Hello,

I am new to this forum and have done a search on the subject but it appears it's not the kind of thing people ask about. I guess gardening is not an equipment hobby.

I want a composter and have a space about 120 cm wide by at least 4 meters between to outbuildings and it has a concrete floor. I already have a lot of matter to put in it so I think at least 900 litres. But there are quite a few to choose from and some are pretty expensive.

I have seen a Thermo-King plastic one which seems to be all about keeping the heap warm.
http://www.evengreener.com//Shop/Com...mpost_Bin.html

Then there are wooden box ones with lids.
http://www.evengreener.com/Shop/Larg...ost_Bin. html

Next there are slated wooden composters
http://www.gardensandhomesdirect.co....ampaign=2279#b


What works best and is it worth paying extra for one?


Thanks

On 26/02/2016 22:52, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Fri, 26 Feb 2016 14:24:54 -0800 (PST), earthstick
wrote:

Hello,

I am new to this forum and have done a search on the subject but it appears it's not the kind of thing people ask about. I guess gardening is not an equipment hobby.

I want a composter and have a space about 120 cm wide by at least 4 meters between to outbuildings and it has a concrete floor. I already have a lot of matter to put in it so I think at least 900 litres. But there are quite a few to choose from and some are pretty expensive.

I have seen a Thermo-King plastic one which seems to be all about keeping the heap warm.
http://www.evengreener.com//Shop/Com...mpost_Bin.html

Then there are wooden box ones with lids.
http://www.evengreener.com/Shop/Larg...ost_Bin. html

Next there are slated wooden composters
http://www.gardensandhomesdirect.co....ampaign=2279#b


What works best and is it worth paying extra for one?


Thanks

Ten standard sized pallets plus some posts, arranged to give you three
bays, gives you three good sized compost heaps: one for filling, one
for maturing and one for emptying/using*. End result looks a bit like
your No.3 but three of them in a row. Much cheaper than the £126+p&p
that you'll pay for three of those, and just as good. You'd need to
knock a few holes through the concrete for the posts though, unless
you hold the pallets together some other way, with galvanised wire
perhaps.

*Or if you only want one bin (which will very quickly be filled), four
pallets.

Just remember to treat the pallets with a good wood preserver.

Does it matter if the heaps have a lid, should there be gaps in the sides like no.3 or not?

In article ,
Chris Hogg wrote:

Ten standard sized pallets plus some posts, arranged to give you three
bays, gives you three good sized compost heaps: one for filling, one
for maturing and one for emptying/using*. End result looks a bit like
your No.3 but three of them in a row. Much cheaper than the £126+p&p
that you'll pay for three of those, and just as good. You'd need to
knock a few holes through the concrete for the posts though, unless
you hold the pallets together some other way, with galvanised wire
perhaps.

I agree with Chris's advice, except that imho you don't need to knock
holes through the concrete: four pallets screwed together at the corners
will keep each other up, and square. Old carpet on top.

At first I thought the OP (earthstick) might be one of those people who
likes everything pristine and polished, and hence is prepared, and able,
to buy posh manufactured bins like those he/she linked to. But perhaps
not -- that would be £300 pounds for the bins required - for a compost
heap!

You can get 4 foot (or metre) square pallets for a quid at various
places, or sometimes free (I get mine at a local garden centre). If you
spray them roughly with fence preservative they look very acceptable.
Carpet is a stout and flexible cover. The sides provide aeration.

Earthstick also has two *glorious luxuries* in situ: loads of space, and
a concrete base (which will keep the area cleaner, easier).

In fact I use five pallets: I erect the 4-sided bin on top of another
pallet so that there is air underneath: I'm not sure if this is useful
(or even desirable?) -- anyway that's what I do.

Furthermore, I make the front side detachable so that at year-end (or
in fact Spring for me this year), I can fork out each bin infinitely
more easily. However i won't go into how I make the front detachable as
this post has already dribbled on too long. (Info if requested.)

I could go on and on .. I'm an indifferent gardener, but compost is my
thing -- it's about my level I think.

