On Feb 26, 10:22*am, "Bob F" wrote:
Higgs Boson wrote:

Sounds like you live in a really kewl rural area - woods! *Wow!

As I said earlier, gardener had been putting grass clippings in the
composter until I stopped him doing it every week, but by then, it was
bulging.

If the bin bulges, it's too weak. Most of the compost I get is because of lawn
clippings, so I'd hate to lose them.

My first bins were made with 4 4x4 foot pallets, stood on edge to form a cube,
and tied or nailed together at the top corners, with the "top" surfaces to the
indside. They work fine for several years, and then have to be replaced. I
finally built 2 bins with treated 2x4's, sort of like a house wall frame
structure, then lined them with 1/2" galvanised steel or plastic hardware cloth
(1 each). Those have lasted for years and seem to have many more ahead.

My bins are about 4x6 feet and 4-5 feet deep, with removeable or hinged fronts,
which take me a couple years to fill up since I use the mulching mower during
the slower growth times of the year. I don't "turn" them. I just keep filling
one till it's full, then start filling the other. When the first bin is needed,
I fork the uncomposted top off the bin into the other, they use the compost.

I do fill the bins in layers. Add a couple inches of grass clippings, spread it
evenly, then sprinkle a tiny bit of dirt over the layer to "innoculate" it with
the needed bacteria. This seems to help avoid pockets of uncompostd material I
used to find. Larger material such as garden waste I will grind up with my
snapper mower by running over small piles repeatedly, before throwing them in
the bin.

This works for me with the minimum of extra work.

Witrh 20-20 hindsight, I should have done just as you did, instead of
buying the (supposedly discounted, but not very good) bins the City
was offering. Even the previous bin, which had an outlet at the
bottom, was not your Class A composter.

I am selling my Smith & Hawken bio-something composter and will in
future rely on the City's 4x yearly free distribution of fine-ground
compost. It will now be enriched w/table scraps since they have
starting allowing/inviting us to add all table scraps -- including
meat & other no-no''s -- to the garden waste bins.

May also cut back somewhat on growing food. In such a small
household, with access to four (not cheap!) farmers markets and an
organic co-op, it almost doesn't pay to grow -- except possibly for
"spiritual" reasons.

HB

HB.