Hi Guys,
I currently compost stuff in bin liners with a few holes in the bottom
and it works quite well. I have read a bit about composting in a
compost bin and would like to try it as it will look tidier.
I also want to get a water butt so that I can water plants growing in
containers while I am on holiday.
So my idea is to get 2 identical water butts and make one a compost
bin. The plan is to drill 10 or so 1/4 inch holes in the sides about 2
inches from the bottom for ventilation and 4 or 5 holes in the centre
of the bottom for drainage.
Now the questions.
.. Is this a good plan for the compost bin? Do the holes need to be
bigger?
.. Can I use the liquid that drains from the bottom as a liquid feed and
can I just tip it into the water butt?
.. In a lot of guides about composting they give a list of things you
can't put into them i.e. kitchen scraps and cooking oil. The scraps
can't be used because of pests but if there is a good lid on the bin
would it be ok?
.. What is the reason for not putting kitchen vegetable oil in it? I
have been putting paper kitchen towels soaked in vegetable oil in my
bags and it seems to rot down.
.. Do you recomend a little door at the front to get the compost out? I
was planning on just upending it in the spring sieving it and using it
to mix with last years potting compost to envigorate it.
.. Is it a good plan to do this or do you recomend always buying new
potting compost?

.. The water butt comes with a rain diverter kit. How does this work?
From the pics it looks like you saw the downpipe and insert the
diverter and it diverts the rain through a hosepipe into the butt.
.. What happens if there is a torrential downpour as the hosepipe won't
cope with all the water?
.. How does it prevent the butt from overflowing?
.. Is there a maximum length for the diverter hosepipe?

Thanks in advance for you answers. I hope there aren't too many
questions :-)

Fingers

The message .com
from "fingers" contains these words:

I currently compost stuff in bin liners with a few holes in the bottom
and it works quite well. I have read a bit about composting in a
compost bin and would like to try it as it will look tidier.
I also want to get a water butt so that I can water plants growing in
containers while I am on holiday.
So my idea is to get 2 identical water butts and make one a compost
bin. The plan is to drill 10 or so 1/4 inch holes in the sides about 2
inches from the bottom for ventilation and 4 or 5 holes in the centre
of the bottom for drainage.
Now the questions.
.. Is this a good plan for the compost bin? Do the holes need to be
bigger?

Yes, the holes need to be bigger. Your best bet would be to get some
rigid plastic net - usually used for climbers, etc, and which has quite
large spaces - and roll it into a cylinfer and clip/tie/weld it up. To
ensure the outside of the composting matter doesn't dry too much to keep
up with the middle, you could wrap some plastic sheet round the bottom
foot or so. You can rest it on concrete blocks or a sheet of
something-or other. You could keep it in a trough (the bottom of a
plastic bin, perhaps), but if you cover the apparatus, there should be
little if any gunge to collect.

.. Can I use the liquid that drains from the bottom as a liquid feed and
can I just tip it into the water butt?

There often isn't any if the composter is managed properly. Have a
separate container and steep weeds in it.

.. In a lot of guides about composting they give a list of things you
can't put into them i.e. kitchen scraps and cooking oil. The scraps
can't be used because of pests but if there is a good lid on the bin
would it be ok?

Yes. But if you make a composter such as I've suggested, no. However, I
confess to putting everything except bones on my heap. Bones are saved
for burying beneath where I'll be planting trees and shrubs.

.. What is the reason for not putting kitchen vegetable oil in it? I
have been putting paper kitchen towels soaked in vegetable oil in my
bags and it seems to rot down.

Pass.

.. Do you recomend a little door at the front to get the compost out? I
was planning on just upending it in the spring sieving it and using it
to mix with last years potting compost to envigorate it.

If you make a properly aerated one and keep it fed with urine, you
should have a straight-through system - weeds, etc in the top and rake
compost out at the bottom.

.. Is it a good plan to do this or do you recomend always buying new
potting compost?

