Composting

[Jasmine]

Feb 20, 2013 7:07:18 GMT Chuckles said:

I'm expecting some good stuff from my 3 dalek bins, they were all full in april 2011 and I haven't emptied them yet. My back is aching thinking about emptying them

Good luck with yours Chuckles!

[Chuckles]

I always struggle getting the compost out the little hatch at the bottom and I find it almost impossible to lift the bin off the heap. I usually take out from the top as deep as I can reach without falling in and then start at the bottom via the hatch.

I've used some straight from the top of the dalek today and it is probably the best compost I've ever made, most probably down to the wood shavings and chicken poo thats gone in the mix and the fact its 2 years old.

Jasmine I don't turn/mix mine up at all, I just try and make sure I don't add to much of any one thing at a time, if you know what I mean. Maybe you could do with another bin, I know I could.

[Jasmine]

I've got a third bin now Chuckles, when I gave up my lottie last summer I brought the lottie bin back home with me. It has had to go else where in the garden so I might get a second one to go with it so I can turn them into each other too. That will save OH a bit of time when he has to empty the mower as he can just walk to the closest bin. I have got to remember to add more shredded paper and cardboard as it wasn't such a good mix this time round.

[Ladygardener]

My compost never looks the same 2 years running. It's hard enough to get the mix right even when you know what should go in. I tear up all my cereal boxes instead of recycling them Jasmine.
Chuckles I've got a darlek bin and I know how difficult it is to get it emptied. It's a major job but I do manage to kind of tip mine so I can pull the compost out from underneath.

[Jasmine]

Is it ok to put things with coloured ink on them on your compost heap? I use plain cardboard boxes and toilet roll and kitchen roll insides. I used to have an endless supply of shredded paper from one of my old schools but don't now. Is newspaper ok?

[Ladygardener]

Gosh yes Jasmine I put old back statements in too, newspaper is great. There's coloured ink on the kellogs boxes I put in and it does'nt do any harm whatsoever. I read somewhere that you should'nt put whole shiny glossy magazine papers in but the same article said the ink does'nt leach out because they're using different ink or something. Anyhow I don't buy glossy mags very often and those I do get recycled in the normal way.

[Jasmine]

Thank you Ladygardener. I can see more cardboard going on the compost heap and less in the council green bin!

[Ladygardener]

That's the spirit.

[Chuckles]

I put cereal boxes and the likes in mine Jasmine, I know its been mentioned before about the inks used but

One thing I have noticed that doesn't break down is the T bag covers you'd think it would but you can see some in the photo below

[Jasmine]

I'm putting far more cardboard in the compost bins now Chuckles - it was only filling up our green bin. Tea bags rot better than they used to but they are still obvious after 2 years. I guess they're made of something similar to those sock things plug plants come in

[Ladygardener]

Your compost is looking good Chuckles I only use the odd tea bag for visitors and I pop them into the food caddy.
Using the cardboard cereal boxes really makes a difference I think.

[Chuckles]

I think we've all learnt via one another on here that its about getting the mix of dry and wet right Jasmine & Ladygardener, team work If I have a glut of one or the other I just store it in bags hidden away at the side or back of the shed until I need it.

I bet T bags are a similar sort of stuff to the plant socks. I've found thin strips of plastic in my compost and when I put my brain into gear I bet it is from the pull/open tab you get on some boxes, like wash powder and dishwasher tabs

[Dutchy]

Hm but what were you thinking when putting dishwasher thingies in you compost bin?
don't tell me you are in to giving your plants a clean start in life... Lol
I have to get my cardboard surround in my bins up to prevent stuff from falling out. It works a treat.

[Chuckles]

Thats a good idea with the cardboard surround Dutchy, its like double recycling

I've just got 2 of my 3 plastic bins almost filled this morning, they have a combinaton of plant trimmings, shredded paper and shredded shrub and small branches in them along with anything else compostable from the house.  I couldn't manage without my garden shredder tbo, you know what its like when you start chopping, you end up with a load and its so much easier to shred than cart it off to the tip or stuff what you can in those council bins.  They will both drop down as they rot so I'll still get more in them. The 3rd still has a little bit of compo in it that I really need to get out and bag up

I've recently aquired a paper shredder which is great for adding a bit of dry stuff to the compost bins.  OH produces load of paper so it gets shredded now.

[Ladygardener]

The shredders seem like great jobs Chuckles. I might have to get one eventually. My bin gets full and rots down fairly quickly especially since I've been kind of mixing it a bit more, perhaps the hot month of summer weather has helped too. I'll tip it in another month or so and bag what I can and take it to the allotment.

[Chuckles]

I really only use the garden shredder for the woody stuff Ladygardener anything else just gets put in, I call it wet green stuff, it rots down really easily. I did forget to say I also add the chicken poo and shavings from their coop to the compost bin.

