Allotments 4 All

hey,

i thought i'd ask what you guys and gals use as a bin in the kitchen to collect your tea bags, veg shavings and peel etc.
although i do live virtually next door to the allotment, i don't think that i will take my compostables there every day (not in winter anyways). what would be a good small (hopefully even attractive) bin that keeps any smells in...
has anyone got any recommendations?  size = small, it's only two of us in the household :)

thanks
svea

http://tinyurl.com/6hhy4

We use one of these.  I don't know if they are available elsewhere but we did get replacement filters from Lakeland.   It works really well and the tall thin one doesn't take up too much room.

Mine goes into a bucket outside the back door.  Then about once a week  I put it in the compost bin.  Mind you, all my household waste goes in the garden compost bins, and the allotment waste goes in the bin there.

I've got an enormous tin that held Roses chocolates at Christmas. It's ideal, as I take mine to the lottie in the car, so there's little chance of it falling over and leaking!

Moggle you have given me an idea  :o (That could be dangerous)  ;D I have a small twin-bin in the kitchen that fills quite quickly and as you say transferring in bags to compost bin can be messy in transit. :P

I have resealable large plastic semi-rigid buckets that the chicken pellets come in, howza bout that for recycling. 8)

Thanks Moggle and I'll paint it green ;D

I use the Lakeland Plastics compost carry too (see ptennisnet above for link). It's fantastic - I've got the bigger version, and as there are only two of us we only need to empty it once a week (or less, it goes with me whenever I head to the lottie) - but it never smells, despite the contents getting quite fragrant.

I use a little kitchen compost caddy, same as in picture, free from council.
Easy to take to alottment. It is green and is in one of my kitchen cupboard.

thanks for the suggestions. i will look into the 'fragrance' suppressing ones ;)

I use old ice-cream cartons, partly to make me ditch the stuff quicker. Especially in the week we might not generate much compost as we're all out until supper-time and these fill up fairly quickly. Also the worms can't take too much at a time, a bucket full of slime would probably kill them off.

Jeremy

Another ice-cream tub fan here. It gives me a great excuse to pop into the garden more regularly!

I use a plastic bowl, I think it was a christmas pud basin :)

Then once it's overflowing (about 2 days) I empty it into the garden compost bin.  Now my little garden composter is nearly full again I'm gonna have to rethink to take the bits to the lottie composter.

I would limit their numbers and save the rest for detering slugs.  Make sure you crush them well too, I recently turned my compost bin at home and everything in the bottom quater was just about broken down except for one potato that had sprouted, and several egg shells!

I agree about breaking the egg shells up.  We have a lot of ducks eggs and last year I bunged them in as they were, still there when I emptied the compost heap, clean and shiny...along with the mussel shells!

how do you use them as a slug deterrent, btw?

currently using an older tupperware box to collect compostables, btw (just to keep this thread kinda on topic ;))

svea

crush the egg shells roughly and place them in a wide ring around slugs fave plants.  Apparently they don't like crossing it, but I bet if they were hungry enough for your prized hosta they would be over like a shot!

Mine go in an old tray at the bottom of the oven, I let them cook for a few weeks, makes them easier to crumble for slug deterrent!
For my compost I use a bucket from the local cheapo shop which has a lid!
DP

I use a small plastic bin intended for bathroom use and with a flip lid.  It gets carted off to the compost heaps when full. I put empty eggshells back in the egg carton till they're all used then crush the whole thing and put it on the compost too.  We have "super" slugs who are not deterred by supposed barriers but can be diverted by beer (mort subite) or picked off  by torch light.  The oats/bran to swell them up and immobilise them works too - as long as you go and pick them off early.  Otherwise they will just do an enormous dump and are off again after the lettuces............

I bake my egg shells in the oven (after Mrs Kew has finished making tea). Then I break 'em. They end up with very sharp jaggy edges...he he he!

I tried the beer trap thingy, the only thing I caught was a shrew!

I nuke mine in the microwave ( full power for 1 min) they crumble

beautifully after that.

Debs ;)