Daleks

[samand]

Have been given a Dalek from a neighbour who i met for the first time a few days ago and we got talking about gardens and after telling him i had an allotment,he asked if i would like a dalek.He also said that he did not have much success with it due to it causing a smell and the material becoming sticky(his words)
When i got it to the allotment i drilled lots of 25mm holes in a pattern around it and set it up on a bed of bricks
So time will tell if the air holes will help the composting

[samand]

[hippydave]

it wants to be on soil to encourage worms etc and turn it regularly and dont put too much nitrogen rich stuff in it like grass cuttings and if you do mix it with plenty of dryer woody stuff to help it break down. it didnt need the holes it works perfectly well with out them when used correctly.

[Alimo]

Our dalek is brilliant - straight on the soil, filled with mainly kitchen compost - the odd bit of grass clippings and shredded paper .   It's full of worms - dunno where they came from - and works a treat.  :)

Alison

[samand]

Thanks for the tip hippydave
Will put it down to earth tomorrow

[grawrc]

 Don't forget: the daleks are the masters of earth!  ;D ;D

[Dopey]

Don't forget: the daleks are the masters of earth!  ;D ;D

But not the stairs

[cornykev]

Don't forget they can fly now Dopey.   :D
As said it needs dropping onto the ground, I drilled holes in my first one but realised that it didn't need it, just keep giving it a good stir round every couple of weeks. :D

[Andy H]

daleks only smell if too much wet stuff in them.

Mix grass in layers, not too thick.

add anything dry to compensate the wet,

dry stuff can be the contents of your hoover, sawdust, shredded twigs/woody stuff.

If you get the mix wrong then just lift off the dalek for a few days, then put dalek next to pile and shovel it all again.

I built a revolving sieve and throw it all in there over a raised bed.

What stays in the sieve goes back in the bin to do another season!

[compothefirst]

Every time that we have put our 'dalek' directly onto the soil we have attracted rats.  The pest control people recommnded putting it on concrete slabs and that seems to work better (the worms were already in there).  We have loads of rats on our allotment digging under the compost bins.

[Andy H]

I would start shooting/catching the rats!

I thought rats were only attracted to cooked stuff in a bin but I may be wrong?.......

[compothefirst]

We never put cooked food or anything other than veg., grass clippings and cardboard in our compost bin but we still get rats

[Chrispy]

I thought rats were only attracted to cooked stuff in a bin but I may be wrong?.......

I find anything strong smelling, mainly fruit will make the rats dig into my bins.

I think about the cooked stuff is they can smell it over a long distance so it will make more rats move into the area.

My dad has his bins on concrete slabs, with small gaps for drainage and to let worms in, seems to compost well and no rats.

[caroline7758]

I don't know about daleks flying, but the lid of mine used to- I had to climb over the fence to retrieve it from halfway across a field several times before it occurred to me to drill a hole in the lid and one in the top of the bin and put some strong rope through. I also put a brick on top, but if I forget, at least the lid stays attached when it blows off!

[Andy H]

Me too, attached to the wife even when she.............. ;D

[Flighty]

Talking of Daleks!

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/385589_10150763112051899_1538317289_n.jpg

[hippydave]

ha now thats the type of Dalek we all need

[daveyboi]

I see they now make a base plate for the Daleks to stop vermin and help aeration supposedly

http://www.escc.getcomposting.com/Shop/Composters/CVBASEXX_Blackwall_Compost_Converter_Base_Plate.html

[Andy H]

Restricts access for vermin! Crap! A mouse can squish itself through a hole the size of a pencil!!! :-\

[gp.girl]

Had rats in the area, next door has had the exterminators in twice but they never seem to go in my dalek. How do you tell? There was no damage or holes that I can see....

[compothefirst]

Hole for burrowing underneath; 'droppings' in the bin.  If you had rats in the bin  I think you would notice.