Hotbin

[Dorothyrouse]

I"™m really tempted to buy a hotbin, mini, we are household of 2, live in a townhouse on 4 floors with balconies and no real garden, but because of having an allotment, do produce a lot of kitchen waste that I take up to allotment compost bins, which takes forever to rot down.

interested to hear from anyone who has one.

[Snoop Puss]

I don't have one, but thought I'd mention that I have had success with my bokashi bins. You see a lot of people commenting that they don't do anything. And it's true, at the end of the process the veg and fruit items look just like they did when you put them in. But the 'pickling' or 'fermenting' process means they break down in the compost bin or ground in next to no time in comparison with a traditional compost bin. Easy to keep at home, don't smell and I haven't noticed they attract flies or anything like that.

[ameno]

Normal kitchen waste shouldn't take all that long to rot down. I do three loads a year.
I think perhaps you're not mixing things properly, or perhaps you are not adding enough brown materiel? Cardboard, paper, newspaper, kitchen roll, etc. are all good carbon-rich materials to add to the compost (torn up, if you can).

[Dorothyrouse]

I"™m sure I don"™t mix it properly! It does rot down and all gets used on the plot, but I"™m thinking of buying a hotbin to keep at home rather than up at the plot

[Snoop Puss]

Then a bokashi bin might suit your purpose. So long as it doesn't get too hot or too cold (in the sun or out in the frost), it could be just the job.

[Bren In Pots]

I"™m sure I don"™t mix it properly! It does rot down and all gets used on the plot, but I"™m thinking of buying a hotbin to keep at home rather than up at the plot

Dorothy I can't help you decide about a hotbin but I did find an older thread hope this helps.

https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...e-got-a-hotbin

[Dorothyrouse]

Thank you, I"™m really tempted to treat myself!

[Nicos]

..... oh go on !!!!
its only 6 weeks to Xmas

[Babru]

Hi, we bought a hotbin in May. OH has it as a hobby and has had great success, keeping it up to between 50 and 60 degrees all summer. It has filled up so rather than waiting for full breakdown, he's been taking out some amazing mulch I plan to use on my fruit. So far, so good.

However he first had it at the back door, but it quickly developed a strong smell, especially when you open the lid - which you have to do fairly regularly. I figured the neighbours would be getting their drains checked, so we've moved it halfway down the garden so it's not smellable from the house. I don't think I'd want to keep it on my balcony!

Perhaps someone will come along and tell us where we're going wrong, maybe it's meant to be odourless. It's a lot of cash to spend if it turns out you can't use it. We do love ours though.

[Dorothyrouse]

Well went ahead and bought one, and set it up yesterday, obviously as it"™s winter and cold will take a little while to get going.

[Snoop Puss]

Good luck.

[ameno]

Well went ahead and bought one, and set it up yesterday, obviously as it"™s winter and cold will take a little while to get going.

You can get heat within a matter of hours, even in the winter, as long as you put in enough ingredients, in the right proportions, finely chopped and well mixed.
I shredded a mix of raspberry stems, pepper plants and sweetcorn plants a couple weeks ago, and the shreddings were warmer than body temperature by the next morning.

[Babru]

OH is struggling to get it to 30 degrees at the moment, so he's going to put in the hot water bottle for a bit. It seems to like leafy greens, which are in short supply now.