Composters - I'm sceptical!

[genlistlass]

Lots of good suggestions here.

I've looked at the revolving composters on the net but they are so expensive.

Thought about smaller plastic tubs with screw lids that could be rolled around the garden on their sides, to mix the contents then stood upright again.

Think I'll go the wormy way to speed things up a bit.

Gen in Northumberland

[genlistlass]

[bikegirllisa]

Speed of delivery hasn't improved yet, Chrispy.  Am on the third week of waiting!

[Robert_Brenchley]

I have five compost bins, throw in all the weeds, and don't bother about the mix. I do add the odd pint or two out of the piss barrel when they get full. It rots down by spring.

[Alex133]

was just going to say the same thing Nick! I left mine for about a year, and had lots of crumbly stuff. Mind you it was a bit of a job to get it all out  :)

I have never been able to use the little hatch doors successfully.

When my 'dalek' is full and will 'compost down' no further, I lift it off the compost completely.  If you rock it backwards and forwards first it isn't too hard to do.  The compost should stay upright in the same shape.  You can then put the top, uncomposted materieal back in the bottom of the 'dalek' (in a new location, even if it is adjacent)  to start again and put the crumbly stuff in sacks if you aren't going to use it immediately.

Glad it's not just me with the hatch doors and if you open them to check progress very hard to put back. Will definitely take your advice in autumn re just lifting off altogether.

[Ellen K]

A couple of fellow allotmenteers swear by Aldi/Gardenline Compost Maker.  They just sprinkle a bit in every so often as the bin fills up.

Had a gander in one of their Daleks and it was beautiful GWE so I will be giving that a try next year.

[Morris]

I used to love nothing more than a Sunday afternoon turning a huge compost heap  ;D Sadly I can't do it any more. Or at least, I can, but I know I'd suffer too much for it to make it worthwhile.

I've switched to using 330l council 'daleks' because they are easy to manage. As has been said, they lift off in one fairly easily - even for me at 5'2". I do turn mine when I get round to it, but it isn't hard because there is never too much in one go. Though actually, maybe depending on your back a consideration is getting the forkful up high enough to tip in the top?? Anyway if left they rot quite happily on their own, it just takes a bit longer.

Adding worms to a bin is a good idea. I had a can-o-worms that I got fed up with. The reason I got fed up with it is relevant. The full tray of worm compost was so heavy I had real trouble lifting it!!!  I tipped all the worms into one of my daleks last year, and it made great compost just from chucking all the veg peelings etc in the top - like a giant but easier wormery.

You can also make a really good hot heap in a dalek if you have a lot of weeds/foliage all in one go. But that will need turning if you want to kill weed seeds.

The only other tip for daleks is you do have to make sure they are wet enough. The easiest way is to leave the top off until the rain has done the job - if we ever get any rain again  ;D

So, to conclude my ramblings, if you want to make easy compost and save your back, I would definitely recommend daleks.