I have been asked by a local charity, to build a number of compost
bins, I plan to do it with pallet boards, but I have a couple of
questions. They will be situated in a field.

1) Would you line them with plastic sheeting?

2) would you put on a lid?

Thanks

In article ,
says...

I have been asked by a local charity, to build a number of compost
bins, I plan to do it with pallet boards, but I have a couple of
questions. They will be situated in a field.

1) Would you line them with plastic sheeting?

No

2) would you put on a lid?

Yes (removable).

Janet.

"Derek" wrote

I have been asked by a local charity, to build a number of compost
bins, I plan to do it with pallet boards, but I have a couple of
questions. They will be situated in a field.

1) Would you line them with plastic sheeting?

2) would you put on a lid?

The best compost bin we ever had was a "hot" bin which was lined with
polystyrene all round, it used to get so hot sometimes it spontaneously
combusted in the middle. Local Slow Worms loved it and were good at ridding
my plot of snails.

In your case I would not use plastic but cardboard as it will hold stuff in
including some heat but eventually rots and adds to the compost process. A
plastic lining makes empting more difficult as you have to avoid tearing it.
Personally I would not use a lid as you need some water in the heap to help
with rotting but then I do live in a dry area. Once full I cover my heaps
with bits of cardboard, again to keep a bit of heat in. The partially rotted
cardboard is first thing that goes in a "new" bin.

In a field situation you may well find you have provided a home for some
slow worms and/or grass snakes so be careful when emptying.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK

On Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 1:55:00 PM UTC+1, Derek wrote:
I have been asked by a local charity, to build a number of compost
bins, I plan to do it with pallet boards, but I have a couple of
questions. They will be situated in a field.

1) Would you line them with plastic sheeting?
No, I agree with Bob, line with cardboard instead

2) would you put on a lid?
Lid, hmm not exactly. I use polythene sheet and held down with a scrap of cardboard. Not totally weatherproof.

Thanks

John

Lincolnshire

On Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 3:53:16 PM UTC+1, Johno wrote:
On Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 1:55:00 PM UTC+1, Derek wrote:
I have been asked by a local charity, to build a number of compost
bins, I plan to do it with pallet boards, but I have a couple of
questions. They will be situated in a field.

1) Would you line them with plastic sheeting?
No, I agree with Bob, line with cardboard instead

2) would you put on a lid?
Lid, hmm not exactly. I use polythene sheet and held down with a scrap of carpet. Not totally weatherproof.

Thanks

John

Lincolnshire

On Tue, 25 Oct 2016 15:22:15 +0100, "BobHobden"
wrote:

"Derek" wrote

I have been asked by a local charity, to build a number of compost
bins, I plan to do it with pallet boards, but I have a couple of
questions. They will be situated in a field.


In your case I would not use plastic but cardboard as it will hold stuff in
including some heat but eventually rots and adds to the compost process. A
plastic lining makes empting more difficult as you have to avoid tearing it.
Personally I would not use a lid as you need some water in the heap to help
with rotting but then I do live in a dry area.

In a field situation you may well find you have provided a home for some
slow worms and/or grass snakes so be careful when emptying.

And Rats, they are almost a fact of life where compost bins are
concerned especially if a lot of things like out of date veg is put
into them. Like spiders you will rarely get rid of them completely
so it best to assume they have been there and wash hands after
touching things in the area and just manage their presence down to
reasonable numbers and if possible position the bins where the sight
of a Rat isn't going to give anyone the collywobbles or encourage the
Rats to move into a building near the bins.

G.Harman

On 25/10/2016 14:44, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 25 Oct 2016 13:54:57 +0100, Derek
wrote:

I have been asked by a local charity, to build a number of compost
bins, I plan to do it with pallet boards, but I have a couple of
questions. They will be situated in a field.

1) Would you line them with plastic sheeting?

2) would you put on a lid?

Thanks

Potentially, a compost bin made from pallets is very simple to
construct. All you need is two rot-proof stakes per pallet*, and
either two, three or four boards per bin, depending on whether the
bins are contiguous or not, and a sledge hammer. Get someone to hold
the pallet upright on edge, with the slats horizontal, and drop a
stake down each 'slot' and drive home with the sledge. Move to next
pallet etc. At best you should aim for three heaps in a row: one
filling; one maturing and one emptying. That makes eight pallets and
sixteen stakes. Some people might even have four bins, to allow for
turning a partially matured heap into an adjacent empty bin. I manage
with two.

I have three built as you describe approx 8' cubes 3 sided from scrap
pallets/shed doors. I don't bother to cover mine since I add so much
stuff at once that the heap gets mad hot and will digest almost
anything. I have had it up to smouldering internally once or twice.

This arrangement allows you easily to lift out and replace individual
side panels to access the compost or replace them when they've rotted.
I suppose giving the boards a coat of wood preservative might prolong
their life a bit, but some people are wary of the chemicals in the
preservative getting into the compost and then later into food crops.
Probably all in their minds and not a problem in reality, but pallets
are easy enough to get hold of anyway.

