Composting bins - do they work
 

Thinking of getting one - local council is offering them quite cheap.
The sort that the compost just drops out of the bottom flap.

I would have to stand it on concrete floor and my garden is v.small
(4.5m x 4.5m).

I cannot see how they can work well because how does the air get to it??

Composting bins - do they work
 

they sell additional bases for them that let the air in . ALthough
it's better to have them on top of dirt so worms get get in to it

On 18 Mar 2006 05:17:17 -0800, "yitzak"
wrote:

Thinking of getting one - local council is offering them quite cheap.
The sort that the compost just drops out of the bottom flap.

I would have to stand it on concrete floor and my garden is v.small
(4.5m x 4.5m).

I cannot see how they can work well because how does the air get to it??

Composting bins - do they work
 

"yitzak" wrote in news:1142687837.457159.15500
@i39g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Thinking of getting one - local council is offering them quite cheap.
The sort that the compost just drops out of the bottom flap.

I would have to stand it on concrete floor and my garden is v.small
(4.5m x 4.5m).

I cannot see how they can work well because how does the air get to it??

"Anaerobic piles will tend to have more likelihood to
have an overabundance of nitrogen...."

http://www.rivenrock.com/composttypes.htm

Composting bins - do they work
 

yitzak writes
Thinking of getting one - local council is offering them quite cheap.
The sort that the compost just drops out of the bottom flap.

I would have to stand it on concrete floor and my garden is v.small
(4.5m x 4.5m).

I cannot see how they can work well because how does the air get to it??

There will be plenty of air in amongst the stuff you put in. It's only
when it's very densely packed that all the air is squeezed out of it.
--
Kay

Composting bins - do they work
 

They are very slow compared to a normal compost heap,

why? is it because the sides are covered?
I have inherited a couple and have filled one (in layers of different
stuff). How long should I leave it before eI get it all out and remix it?

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

Composting bins - do they work
 

K wrote:
yitzak writes
Thinking of getting one - local council is offering them quite cheap.
The sort that the compost just drops out of the bottom flap.
I would have to stand it on concrete floor and my garden is v.small
(4.5m x 4.5m).
I cannot see how they can work well because how does the air get to it??

There will be plenty of air in amongst the stuff you put in. It's only
when it's very densely packed that all the air is squeezed out of it.

The trick is to diversify the stuff you put in too: grass clips, ash,
veg stuff, cardboard, leaves, but the later tend to sludge a bit if
packed in one layer. Ideally having another box for the leaves is great
(or plastic bags which I often forget but when found is a real treat.
Mix the lot often and ask a boy in your family (not you Kay but the OP
;o) to wee in it ...

Can't hardly type - my fingers are still numb ... but the sun came out
today and boy was it warm on my back :o) Ribes (white and red) are
flowering before the daffs and tulips !?!

Composting bins - do they work
 

"H Ryder" wrote in message
...
They are very slow compared to a normal compost heap,

why? is it because the sides are covered?
I have inherited a couple and have filled one (in layers of different
stuff). How long should I leave it before eI get it all out and remix it?

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



They do not work as well as a normal traditional bin because
the size is not optimal.The biggest plastic bins are about 300L and the
optimal size for a heap is 1000L. min. For this reason they do not heat up
as fast or retain heat as well as the conventional bins. In addition the
thin plastic is not as good as solid planks in term of retaining heat.
I do not think there is enough air penetration in the plastic bins, unless
you have a very loose mix.
Give it a good mix every few months or if your lazy like me just leave it
for as long as it takes.
Do not be impatient to obtain the compost. If it's ready in six months count
yourself lucky.

Composting bins - do they work
 

Severn trent water are doing a very good offer at the moment, on these, also
water butt kits at reduced prices
http://www.s****er.co.uk/server.php?show=nav.5655

I havent priced these up anywherte else yet to compare prices.
regards
Cineman

"yitzak" wrote in message
ups.com...
Thinking of getting one - local council is offering them quite cheap.
The sort that the compost just drops out of the bottom flap.

I would have to stand it on concrete floor and my garden is v.small
(4.5m x 4.5m).

I cannot see how they can work well because how does the air get to it??

I am not a massive fan of these plastic compost bins as they dont let air or worms in.

The best compost heap I own is made out of 4 pallets. Each pallet makes one side of the compost heap, the front one has been cut down to allow easy access to the front.

