What goes in a dalek (from Recycle website) composter?

[springbok]

Would really appreciate some advice on this, as I am getting conflicting info from family members and the recycle website.

At the moment I have no garden waste to go in it.  So I have been adding shredded newspaper, vegetable peelings, teabags, egg boxes. crushed eggshells etc etc.  My ex father in law says I should not be adding newspaper and broken up egg boxes.

I only had it now for a fortnight and thought I was doing it right!!  I thought get a lot of dry stuff in there before the grass cuttings start to go in :)

Any advice from somebody with a similar bin would be really appreciated.

[springbok]

[Barnowl]

The only bit I know is that ideally the shredded paper should be added to grass cuttings.

[jesssands]

All things you mention go in mine. I try and mix equal parts of dry stuff, paper, card, leaves, loo rolls etc to the veg peelings, grass etc  Dont forget to tear up cereal packets etc they seem to rot down better.

Sandra x  ;)

[manicscousers]

yes, same here, plus pill packets, vacuum cleaner fluff, dog hair, rabbit or guinea pig bedding and old leaves

[the_snail]

Did a little googling and found this site that may help you.

http://www.plantea.com/compost-materials.htm

163 Things you can compost.

My advise as mentioned above would be to mix your compost stuff together both moist stuff like leaves and grass etc with dry stuff like paper.

The_Snail

[VP]

Garden Organic's site is good as well:

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicgardening/compost_pf.php

[Baccy Man]

Any organic matter can be composted although some people choose not to compost certain things there is no reason why they couldn't.

Adding screwed up paper to grass clippings is more beneficial than adding shredded paper as it creates more air pockets.

[kt.]

Everything you need to know about composting from the environmental website, (Cheap compost bins too):

http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/composting/index.html

[Si D]

At the moment my brand new dalek is sat in our bedroom and the only thing that goes into it is the cat.  Hope this helps :)

[Eristic]

my brand new dalek is sat in our bedroom and the only thing that goes into it is the cat.

Have you got room for mine? :D

[delboy]

In the perfect world that those who write about compost inhabit, we should put all sorts of stuff in the daleks and in layers.

Wouldn't that be wunnerful...

I throw all sorts of stuff in - excepting meat and protein based foods - and then fork it around when I remember to, like just today..

Cracking compost always seems to turn up when the dalek is turned over each spring.

Gardening doesn't have to controlled and should be easy going and fun, and composting is just the same. Throw it all in!

[cornykev]

Don't forget to wee in it as well.  ;D ;D ;D

[gerbera]

Aim for a good mixture of wet and dry stuff / brown and green stuff. I have no lawn (although I do pilfer some grass clippings from neighbours in the summer).....nor do I have a very large garden.......so my compost bin comprises mainly of veg scraps and shredded newspaper / egg boxes / unpaid bills (lol!).

I find that the wet and green (i.e. veg peelings etc) needs a bit of brown (ie newspapers etc) in order to rot down effectively. If you can get some horse poo / rabbit hutch sweepings etc....it will add to the overall quality. Hay/Straw helps heat things up....as do grass clippings. I also add a thin layer of garden soil every so often as I think that it helps get the necessary bacteria and creepy-crawlies throughout the heap. (thats by no means scientifically proven....just a personal thing....it makes sense to me.....maybe its just my own superstition!)

But the most important thing is layering. With a dalek, it is sometimes difficult to turn the heap. By having thin layers of waste (and not putting in too many grass clippings at once)....you can get away with not turning the heap....if you are prepared to wait a few weeks extra for your compost.

As for the red bills......not sure how they aid the decompostion of my heap......but I'm hoping that the resultant compost will help me grow enough crops to feed me in the summer so I can clear the debts! ::)