Buy? What does this word mean?

.. The water butt comes with a rain diverter kit. How does this work?
From the pics it looks like you saw the downpipe and insert the
diverter and it diverts the rain through a hosepipe into the butt.
.. What happens if there is a torrential downpour as the hosepipe won't
cope with all the water?
.. How does it prevent the butt from overflowing?
.. Is there a maximum length for the diverter hosepipe?

Inquire at your local fire station - you can often prise a few really
heavy-gauge plastic barrels out of them. They get the additive for
making foam in them. If you cut the tops off with a panel saw, you can
turn them over and they locate perfectly in the channel moulded in so
the barrels stack.

You can run your downpipe straight into the butt(s), which you can
connect with a pipe, and have an overflow at the far end.

Some people have the butts staggered so that the top one overflows into
the next, and so-on, others connect them with pipe at the bottom. When i
get mine set up properly I intend having a float-operated pump into an
elevated 'orange-juice bottle' - the water of which will be filtered and
used domestically for bath, toilet flushing etc.

See:

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ad/waterworks.html

Thanks in advance for you answers. I hope there aren't too many
questions :-)

Hope there aren't too many more, now...

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk

In article ,
Jaques d'Alltrades writes:
|
| .. In a lot of guides about composting they give a list of things you
| can't put into them i.e. kitchen scraps and cooking oil. The scraps
| can't be used because of pests but if there is a good lid on the bin
| would it be ok?
|
| Yes. But if you make a composter such as I've suggested, no. However, I
| confess to putting everything except bones on my heap. Bones are saved
| for burying beneath where I'll be planting trees and shrubs.

I run an open heap, and put everything including bones on it. No
problem - not even the police asking questions :-)

| .. What is the reason for not putting kitchen vegetable oil in it? I
| have been putting paper kitchen towels soaked in vegetable oil in my
| bags and it seems to rot down.
|
| Pass.

Bulk oil and fat will keep out the air and water and not rot down;
any reasonable amount of oil-soaked paper will rot down perfectly
well. Why not? It is little different from nut kernels :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Jaques
d'Alltrades writes
The message .com
from "fingers" contains these words:

I currently compost stuff in bin liners with a few holes in the bottom
and it works quite well. I have read a bit about composting in a
compost bin and would like to try it as it will look tidier.
I also want to get a water butt so that I can water plants growing in
containers while I am on holiday.
So my idea is to get 2 identical water butts and make one a compost
bin. The plan is to drill 10 or so 1/4 inch holes in the sides about 2
inches from the bottom for ventilation and 4 or 5 holes in the centre
of the bottom for drainage.
Now the questions.
.. Is this a good plan for the compost bin? Do the holes need to be
bigger?

Yes, the holes need to be bigger. Your best bet would be to get some
rigid plastic net - usually used for climbers, etc, and which has quite
large spaces - and roll it into a cylinfer and clip/tie/weld it up. To
ensure the outside of the composting matter doesn't dry too much to keep
up with the middle, you could wrap some plastic sheet round the bottom
foot or so. You can rest it on concrete blocks or a sheet of
something-or other. You could keep it in a trough (the bottom of a
plastic bin, perhaps), but if you cover the apparatus, there should be
little if any gunge to collect.


The composting drum that I use (in addition to the heaps) is a cross
between a standard butt shaped composter and a wormery.

I used a medium large plastic barrel/drum (can't remember what
originally came in it - food stuff of some sort I think - but it was
clean). It had a lid as well.

I got another thin piece of plastic sheet and cut a circle out that
would fit in the barrel about 6-8 inches above the bottom. (The inward
sloping edges of the barrel towards the bottom mean it doesn't easily
drop to the bottom but I put a couple of housebricks at the bottom of
the barrel underneath the sheet just to be sure).