[Ladygardener]

Yes I've heard that chicken poo is great for the compost and as a fertiliser if it's rotted down enough Chuckles

[Barbara]

When I harvest the last of my carrots I'll have 3 big tubs of compost, can I add it to the compost that's already rotted down in the bin, or should I add it to the green stuff waiting to rot down, or............ can I add feed to it and use it for something else next year.
What do you think,or do.?

[Rosefriend]

Sept 3, 2013 6:52:17 GMT Barbara said:

When I harvest the last of my carrots I'll have 3 big tubs of compost, can I add it to the compost that's already rotted down in the bin, or should I add it to the green stuff waiting to rot down, or............ can I add feed to it and use it for something else next year.
What do you think,or do.?

I wouldn't add it to the compost that is rotting down etc, I would keep it separate for next year an add to it. There may be some carrot fly or whatever in it - perhaps you can use it for beans etc??

I always rotate my compost, especially as it is all in tubs.

RF

[Chuckles]

I wouldn't add it to the already rotted down stuff but I would add it to the to the green stuff waiting to rot down. I do also bag used compost and store it away behind or at the side of the shed, it then gets used with added fertiliser to top dress some of my big pots or gets used as a mulch on the garden. I've just bagged the compost from pots of bulbs that I've just emptied out, they'll have fresh for growing in and the really dry used stuff will go on the garden later.

[Chuckles]

Barbara,Rosefriend,Ladygardener,maggy,Geranium,Jilly,Jasmine,Tig,owdboggy,Auricula,Fuchsia,isabella,Mowhay,florence,SteveC,Amber,Missredhead,theinsidegardener,

Not sure who still composts but I came across this recently and thought it was quite a good idea if you have this type of composter www.desperategardener.com/2011/04/grandmas-secret-weapons_25.html If I had a bigger garden or a lotty I would love this type

I've now increased my collection from 3 to 4 of the dalek type, my neighbour had one she wasn't using so I begged it off her Hoping to get some good stuff out of them for the borders this year.

[Ladygardener]

I'd have thought the holes would get clogged up 'tho Jasmine,Chuckles,Ladygardener,Dutchy,Barbara,Rosefriend,

I have my dalek type composter at the allotment and do get decent stuff out of it a couple of times a year. I've got space beside it so I lift the dalek off and spread and turn the compost. I'll then use what I can and put the rest into the dalek to start it all off again. It works for me and is less strenuous than trying to turn it by bending over it.

[Jasmine]

I still compost and now have 4 bins - I am turning into Monty Don - oh God!!!
I have 2 that I fill and 2 that I turn into after a year. They're wooden compost bins so I find it takes 2 years to break down properly. In February every year I empty the 2 bins that are ready and turn the 2 very full bins into the newly empty bins and start filling the 2 empty bins again. I still find it is no where near enough compost even with 5 or 6 bags of leaf mould a year too.

[Geranium]

We were very lucky and inherited a row of wooden bins like Jasmine's. OH made another one for manure, and I have to keep my black sacks of leaves tucked behind the greenhouse.  It's almost time to empty bin no. 2 which should be 'cooked' I hope - I need its contents for mulching!  I refuse to look in bin no. 3 because OH saw a rat in it.

[Dutchy]

I have two bins 4 ft by 4 ft by 4 ft and I just put my stuff in although I do make things smaller these days. I turn or rather change all from heap one to heap 2 in October and during the year just slam the pitchfork in and wiggle it about.
I sift the old stuf in march and use it as a mulch. The empty bin is used as extra growing space although it is a slug heaven it is also full of food for plants.

Rats love heaps that are left alone for more than a year. Warm and comfy for the babies. You had better beware Geranium aka let OH deal with it

I have a huge hollow stem of an Angelica archangelica in the middle of the heap but if it brings air in I don't know. It will rot down though so it does something for the heap

[Ladygardener]

Feb 5, 2015 9:24:23 GMT Dutchy said:

I have a huge hollow stem of an Angelica archangelica in the middle of the heap but if it brings air in I don't know. It will rot down though so it does something for the heap

Interesting Dutchy, I wonder if it helps.

[Chuckles]

Jasmine,Ladygardener,Dutchy,Barbara,Geranium,

of all you guys that have what I call proper compost bins, they just somehow look the business don't they.

[Barbara]

I have 2 bins that are ready to use, and 2 bins just started, the one on sons allotment I made last summer is lovely stuff, like a fine soil, the one on ours is usable as a mulch but not as fine, I love making compost, Hubby says I'm sad.

[Jasmine]

...I forgot to add that I generally always end up spearing some poor little furry mammal whilst turning the heap So composting has its downsides!
I love making compost like you though Barbara - it's magic!
I bring home all the going bad school fruit now as well!

[Missredhead]

If I did that Jasmine then all my bin would have in it is fruit.....we have so much wasted fruit..the children dont seem to eat it this year.
Although one of the TA's has horses so she takes some of it but there is a limit to what she will take.