Growing Compost

[BumbleB]

I have tried the search facility looking for a thread on the best way to make compost, what should, should not be included and the amounts of the mix etc but could not find a specific thread.

Can anyone let me know the best materials to achieve a fast compost, what rots down well and if I should not put weeds in the compost bin.

Thanks guys.

[Capsid]

You need an equal balance of green (grass/leaves/kitchen waste) and brown (paper/cardboard/ woody stuff) materials. Turning the compost regularly (weekly) will help with promoting aerobic bacteria. If the compost gets hot enough then weeds should be killed off, but for most home compost this temperature is not readily achieved. You can also add accelerators or use urine to add the nitrogen which the bacteria need to do their stuff.

Shredding the contents as much as possible is beneficial too and then when you want to use the final compost I would sieve it and maybe add 1 part sand/loam to 3 parts sieved compost. What doesn't go through the sieve, chuck back in to rot some more.

[BumbleB]

Thanks Capsid thats really helpful, they say its easy, but it sometimes seems complicated. When I weed, can I put all of that in? or will that cause weeds to grow in the compost when its rotted? ahh, you stated, it needs to be hot to take weeds, so maybe only prunings for now.
We have a hot bin 'green cone' on the veg patch that we have been putting kitchen waste in and this rots down to liquid and feeds the under soil. Recently though, I have been saving the kitchen waste for the proper compost bin as I understand this promotes the rotting of other materials.

[allaboutliverpool]

Capsid is right, chuck everything in and see what rots quickly.

I have found that woody stalks such as sprouts take too long unless you have the patience to smash them up with a hammer.

I rotted down all my couch grass, bindweed and mares tail by putting it in old general purpose compost bags (turned inside out as the black looks less obtrusive than the coloured outer surface).

If you turn your heap regularly as I do, moving from bin to bin you can safely add roots such as dock without problems.

Do not put diseased plants into the heap, burn them.

Like Capsid suggests, if things are not fully broken down at the end, pick or seive them out and put back on the heap. You can get a good idea on :-

allaboutallotments_compost

[BumbleB]

Thanks AAL

I think I will just give it all a try. Whats the worse that can happen?
I am sure as the season goes on that I will have lots more green stuff (rather than weeds) and I will start to put cardboard and paper in instead of sending to recycle. I will ask OH to oblige with some diluted urine too!

[bustertom]

I moved house last summer and so inherited a compost bin which was a mix of very nice rotted compost and a top half that wasn't doing anything. I removed the compost and started again with the stuff that hadn't composted down. I found adding some soil and grass cuttings gave it the boost it needed and its all composting down nicely now.

Clare

P.S. I have started a second compost bin now using one of the large builders bags which is working well.