The plastic sheet had lots of very small holes put in it. Between the
sheet and the base of the drum, I put a normal waterbutt tap in. Added
some ventilation holes up the rest of the barrel. Stood the whole thing
on a wooden raised platform. Added compost and worms from the heap.
(Actually, its now stood perilously on top of an upturned very big clay
flowerpot as the wooden stand started to disintegrate and I haven't got
round to knocking a new one together!)

Every now and then, I stick a can or bottle under the tap and decant the
gorgeous (non-smelling) black liquid off from the bottom and either
store it in old water bottles or dilute it and use it as feed on plants.

Putting the sheet in stops it getting too soggy at the bottom - and the
worms from drowning. Having the holes small reduces the amount of
solids and worms falling through to the reservoir at the bottom. (Dead
worms tend to clog up the tap!)

The worms seem to love it and its nearer the kitchen than the heaps. I
only put household veg trimmings, old fruit, egg shells, bits of paper
etc in it.

When it looks as though there should be a good layer of compost, I upend
it onto a plastic sheet/tarp, separate the done compost from the
partially rotted (where the vast bulk of the worms are) and fresh waste
- then put it back in and continue as before.

The worm family in the barrel must go back a good few generations now.
This particular barrel was put together around 1998 and I've never had
to top it up with worms.

--
regards andyw

It is a good idea to put a well fittign lid on a water butt. They can be
lethal for children adn pets otherwise.

--
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

Bulk oil and fat will keep out the air and water and not rot down;
any reasonable amount of oil-soaked paper will rot down perfectly
well. Why not? It is little different from nut kernels :-)

More chewy and a bit less tasty, on the whole.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On 7 Oct 2005 03:22:45 -0700, "fingers"
wrote:

. The water butt comes with a rain diverter kit. How does this work?
From the pics it looks like you saw the downpipe and insert the
diverter and it diverts the rain through a hosepipe into the butt.
. What happens if there is a torrential downpour as the hosepipe won't
cope with all the water?
. How does it prevent the butt from overflowing?
. Is there a maximum length for the diverter hosepipe?


The diverters consist of a short length of pipe with a sort of annular
gutter on the inside, but with a hole down through the middle. You cut
a short length out of your existing down-pipe and insert the diverter.
It has to be positioned at exactly the same height as the surface of
the water in the butt, or alternatively the butt height needs to be
adjusted to achieve the same.

They work because when rain water runs down the down-pipe, it always
runs down the inner surface (not as a jet down the middle, for
example), and gets caught by the gutter on the diverter and directed
out into your butt. When the butt is full, or if there is a heavy
downpour as you mention, the water backs up from the butt and
overflows the little gutter down through the central hole, and
continues down the down-pipe in the normal way. This is why the water
surface in the full butt _has_ to be level with the outlet pipe on the
diverter. If the diverter is too high, the butt itself will just
overflow when full. If the diverter is too low, no water will ever
flow into the butt.

They're useful if your down-pipe disappears into the ground and links
with a drain or whatever, as they allow the butt to fill but prevent
the excess water from going all over your patio/garden path/whatever.
But if the down-pipe just discharges onto the ground or into an open
drain-cover, don't bother with a diverter. Just cut the down-pipe off
at the appropriate level and direct the entire output into the butt
using an ordinary angled spout, and arrange an appropriate overflow
from the butt directed to wherever you like.



--
Chris

E-mail: christopher[dot]hogg[at]virgin[dot]net

In article ,
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

Bulk oil and fat will keep out the air and water and not rot down;
any reasonable amount of oil-soaked paper will rot down perfectly
well. Why not? It is little different from nut kernels :-)

More chewy and a bit less tasty, on the whole.

The last bacterium I spoke to had rather low tastes.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

The message
from Chris Hogg contains these words:

They're useful if your down-pipe disappears into the ground and links
with a drain or whatever, as they allow the butt to fill but prevent
the excess water from going all over your patio/garden path/whatever.
But if the down-pipe just discharges onto the ground or into an open
drain-cover, don't bother with a diverter. Just cut the down-pipe off
at the appropriate level and direct the entire output into the butt
using an ordinary angled spout, and arrange an appropriate overflow
from the butt directed to wherever you like.

