We got 3 of the dalek composters and its amazed us how much you can get in one.I have filled it numerous times and within a week or 2 it goes down and needs more.My question is do we stop putting our waste in and let it all compost before emptying it and start filling another one or attempt to remove some of the compost rom the small door at the bottom?
I have two at home that I fill mainly with kitchen waste and grass cuttings.
I suppose emptying will depend upon how much you add to the bins.
I empty mine once a year as a rule, in fact I emptied one yesterday and one this morning.
I use the resulting compost to fill the bottom half of my summer containers.
Firstly I riddle all the compost to get rid of bit of branches and non-decomposed material, this goes back into the bottom of each bin as a drainage/air pocket when I have finished emptying them.
The riddled stuff is bagged up ready to be used as an when I need it.
I managed to fill 5 x 75 litre compost bags out of the two bins.
I ordered one a couple of weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived yet.
I didn't think they were that big, it's going to take ages to fill mine up (I live on my own).
I wasn't planning to have a lawn this year, but I might need to, to help fill it!
We have a couple of Daleks, four sectional wooden ones from Recycle works, a bit of old Anderson shelter and numerous Black bags under Lino for couch etcetera...
::)
dtw, don't you know anyone who could help you fill it? :)
I've also got two at home and fill one up over a year and then in spring I just take the dalek off the top of the compost. I put anything which hasn't rotted into the second one and start again. If one gets seriously full I just start putting stuff in the second one as long as it's empty. If you don't make a start on the second one you'll never get finished compost.
I also use cereal packets, loo rolls shredded paper and any other cardboard stuff and mix it with lawn clippings. This gives a good mix of carbon to nitrogen.
It also helps if you can give it a stir from time to time.
It's really good stuff and full of little red worms.
shhhh, vee, don't tell about the worms, I've told my son in law there's no worms in it, he wants them for fishing ;D
I think I'll have the offer of a dalek soon 8).....I read somewhere that rats love to nest in them and we DO have quite a few round and about tho not, thank goodness, nesting in my garden (so far)....is it best to stand a dalek on something like a concrete base, do you think?
Quote from: manicscousers on February 04, 2007, 17:23:53
dtw, don't you know anyone who could help you fill it? :)
I suppose I could put it by the fence and get my neighbour to dump their stuff in too.
I've got a few rubble sacks filled with stuff I've been saving up, some of them are a bit whiffy though.
There are a lot of teabags, due to me drinking loads of the stuff. :D
I've got to clear out my greenhouse, there's quite a bit of stuff in there.
I have 2 home made compost bins & 2 daleks. Only started making compost 4 months ago due to so much clearing rubble from the plot. Still filling my first dalek. Got loads of stuff in it , mostly straw & chicken poo from clearing hens out. I will be waiting till I can get no more in it before moving onto the next one. If that means the first one takes another 6 months to decompose then I will wait.
i have one in the garage
i have to work out how to secure it and the only way i can work it out is to drill holes at the bottom and secure with tent pegs.
Although i am tempted to use it to grow spuds on it..
I have 3 daleks and a couple of pallet made bins.I brought 1 dalek with a base and it isn't performing anywhere near as good as the 2 without bases.They are just straight on the soil and I can see them working really well with masses of worms and woodlice munching at the bottom.I can see the the process of composting.Also the one on the base isn't as stable as the other 2.
Thanks Billy....in that case it'll go on the ground & I'll deal with any little critturs if they're mad enough to move i ::) just got to persuade this lady that she doesn't need it now ;D
dtw, when there's leaves about, we go out and fill bags with them , I know it doesn't help this time of year..
we've asked our neighbours for their grass cuttings, saves them putting them in the compost bin for the council..
it's been suggested somewhere that fruit shops have lots of stuff they want to get rid of as well, unfortunately, ours knows a man with a goat ;D
Cambourne I have drilled 3 holes around the base of my plastic composters. I put tent pegs into the ground (big strong ones) then tied the composters to the pegs with wire. Works really well but the next addition will be wire mesh to exclude the rat!
Cambourne, my daleks are just pushed into the soil and filled up. They have never moved at all, so I don't think you need to drill holes in them.
Manic , I probably imagined the worms after all ;) ;)
Definitely better to stand it on soil Alishka as the worms etc can get in there and do their stuff.
thanks vee but where i am putting this theres no soil
riddle = sieve ??
I've got four (cos I'm greedy) and have been filling them for a year now.
I turned them all the other day and filled one right to the top. It's got some good stuff in there but lot's of half-baked stuff as well. I really need to avoid the twigs and cut stuff up smaller (like sunflower stems).
One is half-full with next doors clippings and weedings and I just intend to let that one sit and stew for a long while. One's now empty and the little one I'm going to use as my feeder bin.
Three are on soil hidden behind the shed so are protected from the wind but a bit cramped.
During the next turn I might have a riddle.
;D
When I got my composter, I removed one of my paving slabs to place it directly onto the soil. I only had one and it seemed to take about a year to get any soil from the bottom, but it did work. That was b4 i got the lottie. OH desided to re-do the garden leaving no room for the bin, so I gave it away. Now I have the lottie I could do with it back!!! On the lottie, I have just got two compost heaps devided by pallets. On one, there is a piece of carpet on the top, the other is covered by an old cupboard door. Which is best??? I read on one of the links that carpet can poison the soil as it is full of chemicals. What are your thoughts?
Quote from: vee on February 05, 2007, 23:13:47
Cambourne, my daleks are just pushed into the soil and filled up. They have never moved at all, so I don't think you need to drill holes in them.
Manic , I probably imagined the worms after all ;) ;)
Definitely better to stand it on soil Alishka as the worms etc can get in there and do their stuff.
They'll blow about when empty, but once there's a reasonable amount of stuff in them, they won't move an inch.
They fine when they've got something in them but don't underestimate the power of the wind. On my allotment site during the last wind recorded 1 & 1/2 miles away as 100mph a lot of people had their sheds blow over or away. Quite a few were brand new sheds and one flew 3 plots almost intact. My shed is weighed down with bags of sand and soil which wouldn't stop the roof going.....
We get strong winds as we have a very exposed site which is why I anchored my compost bins. Apparently we had a lovely hedgerow for shelter along the side were the prevailing wind comes from but the council removed for no particular reason about 4 years ago!
My four are full and going nowhere the fifth is empty but in the corner so just blows over. ;D ;D ;D