John

In article , lalaw44
@hotmail.com says...

In article ,
Chris Hogg wrote:

Ten standard sized pallets plus some posts, arranged to give you three
bays, gives you three good sized compost heaps: one for filling, one
for maturing and one for emptying/using*. End result looks a bit like
your No.3 but three of them in a row. Much cheaper than the £126+p&p
that you'll pay for three of those, and just as good. You'd need to
knock a few holes through the concrete for the posts though, unless
you hold the pallets together some other way, with galvanised wire
perhaps.

I agree with Chris's advice, except that imho you don't need to knock
holes through the concrete: four pallets screwed together at the corners
will keep each other up, and square. Old carpet on top.

At first I thought the OP (earthstick) might be one of those people who
likes everything pristine and polished, and hence is prepared, and able,
to buy posh manufactured bins like those he/she linked to. But perhaps
not -- that would be £300 pounds for the bins required - for a compost
heap!

You can get 4 foot (or metre) square pallets for a quid at various
places, or sometimes free (I get mine at a local garden centre). If you
spray them roughly with fence preservative they look very acceptable.
Carpet is a stout and flexible cover. The sides provide aeration.

Earthstick also has two *glorious luxuries* in situ: loads of space, and
a concrete base (which will keep the area cleaner, easier).

We use (free) large pallets standing on bare earth; if they are gappy
pallets Virgo takes off the slats and repositions them with a regular
small gap for aeration. Which also means that the front wall looks
smarter (we don't see the other three.) Ours is a two-bay compost heap
divided by a single pallet, but a three bay would be even better.

All the connecting corners of ours are held together with nothing but
industrial-strength plastic cable ties threaded through drilled holes in
the wood. This makes a very solid cube and its very easy to take the
front pallet off to empty a bin then fix it bak on; or any very old
pallets that have rotted, can easily be replaced. (They last 8 or 10
years in our wet climate). The outside is painted in a black wood
preservative. The roofs, currently, are made with left-over metal roof
sheets cut to size and nailed on a strong frame. TBH this is over-
engineering as they are so heavy to lift. However, they keep the
contents dry and airy. There's a large rainwater tub beside the bins so
I can regulate the compost moisture (according to new additions, heat in
the heap, and progress of decomposition). The additional air at the top
of the heap seems to encourage faster decomposition than plastic and
carpets did.

Janet.

On 27/02/2016 20:21, earthstick wrote:

Does it matter if the heaps have a lid, should there be gaps in the sides like no.3 or not?

It depends how big your heaps are. Mine are roughly 2m^3 each and I
generally add stuff to them in significant fractions of a cubic metre at
a time. At that scale it gets mad hot quickly and will rot through
almost anything. They really only need a lid if they are tiny and you
are adding only small amounts of stuff at a time.

Be aware that a compost heap may smell a bit funny when hot so you don't
want it too near your back door. I have had mine up to smouldering
internally once or twice too...

It helps get things started to use a proprietory compost starter like
Garotta when starting from scratch.

I'm with the recycled pallets camp provided you have the space. Plastic
things are overpriced gadgets for very small gardens.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On Monday, 29 February 2016 09:08:32 UTC, Another John wrote:
In article,
Chris Hogg wrote:

Ten standard sized pallets plus some posts, arranged to give you three
bays, gives you three good sized compost heaps: one for filling, one
for maturing and one for emptying/using*. End result looks a bit like
your No.3 but three of them in a row. Much cheaper than the £126+p&p
that you'll pay for three of those, and just as good. You'd need to
knock a few holes through the concrete for the posts though, unless
you hold the pallets together some other way, with galvanised wire
perhaps.

I agree with Chris's advice, except that imho you don't need to knock
holes through the concrete: four pallets screwed together at the corners
will keep each other up, and square. Old carpet on top.

At first I thought the OP (earthstick) might be one of those people who
likes everything pristine and polished, and hence is prepared, and able,
to buy posh manufactured bins like those he/she linked to. But perhaps
not -- that would be £300 pounds for the bins required - for a compost
heap!