My problem ATM is that the downpipe I have diverted is on the other side
of the space between the house and the shed, and this has to be
traversed if you use the back door. Since the way through is solid
concrete this would mean a lot of hard work burying a pipe, or one at
waist level - which might be OK for limbo dancers or hurdlers...

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message .com
from "fingers" contains these words:

I currently compost stuff in bin liners with a few holes in the bottom
and it works quite well. I have read a bit about composting in a
compost bin and would like to try it as it will look tidier.
I also want to get a water butt so that I can water plants growing in
containers while I am on holiday.
So my idea is to get 2 identical water butts and make one a compost
bin. The plan is to drill 10 or so 1/4 inch holes in the sides about 2
inches from the bottom for ventilation and 4 or 5 holes in the centre
of the bottom for drainage.
Now the questions.
.. Is this a good plan for the compost bin? Do the holes need to be
bigger?

Yes, the holes need to be bigger. Your best bet would be to get some
rigid plastic net - usually used for climbers, etc, and which has quite
large spaces - and roll it into a cylinfer and clip/tie/weld it up. To
ensure the outside of the composting matter doesn't dry too much to keep
up with the middle, you could wrap some plastic sheet round the bottom
foot or so. You can rest it on concrete blocks or a sheet of
something-or other. You could keep it in a trough (the bottom of a
plastic bin, perhaps), but if you cover the apparatus, there should be
little if any gunge to collect.

Jaques,
The reason I want to use a butt is that the two will match and will
look more pleasant for the neighbours that overlook my tiny garden.

.. Can I use the liquid that drains from the bottom as a liquid feed and
can I just tip it into the water butt?

There often isn't any if the composter is managed properly. Have a
separate container and steep weeds in it.

.. In a lot of guides about composting they give a list of things you
can't put into them i.e. kitchen scraps and cooking oil. The scraps
can't be used because of pests but if there is a good lid on the bin
would it be ok?

Yes. But if you make a composter such as I've suggested, no. However, I
confess to putting everything except bones on my heap. Bones are saved
for burying beneath where I'll be planting trees and shrubs.

.. What is the reason for not putting kitchen vegetable oil in it? I
have been putting paper kitchen towels soaked in vegetable oil in my
bags and it seems to rot down.

Pass.

.. Do you recomend a little door at the front to get the compost out? I
was planning on just upending it in the spring sieving it and using it
to mix with last years potting compost to envigorate it.

If you make a properly aerated one and keep it fed with urine, you
should have a straight-through system - weeds, etc in the top and rake
compost out at the bottom.

.. Is it a good plan to do this or do you recomend always buying new
potting compost?

Buy? What does this word mean?

I have a tiny garden that is covered mostly in concrete so no
possibility to just grab some soil from somewhere. I asked because I
was wondering about disease in such a closed small system.

.. The water butt comes with a rain diverter kit. How does this work?
From the pics it looks like you saw the downpipe and insert the
diverter and it diverts the rain through a hosepipe into the butt.
.. What happens if there is a torrential downpour as the hosepipe won't
cope with all the water?
.. How does it prevent the butt from overflowing?
.. Is there a maximum length for the diverter hosepipe?

Inquire at your local fire station - you can often prise a few really
heavy-gauge plastic barrels out of them. They get the additive for
making foam in them. If you cut the tops off with a panel saw, you can
turn them over and they locate perfectly in the channel moulded in so
the barrels stack.

Are these the bright blue ones? By the time I have bought paint and the
fittings I might as well get the cheap water butt from the water
authority.

You can run your downpipe straight into the butt(s), which you can
connect with a pipe, and have an overflow at the far end.

The downpipe is in a tight corner with no place to put the butt below
it so it will mean moving the downpipe to where I want to place the
butt or doing some plumbing.

