Composting - Dalek not producing

[bario1]

Sound like you need more 'browns' to bulk it up. I add a lot of torn up corrugated cardboard - I have a load of broken up boxes stashed in the utility room and I just tear a couple of strips off and tear them up again into smaller bits and add them to my waste caddy every time I add some food waste. Really you want about 60% browns to 40% greens.

[Jay-ell]

I aim for a 50:50 mix although I don't usually hit it

[Dynamite]

Composting is a long game and in order to produce a lot, you need more than one composter and you need to go out of your way to find materials. Obviously your dalek is doing a great job, you just need to feed it more... fill it to the top, start another one, keep turning and topping both up over the season, and you'll have some nice compost next year. If you need a lot of compost now, you'll have to buy it - what's it for?

It's for topping up my raised beds, conditioning my general garden borders that are VERY heavy clay, adding to MFB's for various things.

Rob

[Cadalot]

I make a point of shredding all paper that comes into the house, and cutting up cardboard, I store it in food buckets with lids that I get from the local pizza shop which saves them from being put in the rubbish collection see Alans Allotment: Tip & Trick Shredded Paper

I've also been cutting up all the cardboard boxes that the new wet room came in and I'm always happy to use cardboard boxes from the supermarket for bringing my shopping home and then cutting them up into strips and Mrs C then cuts the strips into squares



http://cadalot-allotment.blogspot.co...gredients.html

Find out where your local brewery is and they are normally more than happy for people to take the spent hops.

One of those Daleks is full of horse manure that gets dropped off at the Spencer Road plot by the Met police stable management company for free, but they are really looked after as its too fresh and more straw than muck so it needs time to mature.

Replacing three year old woodchip paths is another good source for browns in the compost bin, by that time it's nearly soil again anyway

[Deltawhiskey]

Thanks for the posts guys. I have just realised my mistake. I have been continually adding to my dalek and turning it and wondering how it is ever supposed to turn into the lovely brown stuff. I will pick up another dalek add no more to the first and start another batch.

David

[Dynamite]

I make a point of shredding all paper that comes into the house, and cutting up cardboard, I store it in food buckets with lids that I get from the local pizza shop which saves them from being put in the rubbish collection see Alans Allotment: Tip & Trick Shredded Paper

I've also been cutting up all the cardboard boxes that the new wet room came in and I'm always happy to use cardboard boxes from the supermarket for bringing my shopping home and then cutting them up into strips and Mrs C then cuts the strips into squares

[ATTACH=CONFIG]74617[/ATTACH]

Alans Allotment: Collecting Compost Ingredients

Find out where your local brewery is and they are normally more than happy for people to take the spent hops.

One of those Daleks is full of horse manure that gets dropped off at the Spencer Road plot by the Met police stable management company for free, but they are really looked after as its too fresh and more straw than muck so it needs time to mature.

Replacing three year old woodchip paths is another good source for browns in the compost bin, by that time it's nearly soil again anyway

Much appreciated Cadders.

Regards.........Rob

[Dynamite]

I'm going to start collecting cardboard and get shredded paper from work too. Hopefully that might help.

If I put some twiggy stuff in, how big is the biggest diameter of twig to put in?

What about privet hedge cutting, stalks included not just leaves?

Any other examples of "brown stuff" ?

Kind Regards.........Rob

[Dynamite]

I've not done it Rob but there's a guy on youtube who piled all the ingredients up in one go (including a small amount of stable muck) then turned it every couple of days. He said the fast action composting reduced the amount it shrunk.
Don't lose heart, I have three pallet bays, a dalek and a 6' x 12' x 2.5' bay and still can't make enough.

Blimey, if that's the case it's definitely no point in me trying. Even more browns won't help by the sound of it. Anyone advise as to a list of browns and sizes?

Regards.......Rob

[Bren In Pots]

Rob have a a read at this link. especially the 'making compost' one it gives a list of greens and browns :-

https://www.recyclenow.com/reduce-wa...M20aArbs8P8HAQ

[Cadalot]

I very rarely turn my compost, I do however bore holes with a steel tube and fill the bore with dry coffee grounds and then water it in so the bottom of the pile gets moist and the worms use the coffee shafts as a means of travel in the heap. Re big twigs, I try not to include them unless I have some for the bottom of the next Dalek and I never use private hedge trimmings as they just don't compost down fast enough.

[bario1]

Private hedge trimmings tee hee hee! That's taking composting too far Cads!

[Cadalot]

LOL you can use umm hair but that's a tpyo (Britany Spears Opps I did it again) or my brain was not in communication with my fingers or something.

Oh forgot the fluff out of the tumble dryer filter goes in my compost bin as well.

Why is it always purple no matter what colour the garments dried?

[bario1]

Yeah weird right? My navel fluff is dark blue even when i wear a white t-shirt. I always put that in the compost too.

[Dynamite]

Rob have a a read at this link. especially the 'making compost' one it gives a list of greens and browns :-

https://www.recyclenow.com/reduce-wa...M20aArbs8P8HAQ

Much appreciated Bren, great help.

Rob