Separating compost

[The Goatreich]

Hi all,
I've had a Dalek style compost bin going for about a year now, but it has been very infrequently turned, in fact I'd go as far as saying I only did it right at the beginning, until it started getting too full to do effectively with a fork.

I've since seen those bin turning devices on Amazon, which I'll definitely purchase when they come back in stock. However, when I do, I'm going to have a compost bin full of fairly decently rotted compost, and brand new compost, all mixed in. What's the best way of getting the good stuff out to use, and leaving the fresh, or partially rotted stuff, behind?

[rustylady]

What you need is two compost bins or Daleks.

An easy way to turn the contents of a Dalek is to simply lift the Dalek off, mix the contents with a fork and then reload the lot back into the Dalek. Leave this until it has completely composted.

While you are waiting for this process to finish, start a new bin or Dalek. If you keep adding fresh stuff to an existing heap you will never have a completely composted pile.

[The Goatreich]

Ah I see. Cheers.

I guess thinking about it that way, 3 would be the best way to go. One with compost ready to use, one for fresh items, and another that is in between. When bin 1 is empty of compost, it becomes the bin for fresh bits, bin 2 is then the usable compost and bin 3 is in between.

Unfortunately I don't think I have the room for 3 bins, but I'll try and find room for one more.

[veggiechicken]

You could bag up the ready compost until you want to use it!

[The Goatreich]

It'll store easily enough then? I suppose a normal emptied compost sack from the garden centre?

[veggiechicken]

That's just the jobby!! It'll carry on composting in the bag too.

[The Goatreich]

, cheers.

[Bill HH]

Obviously once you have mixed it you cant get the composted part back, but you can dig some ready stuff out of the bottom through the door provided before you mix it. I have a turning tool, it works very well, you push it in and the two blades fold in to allow this, when you pull it back out the blades open and bring some stuff from the bottom to the top. You have to do it qiuite a few times. only minor problem is the t handle at the top only just fits in the neck of the bin, it can catch your hands on the opening rim on its way out. I have 3 bins for the purpose you suggested.

[zazen999]

Get a pitchfork, lift the dalek and move it 3 ft to the side. Use the pitchfork to put the compost back into the dalek. Do that a few times and your compost will soon be ready. I find loads of 'done' stuff gets left on the ground and I rake that to where I need it.

[Two_Sheds]

I've since seen those bin turning devices on Amazon, which I'll definitely purchase when they come back in stock.

save your money, for chocolate or your gas bill

I guess thinking about it that way, 3 would be the best way to go.

You can do it with one.

As soon as your dalek is full, lift it up & put it somewhere else. The heap that remains: fork out the unrotted big lumps into the now-empty dalek.

The stuff that looks rotted, leave where it is and just rake it flat, or barrow it to where you need it (I put my daleks where I'm going to need compost, which eliminates a lot of heavy lifting)

[dim]

buy a large tumbler compost bin ....

start your compost in the dalek .... when it is full, transfer it to the tumbler and place the tumbler in a sunny position .... give it a spin once a week and don't add any more stuff to it ....

all new scraps get put into the dalek .... if you have the correct nitrogen/carbon/moisture content, you can have decent compost in the tumbler in approx 28 days ....