You can get 4 foot (or metre) square pallets for a quid at various
places, or sometimes free (I get mine at a local garden centre). If you
spray them roughly with fence preservative they look very acceptable.
Carpet is a stout and flexible cover. The sides provide aeration.

Earthstick also has two *glorious luxuries* in situ: loads of space, and
a concrete base (which will keep the area cleaner, easier).

In fact I use five pallets: I erect the 4-sided bin on top of another
pallet so that there is air underneath: I'm not sure if this is useful
(or even desirable?) -- anyway that's what I do.

Furthermore, I make the front side detachable so that at year-end (or
in fact Spring for me this year), I can fork out each bin infinitely
more easily. However i won't go into how I make the front detachable as
this post has already dribbled on too long. (Info if requested.)

I could go on and on .. I'm an indifferent gardener, but compost is my
thing -- it's about my level I think.

John

The problem isn't so much that I want everything pristine and perfect. Although it would be great if everything was, as you point out a 3 bin setup would cost around £300 - for compost??? I may as well by a tonne of top soil. The problem is more along the lines of getting the pallets. I do happen to have one pallet but I don't drive so getting another 3 or 9 is going to be tough work. I am warming to the idea though. I might be able to get another one from a neighbor.

In article ,
says...

On 27/02/2016 20:21, earthstick wrote:

Does it matter if the heaps have a lid, should there be gaps in the sides like no.3 or not?

It depends how big your heaps are. Mine are roughly 2m^3 each and I
generally add stuff to them in significant fractions of a cubic metre at
a time. At that scale it gets mad hot quickly and will rot through
almost anything. They really only need a lid if they are tiny and you
are adding only small amounts of stuff at a time.

Be aware that a compost heap may smell a bit funny when hot so you don't
want it too near your back door. I have had mine up to smouldering
internally once or twice too...

It helps get things started to use a proprietory compost starter like
Garotta when starting from scratch.

I'm with the recycled pallets camp provided you have the space. Plastic
things are overpriced gadgets for very small gardens.

Our local council doesn't provide a green-waste collection service
so they provide anyone who wants them, with a couple of free -plastic
dalek compost bins. Not something I'd buy but as they're free, I have
two. They are light and easy to move round the garden so I stated using
them, tucked behind shrubs or in the veg garden, as a handy dump for
weeds; when full, just lift the dalek off, leave the stack to decompose
then scatter it in situ. Then the ants moved in. I opened the lid and
found they had chewed up the compost and used it to construct a whole
city if fine brown friable material, a nursery for thousands of ants
eggs. In winter they disappear leaving antcity vacant.

In summer I harvest ant eggs for the pondfish, and in winter I
harvest the incredibly fine-grain potting compost.

Janet.

On Monday, 29 February 2016 16:23:44 UTC, Janet wrote:
In article ,
says...

On 27/02/2016 20:21, earthstick wrote:

Does it matter if the heaps have a lid, should there be gaps in the sides like no.3 or not?

It depends how big your heaps are. Mine are roughly 2m^3 each and I
generally add stuff to them in significant fractions of a cubic metre at
a time. At that scale it gets mad hot quickly and will rot through
almost anything. They really only need a lid if they are tiny and you
are adding only small amounts of stuff at a time.

Be aware that a compost heap may smell a bit funny when hot so you don't
want it too near your back door. I have had mine up to smouldering
internally once or twice too...

It helps get things started to use a proprietory compost starter like
Garotta when starting from scratch.

I'm with the recycled pallets camp provided you have the space. Plastic
things are overpriced gadgets for very small gardens.

Our local council doesn't provide a green-waste collection service
so they provide anyone who wants them, with a couple of free -plastic
dalek compost bins. Not something I'd buy but as they're free, I have
two. They are light and easy to move round the garden so I stated using
them, tucked behind shrubs or in the veg garden, as a handy dump for
weeds; when full, just lift the dalek off, leave the stack to decompose
then scatter it in situ. Then the ants moved in. I opened the lid and
found they had chewed up the compost and used it to construct a whole
city if fine brown friable material, a nursery for thousands of ants
eggs. In winter they disappear leaving antcity vacant.

