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/index.html (http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/index.html)
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i have two wooden bins which i fill to overflowing every time i go to the lottie, i will cover with carpet to over winter/ shades x
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Three large daleks and a 3ft x 5ft x 3ft high leaf store.
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6 Moriati bags with this years compost.
3 Moriati bags left from last year waiting for processing.
1 Moriati bag of processed potting compost.
1 Moriati bag of sifted compost waiting for topsoil and sand to process into more potting mix.
2 Moriati bags of topsoil.
4 Moriati bags of manure.
Before the year is out I will expect another 3 bags of leaves and lots more manure.
Approx 5% of my plot is the engine room. :o
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someone is bound to ask
moriati bags.... http://bluewisteria.co.uk/tools/compost.php
lbb
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I have 1 compost bin in my garden at home. I have been using 2 bins at my plot and have just inherited a third. After a year, I still have not got 2 full bins of compost. It decomposes & shrinks in volume so much. Most if not all of my leafy green waste goes to my hens and I don't compost potato halums
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Thanks, I had a look at that site a little while ago.
Do you empty the bins, to turn the contents or just leave them until ready to use?
Neil
most areas have schemes for subsidised dalek bins. they are the best to go for
this link may help (enter your postcode). We have 6 330 litre bins from them (though strictly speaking they only allow 3)
http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/index.html (http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/index.html)
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I was going to ask ;D
It's a good idea and i have one of these in the shed.
Neil
someone is bound to ask
moriati bags.... http://bluewisteria.co.uk/tools/compost.php
lbb
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the composting arrangements at the plot are a little chaotic (4 daleks + 2 home-made bins) but i try to fill bins up and then put that in the next bin with the stuff from the top going in the bottom etc, until it's fully composted down
works much better at home 2 big daleks + 1 small, but there's a lot more grass and quickly composting kitchen waste
one thing I would say is in the past we were a bit lax on putting small bags of peelings etc in, but even small amounts make a big difference to the worm population - almost like having a proper wormery
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I have six daleks and four big builders delivery bags that I use for leaves - and I want more of both!
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Just re-read your post and realised you have 17 builders bags and plan on more :o.
Have you got any pictures of your plot and do you have any room left?
Neil
6 Moriati bags with this years compost.
3 Moriati bags left from last year waiting for processing.
1 Moriati bag of processed potting compost.
1 Moriati bag of sifted compost waiting for topsoil and sand to process into more potting mix.
2 Moriati bags of topsoil.
4 Moriati bags of manure.
Before the year is out I will expect another 3 bags of leaves and lots more manure.
Approx 5% of my plot is the engine room. :o
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I will endeavour to get a picture or two next week but to answer the question, no there is not much room left. A number of bags are dotted in odd corners and under the staging in the polytunnel and the system works on a crude rotation. The topsoil was reclaimed from a job instead of being skipped and was an opportunist moment.
I've had to up the auntie with the compost due to the manure crisis as normally I would use 10-12 tons a year as part of my cultivation method. Also bear in mind that a Moriati bag crammed to the gunnels with fresh compost will break down over a year to 250-300 litres of usable material which is nothing when spread on the plot.
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I have two daleks at home. On the plot I built two 4 x 4 bins from pallets and thought wow - composting on an industrial scale! When the first bin had rotted down and was ready to spread there was about a quarter of a binful - hardly enough for one bed!
Eristic, mind if I ask where you get your bags from?
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Eristic, mind if I ask where you get your bags from?
Morons & Sons Ltd.
I still do two or three small landscaping jobs a year and have to buy the sand which the bags come free with so I always have a few spare ones knocking about.
Generally, if you nose about where there is a skip the bags are usually not far away. Nowadays these bags are "use once, throw away" and the builder will be glad to see you take them away. Just make sure the bag has not been cut in half to make it easier to shovel the content out. Failing that, check your passport is valid then cross the border to Brent and see for yourself if all my photos are for real.
