Advice re composting please

[Novice Gardener]

I've just got a compost bin and have popped my first few bits in - veg peelings, egg shells, tea bags and some dead flowers from a vase and I realise that it'll take around 6 months or so before I can actually start using the compost from it, but I just wondered if chucking in a couple of bags of manure would speed up the process. The manure I can lay my hands on (literally ) is fresh rather than well rotted, what do you think?

[shirlthegirl43]

Manure is brill to add to the compost bin as it gets it nice and hot and makes everything happen a bit quicker.

[lainey lou]

just the job, go for it!

[rustylady]

Just make sure you get a good mix. Add shredded newspaper, lawn mowings, all veg waste and peelings, teabags, coffee grounds etc. Don't build solid layers of any one thing, keep it all well mixed

[Flummery]

I still find that it takes me a year to get usable compost. I have 3 bins so I just move from one to another and let the full one 'cook' - when it's done it's dropped to about half the height in the bin but it's all good stuff!

[Novice Gardener]

Thanks for all your advice. Very much appreciated

[Epsom Gardener]

Comfrey leaves, urine, nettles will all help speed up the process.

[veg4681]

Whenever I can, I cut up my composting ingredients into smaller peices obviously not necessary with potato peel as that's the size I try to achieve for anything else. Believe me, they do break down faster this way. Also it's a good idea to give the compost a good mix from time to time using a garden fork/spade so that the black decomposed bits towards the botton can 'rot off' newer addtions around the top thus accelerating the composting process. I'm not sure that even 6 months will be enough to get your compost ready for using, at least a year.

[jacob marley]

A little tip is to get an old compost bag or similar and cover the compost this helps keep the heat in i know there is a lid on your bin but this will help as others have said chuck as much in the bin as you can at any one time as well this helps with the cooking jacob

[Madasafish]

Egg shells?

I hope you crushed them.
My experience is they take years to break down.. so I crush them, keep in an old fertiliser plastic tub and use as slug deterrent/ soil conditioner.

[allotmentlady]

Good luck, I always get my hubby to pee on our composting heaps, helps a lot, the local stables provide us with good manure, that help speed up the process.

[NOG]

About egg shells, You need to make sure that you crush them before you put them in the bin.

For two reasons:

1. Most importantly Witches will go to sea in them if you do not crush them and sink ships.
2. Less importantly if you dont crush them the resual egg ferments in the shell and when you dig out the compost it stinks like hell.

[allotmentlady]

This made me smile

About egg shells, You need to make sure that you crush them before you put them in the bin.

For two reasons:

1. Most importantly Witches will go to sea in them if you do not crush them and sink ships.
2. Less importantly if you dont crush them the resual egg ferments in the shell and when you dig out the compost it stinks like hell.

[dexterdoglancashire]

How interesting! That will explain why Ive got an intact egg shell at the bottom of my compost bin! Bernie

[Hans Mum]

a word of warning when you turn your compost heap with forks make sure you dont spear a frog or toad or other wildlife cause they are often 'camping' in there