Some people have the butts staggered so that the top one overflows into
the next, and so-on, others connect them with pipe at the bottom. When i
get mine set up properly I intend having a float-operated pump into an
elevated 'orange-juice bottle' - the water of which will be filtered and
used domestically for bath, toilet flushing etc.

See:

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ad/waterworks.html

Thanks in advance for you answers. I hope there aren't too many
questions :-)

Hope there aren't too many more, now...

Nope. Thanks for the help.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk

Yes it seems to rot down ok :-)

Andy,
Thanks this is just what I wanted to know. I think I might try a hole
in the bottom with a bucket or watering can sitting under it. Do you
think that the worms will try to escape if the hole it too big? :-)

Hayley,
No kids or pets. Except the bloody squirrel the size of a rabbit that
keeps coming into my garden and digging in my containers. I think I
will leave the lid off ;-)

Chris,
This doesn't sound very satisfactory at all. I think I will go with
your and Jaques suggestion and have the pipe going into the butt. Still
a matter of plumbing but of the aerial variety :-)

The message .com
from "fingers" contains these words:
Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:
The message .com
from "fingers" contains these words:

/snip/

.. Is this a good plan for the compost bin? Do the holes need to be
bigger?

Yes, the holes need to be bigger. Your best bet would be to get some
rigid plastic net - usually used for climbers, etc, and which has quite
large spaces - and roll it into a cylinfer and clip/tie/weld it up. To
ensure the outside of the composting matter doesn't dry too much to keep
up with the middle, you could wrap some plastic sheet round the bottom
foot or so. You can rest it on concrete blocks or a sheet of
something-or other. You could keep it in a trough (the bottom of a
plastic bin, perhaps), but if you cover the apparatus, there should be
little if any gunge to collect.

Jaques,
The reason I want to use a butt is that the two will match and will
look more pleasant for the neighbours that overlook my tiny garden.

Cut the middle out of a bin then, and use the top bit as a lid and get
some matching (as near as possible) plastic 'chain-link' fence mesh and
tuck it inside the base. It'll match - more or less.

What you're proposing is neither a wormery nor a composter.

/snip/

.. Is it a good plan to do this or do you recomend always buying new
potting compost?

Buy? What does this word mean?

I have a tiny garden that is covered mostly in concrete so no
possibility to just grab some soil from somewhere. I asked because I
was wondering about disease in such a closed small system.

The heat generated within a composter will take care of any diseases you
are likely to encounter.

.. The water butt comes with a rain diverter kit. How does this work?
From the pics it looks like you saw the downpipe and insert the
diverter and it diverts the rain through a hosepipe into the butt.
.. What happens if there is a torrential downpour as the hosepipe won't
cope with all the water?
.. How does it prevent the butt from overflowing?
.. Is there a maximum length for the diverter hosepipe?

Inquire at your local fire station - you can often prise a few really
heavy-gauge plastic barrels out of them. They get the additive for
making foam in them. If you cut the tops off with a panel saw, you can
turn them over and they locate perfectly in the channel moulded in so
the barrels stack.

Are these the bright blue ones? By the time I have bought paint and the
fittings I might as well get the cheap water butt from the water
authority.

Mine are bright blue, yes. They add a touch of colour innit.

You can run your downpipe straight into the butt(s), which you can
connect with a pipe, and have an overflow at the far end.

The downpipe is in a tight corner with no place to put the butt below
it so it will mean moving the downpipe to where I want to place the
butt or doing some plumbing.

Ah, life is not a bowl of cherries...

Some people have the butts staggered so that the top one overflows into
the next, and so-on, others connect them with pipe at the bottom. When i
get mine set up properly I intend having a float-operated pump into an
elevated 'orange-juice bottle' - the water of which will be filtered and
used domestically for bath, toilet flushing etc.

See:

http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/ad/waterworks.html

Thanks in advance for you answers. I hope there aren't too many
questions :-)

Hope there aren't too many more, now...

Nope. Thanks for the help.

Think nothing of it - that's urg for you.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/