Then I have used old carpet to cover the top.

The worms get in from the bottom, the air gets in from the side, the heat is kept in by the carpet and the moisture is also kept at an optimal level by the carpet.

It is also easy to turn the compost every now and again with a garden fork.

Now how can you get all this with the free council compost heap, but if you arn't a dedicted gardener then the free composters are a step closer to recycling.

Composting bins - do they work
 

I have one that was free from the council and it used to be on
concrete, and I did get some compost after about a year. I did mix the
stuff going in and put in a fair amount of cardboard.

Now we have had the bed expanded and the bin goes on the soil, and the
compost is looking a bit better after just 4 or 5 months, and winter
ones at that. And there are worms milling around the top - I'm
assuming they are hanging out in the warm bit round the rim!

I have tried opening the flap to get the stuff out but whoever said
that is right, it is a nonstarter. I don't have anywhere else to put it
so I lift it up about a foot at one side, scrape out a bucket full or
more, and put it back. If I need more just then I do the same the
other side.

We use our receipts for kindling...

Katie

Composting bins - do they work
 

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:26:07 GMT, Janet Baraclough
wrote:


I'm currently using one of our free plastic compost bins as a rhubarb
forcer..just the job!

Janet

You bully
Forcing the poor rhubarb to do anything

Composting bins - do they work
 

"The Invalid" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:54:46 GMT, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

The message
from Dave the exTrailer contains these words:

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:26:07 GMT, Janet Baraclough
wrote:


I'm currently using one of our free plastic compost bins as a
rhubarb
forcer..just the job!


You bully
Forcing the poor rhubarb to do anything

You forgot to accuse me of rhubarb stalks, and of forcing rhubarb to
apologise.
Do try harder, the standard of trolling on this newsgroup is just not
what it used to be.

Janet

I think you need a humour transplant


While you clearly carry your Donor Card with you, wherever you go.

You don't dress up in funny clothes as well, by any chance do you ?



michael adams

....

Composting bins - do they work
 

On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:54:46 GMT, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

The message
from Dave the exTrailer contains these words:

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:26:07 GMT, Janet Baraclough
wrote:


I'm currently using one of our free plastic compost bins as a rhubarb
forcer..just the job!


You bully
Forcing the poor rhubarb to do anything

You forgot to accuse me of rhubarb stalks, and of forcing rhubarb to
apologise.
Do try harder, the standard of trolling on this newsgroup is just not
what it used to be.

Janet

Im sorry. I assumed you were human and posessed a sense of humour but
now I realise my mistake. You must be neither human or have a sense of
humour.

Oh sorry, you're a woman, that explains it :))

Composting bins - do they work
 

"Dave the exTrailer" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 22 Mar 2006 16:54:46 GMT, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

The message
from Dave the exTrailer contains these words:

On Mon, 20 Mar 2006 23:26:07 GMT, Janet Baraclough
wrote:


I'm currently using one of our free plastic compost bins as a
rhubarb
forcer..just the job!


You bully
Forcing the poor rhubarb to do anything

You forgot to accuse me of rhubarb stalks, and of forcing rhubarb to
apologise.
Do try harder, the standard of trolling on this newsgroup is just not
what it used to be.

Janet

Im sorry. I assumed you were human and posessed a sense of humour but
now I realise my mistake. You must be neither human or have a sense of
humour.

Oh sorry, you're a woman, that explains it :))

....

Or perhaps like many other people, Janet will have heard around
2000 times before.

It's a GQT standard, guaranteed to get the audience rolling
in the aisles.

Except they're being told to laugh, by floor managers holding
up placards.



hth

michael adams

....

Composting bins - do they work
 

"Dave the exTrailer" wrote in message
...

Im sorry. I assumed you were human and posessed a sense of humour but
now I realise my mistake. You must be neither human or have a sense of
humour.

Oh sorry, you're a woman, that explains it :))


Oh and by the way, for your information, putting an emiticon at
the end of a post, in no way excuses a personal attack on another
poster, based on little more than your own evident stupidity. i.e.
Your total failure to realise, that due to its total lack of
originality, your little "joke" about forcing was never ever very
funny to start with. And probably hasn't been since, IIRR,
the 16th century, when the practice was first introduced.

An apology is the least that might be expected in such circumstances
IMHO.


michael adams

....