The message
from "Farm1" please@askifyouwannaknow contains these words:


"Mike Lyle" wrote in message
oups.com...

I'm not one of those who swear by plastic compost bins: the stuff
wants
air,

I find they work well but in an entirely different way to trad.
compost heaps. They are much wetter and take longer but the product
is good (in the end). I suspect that they need the heat from the sun
to work well. I moved one from the shade into full Oz sun and it
works a treat now whereas before it was soggy and smelly - now with
the sun working on it there is no smell even though it is still on the
soggy side.

Last year, our local council (desperate to reduce landfill) handed
out 3 free plastic black dalek composters to every household that
asked. Like Mike L I had little confidence in them until I moved one
into the sun. It was filled with insidious and seedy weeds that I don't
put in my big pallet compost heaps.


I also now have mice in one of my plastic bins and I have found them
to be a most useful addition. The mice are tunnelling and turning and
pooping and make the compost much quicker.

I had ants doing the same thing . Unlike you I found the plastic one
much drier than the usual heaps (hence the ants). However, the one
heated up by full sun is now full of very fine, crumbly dark compost,
and I'm really surprised and delighted by the success of it. The other
two were tucked away in shady corners and haven't done as well.

Janet

Janet