On Sat, 26 May 2007 07:41:33 +0100, Klara
wrote:

Hi Klara,

Do you still have the bin standing the right way up?

Yes ;-(

Because the idea is
to put it upside down (so it's wider and more open at the bottom than at
the top), then put the lid on what used to be the bottom.

Understood. Because we were really only looking to deal with kitchen
waste and it's not actually our garden but our next_door_neighbours we
didn't want to tack the Mick with something too big or looking too
strange. This bin is just a cheap thinish plastic green jobby and
fairly parallel in section so although the hole in the top *is* bigger
than what I made in the bottom, not by a huge amount? Plus this way
the lid 'fits' and any that don't end up getting blown round the
neighborhood! ;-(

That way, to
fork it over easily, you just lift the bin off the pile.

The problem with that is it's sort of in a little niche between a shed
and a fence (but exposed to the South for suns rays pretty well all
day). To get it out I'd have to slip a spade under it and drag it out
onto the lawn (don't really have any spare earth areas to turn it over
either). I have 'modified' a long handled hand fork as a turning over
tool and that seems to work ok in this fairly small bin.

Also, it makes
a wider base for the worms to come up from below.

Understood.

But the fact that it
never fills up is a good sign.

Well that started when we just had a loose exposed mini pile and that
seemed to disappear as fast as we put things on it g. Because it was
a bit 'untidy' (and not our garden) I went for the bin, not realizing
that doing so would potentially change the dynamics of what was going
on quite so much!

Worms like unshiny torn-up cardboard,
too, mixed in with the green stuff.

Ah, well we haven't really been adding much (any) of that as we
re-cycle cardboard (and paper) separately. So, if we were to put some
cardboard in there what would you say was *best* (as we have quite a
choice and I know now 'non shiny'). What about shredded paper (from
the cross cut shredder) would that be a 'good' thing to add in small
quantities? And talking of paper (and considering this is quite a
small bin) *should* (rather than could) we put paper kitchen towel /
tissues in there please?

All the best and thanks for your help ..

T i m ;-)

p.s. In spite of not professing to be 'a gardener', last years runner
beans were in hot demand by friends and family! ;-)