In summer I harvest ant eggs for the pondfish, and in winter I
harvest the incredibly fine-grain potting compost.

Janet.

I did have one of those plastic Darleks from the council once at a previous house. The ants made a home in that as well. I opened it one day to see a great mound of fine dry soil with ants crawling around it. Unfortunately the Darlek made no compost.

In article ,
says...

The problem isn't so much that I want everything pristine and perfect.
Although it would be great if everything was, as you point out a 3 bin
setup would cost around £300 - for compost??? I may as well by a tonne
of top soil. The problem is more along the lines of getting the
pallets. I do happen to have one pallet but I don't drive so getting
another 3 or 9 is going to be tough work. I am warming to the idea
though. I might be able to get another one from a neighbor.

See if you can find a local business which has to pay to dispose of
pallets.

Last time we rebuilt the compost heaps, we asked a local business
which gets supplies delivered on non-returnable pallets. They are
classified as industrial waste so the business has to take them to the
dump AND pay for every load they leave there.

They were so happy to get rid of the pallets at no cost, they even
delivered them to the house for free.

Janet

On 29/02/2016 16:23, Janet wrote:
In article ,
says...

I'm with the recycled pallets camp provided you have the space. Plastic
things are overpriced gadgets for very small gardens.

Our local council doesn't provide a green-waste collection service
so they provide anyone who wants them, with a couple of free -plastic
dalek compost bins. Not something I'd buy but as they're free, I have

Our lot provide green wheelie bins for recycling green waste. I use mine
exclusively to make leaf mould along with two classic black dustbins I
cadged from a nearby building site when they started leaking.

Takes about 3 years to get decent leaf mould (mostly beech and oak).

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article ,
Martin Brown wrote:

Our lot provide green wheelie bins for recycling green waste....

Our lot provided those, too. Then a couple of years later, they decided
to start charging for emptying them. Result: 90% of people stopped using
them. I think they collected them from people who didn't want them, in
town, but they never came to collect mine: great: I have a handy
receptacle to put stuff destined for the tip!

Janet: I loved your posts about your composting system: I have learned
much (despite me saying earlier that composting "is my thing").

John

In article ,
Another John wrote:

Janet: I loved your posts about your composting system: I have learned
much (despite me saying earlier that composting "is my thing").

There are quite a few regulars on URG who can say that :-) For my
take, see http://www.u-r-g.co.uk/faqcmpst1.htm.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Janet wrote:
In article ,
says...

The problem isn't so much that I want everything pristine and
perfect.
Although it would be great if everything was, as you point out a 3
bin setup would cost around £300 - for compost??? I may as well by a
tonne of top soil. The problem is more along the lines of getting the
pallets. I do happen to have one pallet but I don't drive so getting
another 3 or 9 is going to be tough work. I am warming to the idea
though. I might be able to get another one from a neighbor.

See if you can find a local business which has to pay to dispose of
pallets.

Last time we rebuilt the compost heaps, we asked a local business
which gets supplies delivered on non-returnable pallets. They are
classified as industrial waste so the business has to take them to the
dump AND pay for every load they leave there.

They were so happy to get rid of the pallets at no cost, they even
delivered them to the house for free.

Builders often get stuff delivered on pallets which they then have to pay to
get rid of, and skip space is expensive, ring around a few builders or go
for a stroll and see what work is going on locally, failing that ring a few
builder's merchants, they are often left with surplus pallets that they
can't get rid of, which is why they try to palm them off on builders.

In article ,
(Nick Maclaren) wrote:

Janet: I loved your posts about your composting system: I have learned
much (despite me saying earlier that composting "is my thing").

There are quite a few regulars on URG who can say that :-) For my
take, see http://www.u-r-g.co.uk/faqcmpst1.htm.

Noted - thanks, Auld Nick

J.