"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
X-posting. Yes, I know I am a bad person :-)

I was just about to order a couple of plastic compost bins from the
council
(or at least, the firm that does a discount deal via the council) when my
eyes alighted on a white plastic 1cu metre bag which was used to deliver
sand. I have another one somewhere as well.

Now, with a stout post driven down through each inside corner, a few
drainage holes in the bottom, and the plastic stapled to the stakes, I
should have two nice (well glaring mucky white) containers in which to
pile
lawn mowings, prunings, weeds, old container compost etc.

AFAIKT these should be significantly larger than the 330l bins at £16 a
pop
(plus £4 delivery in total which makes the bins effectivley £18 delivered
to
me).

Not as pretty, and would need a decent cover to keep moist/dry but perhaps
an effecient use of resources?

These bag things are supposed to bio-degrade, so only a solution for a
year
or so.

The challenge now is to get 4 stout stakes which will not rot quickly for
under £4 each (which may not be as easy as it first seems, having seen the
prices they charge in the sheds).

So:

(1) any drawbacks to this cunning plan apart from the hideous whiteness? I
do plan to make holes to allow drainage and ingress of earthworms.

(2) suggestions for the best place to obtain 4 * (at least 4' high) 2*2
rot
resistant posts for under £16? Or will just filling the bags (which will
not
result in such a neat shape) be an acceptable solution?

I unded up just shaping the bag with four garden canes - the stuff going in
kept the bag in shape.

Now full (but compacting) and steaming in the middle.

I managed to virtually fill it with two mowings from the lawn, but I mixed
in some old potting compost from last year and the whole thing seems to be
working at the moment.

I am putting in a layer of veggie matter then a layer of spent compost; this
seems to work O.K.

The spent compost contributes worms, but the centre of the heap is really
cooking - won't this cook the worms as well?

[Mmmm....steamed worms...mmmm]

Last layer to go in was excess weed from the pond - a surprising amount.

I think we are due to remove some sediment from the bottom of the pond as
well - I assume that if I bucket it out carefully then the pond will settle
out again fairly soon.

Now looking for a place to put a second bag, but I have run out of hidden
corners.

Cheers
Dave R