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mind if I ask where you get your bags from?
I know you werent asking me but....
i use these too
do you walk drive past anywhere where ppl are doing building work on their houses?
if you do just walk up and ask them for them, they have to pay to get rid of their rubbish and it will be going into land fill
so not only will you be getting a compost bin for nothing but you are saving even more land fill
have to add, it doesnt matter if your bag has a hole in the bottom, it just meand the worms can get in better
lbb
ps (i only have 6 at the moment)
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I hate it when people cut the bag. Sign of a lazy shovelman. I work with 2 like that.
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The builders bags that they use for sand, gravel and ballast are degradable and will rot over a few years. I have an idea that they do not degrade into anything nice, so organic growers beware. Rubble sacks are tougher and do not rot so easily
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Cheers all for your input, very much appreciated.
Morons & Sons Ltd.
I googled for this... was I being foolish?
;D
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Cheers all for your input, very much appreciated.
Morons & Sons Ltd.
I googled for this... was I being foolish?
;D
Er ... no comment .... :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[ :-[
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I googled for this... was I being foolish?
Um! Try Moran & Sons.
The builders bags that they use for sand, gravel and ballast are degradable and will rot over a few years.
I've yet to see it in real life but if one lets you down return it to the nearest skip and demand your money back or replacement. All these bags if not cut will last for many years as a compost bin.
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;D
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Photos as requested.
Main compost factory:
(http://downtheplot.com/images/compost-depot.jpg)
Overspill department:
(http://downtheplot.com/images/compost-depot-overspill.jpg)
There are a few more bags dotted in odd places but "seen one, seen them all".
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wow!! thats alot of compost, may i ask what is the name of the plant seen growing in front of the 1st blue bag in the second picture?
Thanks in advance for the reply.
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thifasmom, do you mean the tall stem with a purple flower, it's one of my favies, verbena bonseriaris ?sp..spreads like a weed once you have it but bees and butterflies love it ;D
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thifasmom, do you mean the tall stem with a purple flower, it's one of my favies, verbena bonseriaris ?sp..spreads like a weed once you have it but bees and butterflies love it ;D
nope i recognised that one, i meant the bushy green one between the upturned pot and the blue bag of compost.
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Eristic
Thats a mad amount of bags, good idea though.
I've started clearing the area needed for the compost bins/bags, so at least it can be rotting down over winter.
Neil
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I built a few bins in the work area today, 5 in all, each should hold 6 cubic metres. It might look a lot but there is 3.5 hectares of garden and a lot of trees. So they will soon be full even with the bonfires we have. The fronts slats can be removed and slotted in as required
(http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/42821/2733173890062644071S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2733173890062644071svQJxh)
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Ace
That looks smart and what i was thinking of, what size are they, they look about 6', are the post set into the ground or free standing?
Neil
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6' cubes but set in the ground 1' for stability. they could be freestanding but you would need crossbrackets at the bottom to keep them square.
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Have you got a close up of the way you made the slotting uprights.
Neil
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I used 6 posts, one at each corner then 2 more on the front with a noggin of timber top and bottom to space them wide enough for the slats.
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Trust ACE to make bigger, bad boy bins than everyone else.......I'm just jealous really! 8)
I'm resorting to plastic on my new patch as I have one 'dalek' and one huge 600l square bin lying around unused at home (already have 4 big bins there). The only reason I haven't used them is that the large one is a complete pain to fit together, and seems to split apart as soon as you put anything in the blooming thing. I've seen a few on other peoples plots mostly held together with wire, so it's obviously a crap product. I bought two via the local council...never again. I thought as they held more I could replace my two dalek bins, but although they are smaller, they rot things down much quicker so I've kept them in the end!
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Proper professional job Ace, only a bloke could do one like that, ;) :-X I have six dalek bins and a pallet bin for the "longer to break down stuff". ;D ;D ;D