Composting - am I doing it right?!

[SueA]

I tear up the insides of toilet rolls & kitchen rolls & add them to my compost bin as a dry layer (I keep them in a small bin in the kitchen until I've got enough to make a layer). You can also tear up newspaper & junk mail but glossy magazines aren't recommended because of the inks in them.

[Kayt]

This has all been really useful to me too, thanks everyone. I do have a question though: I've just taken on my 1st lottie and there are 2 compost boxes there. One is about half full of manure and compost covered with a carpet and seems to be rotting down quite well. Should I add fresh stuff to this now and mix it in or use this, I think it may have been there for a couple of years, and start the 2nd box?

[Jenny22Cumbria]

On the subject of manure...there are some horses round the corner from my house (within wheelbarrow distance!) and I'd like to use some "well rotted manure" on my plot (as the books always say). To rot it down should I mix it in with the compost or make another pile? I'd even thought I might dig it in as it is and let it rot over the winter

[JennieAtkinson]

Jenny - for the last two years we've had the local gymkhana in the field next to us and I've barrowed the muck up to the garden. I laid it on top of the rest of my stuff in the compost bin(I've got three wooden ones) so that any liquid would perhaps kick start the other compost, but allowed me to take the well rotted pony poo off in February to lay on my potato patch. It is a system which has worked very well these last two years.

This year the gymkhana was 2 miles away -

[Kayt]

I suggested to my 17 year old son he peed on the compost on Saturday. He's convinced I've lost the plot now

[Farmer_Gyles]

so what was teh verdict on monty dons perfect compost??

[Two_Sheds]

here's a nice site, might be useful:
http://www.compostthis.co.uk/

[scarey55]

so what was teh verdict on monty dons perfect compost??

Rotten so and so had 6, yes 6 compost bins. I've only got one - best get the hammer and nails out then Scarey

[nick nack]

After watching Monty I informed SWMBO that Monty said I needed at least 2 daleks instead of my one. The look said don't even go there, I will have to use my charm on her then.

No chance then.

NN

[JennieAtkinson]

Well after seeing Monty so passionately speaking about his compost, I thought I had better go and turn mine.

The bad news was I couldn;t move the next day (boy does it use alot of muscles)
but
the good news ....... Underneath the top layer of "bits" I found some absolutely fantastic compost. Made my day!

[Jenny22Cumbria]

You're all stars! Thank you!

[new2growing]

Kitchen Waste

Don't know if the offer is still on but Sainsburys let you have a free 'Home Composting Kitchen Caddy' worth 2.99 if you bought the compostable bin liners (1.65)Got mine a couple of weeks ago so offer might not still be on but well worth asking. Caddy has a lid on it & sits nicely on the windowsill (much better than the ice cream tub we used to use.)

[Farmer_Gyles]

my 2 new daleks arrived this morning - WOOHOO!!
time to fill them up ......

[Kayt]

Don't know if the offer is still on but Sainsburys let you have a free 'Home Composting Kitchen Caddy' worth 2.99 if you bought the compostable bin liners (1.65)Got mine a couple of weeks ago so offer might not still be on but well worth asking. Caddy has a lid on it & sits nicely on the windowsill (much better than the ice cream tub we used to use.)

Yes, the offer is still on. Have just been there and got one. Might have to decorate the kitchen now to match

[Farmer_Gyles]

half filled the first new bin - alternate layers of (mostly) cabbage / cauliflower leaves and scrunched up newspaper - got loads more to put in this bin over the next week or so
should i fill it up quickly, like in a few days? or over a few weeks?

second bin is stuff to rot down over a longer period - got 5 sacks of hedge and conifer trimmings plus dozens of apples / pears and the thick stalks from sprouts / sweetcorn etc as and when they're finished
any advice for this one? will mixing grass cuttings with the hedge trimmings etc help the hedge trimmings rot down faster? stick with 50-50 mix of brown and green?