New compost bin

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New compost bin
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sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 12:32 pm Post subject: New compost bin
Milo, our Springer spaniel, has dismantled the frame of the existing compost heap in our garden. Since the garden's quite small I've gone and bought a plastic composter today. Presumably I can load it up using the stuff from the old heap, oldest compost at the bottom. I assume it needs to stand directly on the soil. Apart from that is there anything I should do in particular?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 12:54 pm Post subject:
Is it a big square one or one of those conical ones? How far gone is your compost? I'd be tempted to give it a good mix as I put it in.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 12:55 pm Post subject:
Conicalish, the stuff at the bottom of the heap is already usable.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 12:57 pm Post subject:
Just give it a good mix then, it'll speed up the rotting of the newer stuff too.

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 1:55 pm Post subject:

Just a suggestion, but I'd put some fine wire mesh - like chicken wire or something similar - underneath if I were you. When we were still living back down in Bucks, we had a plastic composter there and ended up with rats practically building their own housing estate in it because they tunnelled under the fence and the edge of the plastic bin and up inside it! We got rid of them in the end with the help of Gervase's keen eye and a large shovel...and the air rifle, amongst other things...but we've been careful to keep the bottom of any small composting bins covered in mesh since.

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 1:56 pm Post subject:
Luckily we've never had any rat problems

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 2:34 pm Post subject:

We didn't have a rat problem either until that little lot moved in!

I'm told that if you have a small garden/veg plot, one of those tumbling compost bins are a good idea because they produce compost a lot quicker. Even Monty Don (*swoon*) recommends them for small gardens so they can't be all bad! I've never tried one myself, but I've heard good reports about them. Less effort than turning it all by hand too!

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 2:38 pm Post subject:

Stand it on the soil so worms can get at it and for drainage. Take a leak in it once in a while to keep it going, and between the layers of kitchen and garden waste put in some newspaper scrumpled up. Take compost out at the bottom when its done, and use that as a chance to mix.

We manage nearly all of our composting in such a container, with a small compost heap in the corner of the garden for over-wintering (when the compost bin slows down).

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 2:39 pm Post subject:
Definitely pee on it whenever you can

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 2:42 pm Post subject:
I take it, Cab and Tahir, that you don't have much of a problem with neighbours nosing over the fence any more?

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 2:44 pm Post subject:
We've got a 6' fence that side, dunno about Cab though

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 2:59 pm Post subject:

Bugs wrote:

I take it, Cab and Tahir, that you don't have much of a problem with neighbours nosing over the fence any more?

The plus side of having a big wall is that the garden is nearly private. The down side is that it doesn't get as much light as you'd like, and the neighbourhood kids are always climbing on the wall.

But yeah, I can take a leak any time I like in the compost bin, as long as there aren't any guests at the kitchen window doing the washing up.

Lloyd

Joined: 24 Jan 2005
Posts: 2699

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 4:02 pm Post subject:
No probs with neighbours lookin over my fence!

Tristan

Joined: 29 Dec 2004
Posts: 392
Location: North Gloucestershire

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 5:05 pm Post subject:
I guess the rest of us will have to make do with a plastic bottle and a good aim! Remember, never drink lucozade from a bottle by the side of the road!

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45670
Location: Essex

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 5:09 pm Post subject:
Good advice Tristan

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