"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:52:13 +1100, "YMC"
wrote:

Hi,

Due to the layout of the house - I probably need to locate most of my
black
plastic compost bins (3/5) to an area of the garden which gets full sun. I
tried it before - but the worms invariably die during Summer.

But would the composting process still work? (I'll put a bucket of water
each day to keep it moist)

I tried the open concept - but the compost invariably dries up and does
not
decompose. Doesn't work so well.

Your compost pile should work in sun or shade. A compost pile (at
least 1 cubic yard) should stay moist inside for days, although the
edges will dry out. I'd think your pile may be too small if you need
to water it daily, else you are in an arid region. Guidelines suggest
locating your compost pile near the garden, convenient location, and
out-of-sight. Your bin is working fine if it is warm 12" inside it. I
use rabbit fencing shaped into a 4' rings. I planted rose-of-sharon
around the cylinders to keep the bins somewhat hidden. They get
mostly shade, but good ventilation. If you have more than one bin,
you can experiment to see which location works best. Any plants
growing near a compost bin usually grow like weeds!

The worms don't really die. As the pile heats up and/or dries out they just
move to a deeper, cooler, moister location. Most likely if you'd dig down in
the soil UNDER the pile you'd find them.

Val