Composter Advice

[jands]

OK, Its about time i started to produce my own compost. Our council are due to change over to wheelie bins so my 3 black plastic bins will be spare.

I was thinking of using the old bins one or more as a composter. I have no bare soil to put the composter on so it would just be sat on flags at the bottom of the garden with the spiders and snails!!

Any comments advice - should I put a layer of soil in the bottom to get things going?

The bins are normal house hold type - black plastic bins.

Thanks

[Maximillian]

i think you need to have an open base on soil so that the worms can get in and do their work to break down your peelings etc.

[taff]

I used a black plastic bin before. i drilled holes in the bottom and partway up the sides.
I did get some lovely juice out of it [ the stuff that dribbles out] to use for liquid feed, but the compost itself didn't break down brilliantly, not enough oxygen in it, so it tended towards the sticky black slimy mess with loads of fruit flies hovering over it all the time.
If you do use yours as compost bins, consider cuting the bottoms off, upending them and placing them on soil - crap, just realised you said no soil <---edited bit.
And put enough cardboard/brown stuff in to counteract the greens.

[hmk]

Hi,
I've been lurking for a while and thought I'd better join in!

I think you'd be better off converting them into a wormery. Without soil to stand it on you won't make a successful compost heap, it'll just go slimy and mouldy. You can get tiger/brandling worms from a fishing shop or accquire some from an existing compost heap. There are loads of instructions on the net-

Make your own wormery - Articles - Family - Greener Living - Tesco.com

http://www.tagawagardens.com/documen...ldaWormery.pdf

I seem to remember the WigglyWigglers site has lots of info even if you don't buy their products, and the book Worms eat my Garbage is pretty comprehensive (including how to build a wormery for your dining room...)

The worms won't work their way through piles of garden waste, but they eat most kitchen waste- crush egg shells and avoid too much citrus or onion peel in one go.

HTH and good luck,

HMK

[JimmerG]

Jands,

I'm pretty sure you can make compost even though you don't have access to earth. Compostumblers are popular - and they don't even touch the ground!

So as Taff said - cut the bottoms off and up end them (keep the bit you cut off for a lid)- maybe drill a load 1inch holes all over the sides aswell to help air circulate to avoid the black slime. So long as you get a fork in there once a month and give it good turning over it'll be fine. If you can stick a layer of soil or manure down first - this will definately help the process.

J

[Capsid]

You don't need worms to make compost, although they help. The bacteria are the key to the rotting process. It's best if you encourage the aerobic bacteria, so introducing air and turning the pile is desired.

[NOG]

Most Bins are too small (@ 80l) to make compost. Most Composters are 220 or 330lt. You need this size to generate the heat.

When we went over to wheelie bins, I kindly collected a lot of the excess bins down our street. I use them to store Manure, Council Compost, Coffee grounds. And to store Compost that I have made in the big bins,.

[jands]

Went Mad - Change of plan

Just purchased this
only £19.99 from lild comes with a base with holes in!! so must be ok to place on flags, well will give it ago and then move it to the allotment once I get one.

Any advice on how I should start the whole composting lark off now I have a propa composter!!

[jands]

Most Bins are too small (@ 80l) to make compost. Most Composters are 220 or 330lt. You need this size to generate the heat.

When we went over to wheelie bins, I kindly collected a lot of the excess bins down our street. I use them to store Manure, Council Compost, Coffee grounds. And to store Compost that I have made in the big bins,.

The one I got holds 360lt

[taff]

Fill 'er up!!
Not sure of exact amounts, but 2/3 browns to 1/3 greens or something along those lines. Someone else will be along to correct me in aminute

Um...why do you need this on your allotment? Why not just use pallets or something you don't have to pay for? Can you tell I'm averse to buying unless it's plants and seeds

[singleseeder]

Just purchased this
only £19.99 from lild comes with a base with holes in!! so must be ok to place on flags, well will give it ago and then move it to the allotment once I get one.

Any advice on how I should start the whole composting lark off now I have a propa composter!!

These look great don't they? I bought a similar one from Aldi a few weeks ago. I'm afraid, I have taken it back for a refund though. It just isn't strong enough for the job.

I had grass cuttings, dried leaves and weeds from a garden tidy up, kitchen scraps and some shredded paper to the half way level. I thought I'd give it a bit of a stir to make sure there were no empty pockets in the corner and without using much ooomph on my part one of the corners popped open.

It would be impossible to clip it back together without emptying it all out and I realised that if it popped open with this light pressure, there was no way it was going to stay together once it was full and the contents began to compost down. (Think of the equivalent weight of half a dozen or more bags of compost in there)

The shop manager gave me a refund with no problem................ and I'm now ordering a 'dalek' from the council. Only £8.

It might be worth checking how strong the corners of yours is before you start filling it up. Making your own compost is great but you won't get good compost out of a bin that doesn't keep the heat in.

[Dynamo]

I'm going to make my own bins out of old doors. A guy I know is going to get some for me. They'll look fine up at the allotment. I may even give them a lick of paint if I feel extravagent.

[COMPOST CORNER]

Our Daleks are quite happily producing loads of great compost on our patio. Get as much compostable material together as possible to start, and turn it into a second dalek (or remove the dalek and turn the heap back into it) when the temerature starts to drop. Try and keep it somewhere the sun gets to it as well. Good luck. I've just covered two 2x1 metre raised beds to a depth of abot 3 inches with the contents of last years bin. Try and get some stable wet straw as a good starter.

[MervandFee]

Composter problems...

Well I've read all these posts and am still flummoxed ! Our dalek bin gets sun and shade, we think we've got the mix of green: brown right , we turn it regularly, theres no black slime .... in fact absolutely nothing seems to be going on with it... all advice greatfully received ! Thanks

[jacob marley]

If you put a piece of a old compost bag on top of the stuff you are trying to compost it will keep it warmer and it will work better and keep forking it around the side it will stop it drying out hope this helps....jacob