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#1
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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?? |
#2
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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?? |
#3
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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 |
#4
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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 |
#5
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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) |
#6
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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 ) Ribes (white and red) are flowering before the daffs and tulips !?! |
#7
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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. |
#8
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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?? |
#9
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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. |
#10
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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 |
#11
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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 |
#12
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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 .... |
#13
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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 ) |
#14
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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 .... |
#15
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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 .... |
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