Compost bin misbehaving

[Claire72]

Had a poke about in my compost bin this morning and it is just not composting at all.
Resited it in the winter, as it had 'died' (added chicken shed cleanings to it) to a more sheltered spot in the garden, and have been adding matter to it on a 50% brown, 50% green as recommended by the chappie who was training us on using them in schools.
Using cardboard as my browns, as we don't have cardboard recycling here, so thought it was a good way to use it up.
Added some grass clippings to it a few weeks ago to try to speed the process up, but it hasn't helped.
Noticed it was quite dry this morning, so gave it a good soaking from the (redundant) paddling pool, so hoping that will help, but getting fed up with it to be honest.
(quite a number of ants in it feasting on the fruit scraps too)

[squashysu]

Hi Claire,

give it some time, espcially in the summer when it heats up, are you turning it weekly (aeriating), i get a fork in my dalek every weekend and churn it up and its going great guns, are you breaking down your cardboard and food into smaller bits, i put in newspaper and shredded paper, but i make it small.

Mine is in a shaded spot as well and i only started it before xmas and so far i am pleased with it, i am being given another one as mine is getting pretty full, but you do need to get air into it in order for it to work.

SS

ps. Hows the foot? hope you feeling better soon x

[Claire72]

No, I haven't turned it at all, I was under the impression (maybe wrongly) that if I scrunched up the cardboard, it would aerate it (and give the beasties somewhere to live) so have left the cardboard big (was told that if you tear it up little then it compacts????) and I haven't cut up any bits at all of food or cardboard. Is that what I am doing wrong then? Seems a lot of work to chop all the veg and fruit up

As for the foot, it is still improving thankfully, sat out in my strawberry patch today weeding, sat on a little wooden chair of my daughters and had leg stretched out, removed 3 big buckets of weeds, then stopped as it started raining. Tempted to go back out and finish the job now after reading the posts on here though, everyone seems so busy with their allotments etc, seem to spend much more time on them than me!

[squashysu]

Claire

Great going on the weeds love, especially as you are crock! Just think of these lovely strawberries yum yum.

I would defo break up to smaller pieces, when i put in my cardboard and paper i break it down, so it is easier to mulch down, also with my veg and peelings etc, i cut them up so they are smaller.

In my little leaflet i got with my bin, its says keep the lid on, dont let it dry out, so if its pretty dry get some water into it, so it has moisture, also get your other half to wee in it that activates it well.

Also you need to get air into it, i do this weekly and it is working, at the bottom it is a lovely brown colour.

Hope this helps - if yours hasnt got a lid, put a piece of old carpet on it.

By the way, get the OH to do this as we dont want you still crock!

SS x

[rustylady]

I find my compost bin works better if stuff is chopped or shredded or at least torn up and mixed well. I think the only thing for your bin is to dig it out mix well and remake the heap. While you're at it try and tear up some of those big bits of cardboard!