I guess with a coat of yatch varnish or creosote they would last a year
or two longer but I never bother. They rot away over 5-10 years from the
bottom upwards.

*I have some aluminium rafters salvaged from a conservatory re-build,
but I guess framing from an old ali greenhouse or angle-iron from old
bed frames would be as good. Timber, especially garden-centre stakes,
rots in no time!

Scaffold poles are about the right size.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

On 25/10/16 16:44, Martin Brown wrote:


I have three built as you describe approx 8' cubes 3 sided from scrap
pallets/shed doors.

Did you really mean 8' cubes? Do you use a pitchfork to get stuff on top?!

--

Jeff

On 25/10/2016 16:37, wrote:
On Tue, 25 Oct 2016 15:22:15 +0100, "BobHobden"
wrote:

"Derek" wrote

I have been asked by a local charity, to build a number of compost
bins, I plan to do it with pallet boards, but I have a couple of
questions. They will be situated in a field.


In your case I would not use plastic but cardboard as it will hold stuff in
including some heat but eventually rots and adds to the compost process. A
plastic lining makes empting more difficult as you have to avoid tearing it.
Personally I would not use a lid as you need some water in the heap to help
with rotting but then I do live in a dry area.

In a field situation you may well find you have provided a home for some
slow worms and/or grass snakes so be careful when emptying.

And Rats, they are almost a fact of life where compost bins are
concerned especially if a lot of things like out of date veg is put
into them. Like spiders you will rarely get rid of them completely
so it best to assume they have been there and wash hands after
touching things in the area and just manage their presence down to
reasonable numbers and if possible position the bins where the sight
of a Rat isn't going to give anyone the collywobbles or encourage the
Rats to move into a building near the bins.

G.Harman

Its often not what is on the heap that attracts rats but rather the
worms that live in the heap, I gave mine a brick base to stop them
tunnelling in


--
Charlie Pridham, Gardening in Cornwall
www.roselandhouse.co.uk
National collections of Clematis viticella & Lapageria rosea

In article ,
says...

On 25/10/2016 16:37, wrote:
On Tue, 25 Oct 2016 15:22:15 +0100, "BobHobden"
wrote:

"Derek" wrote

I have been asked by a local charity, to build a number of compost
bins, I plan to do it with pallet boards, but I have a couple of
questions. They will be situated in a field.


In your case I would not use plastic but cardboard as it will hold stuff in
including some heat but eventually rots and adds to the compost process. A
plastic lining makes empting more difficult as you have to avoid tearing it.
Personally I would not use a lid as you need some water in the heap to help
with rotting but then I do live in a dry area.

In a field situation you may well find you have provided a home for some
slow worms and/or grass snakes so be careful when emptying.

And Rats, they are almost a fact of life where compost bins are
concerned especially if a lot of things like out of date veg is put
into them. Like spiders you will rarely get rid of them completely
so it best to assume they have been there and wash hands after
touching things in the area and just manage their presence down to
reasonable numbers and if possible position the bins where the sight
of a Rat isn't going to give anyone the collywobbles or encourage the
Rats to move into a building near the bins.

G.Harman

Its often not what is on the heap that attracts rats but rather the
worms that live in the heap, I gave mine a brick base to stop them
tunnelling in

Since rats can easily climb a pallet compost heap they can still get
in (and will). It's warm, safe from predators, and it's full of food;
what's not to like? :-)

Janet.

In article ,
lid says...

On Wed, 26 Oct 2016 13:34:27 +0100, Janet wrote:

In article ,
says...

On 25/10/2016 16:37, wrote:
On Tue, 25 Oct 2016 15:22:15 +0100, "BobHobden"
wrote:

"Derek" wrote

I have been asked by a local charity, to build a number of compost
bins, I plan to do it with pallet boards, but I have a couple of
questions. They will be situated in a field.


In your case I would not use plastic but cardboard as it will hold stuff in
including some heat but eventually rots and adds to the compost process. A
plastic lining makes empting more difficult as you have to avoid tearing it.
Personally I would not use a lid as you need some water in the heap to help
with rotting but then I do live in a dry area.

In a field situation you may well find you have provided a home for some
slow worms and/or grass snakes so be careful when emptying.

And Rats, they are almost a fact of life where compost bins are
concerned especially if a lot of things like out of date veg is put
into them. Like spiders you will rarely get rid of them completely
so it best to assume they have been there and wash hands after
touching things in the area and just manage their presence down to
reasonable numbers and if possible position the bins where the sight
of a Rat isn't going to give anyone the collywobbles or encourage the
Rats to move into a building near the bins.

G.Harman

Its often not what is on the heap that attracts rats but rather the
worms that live in the heap, I gave mine a brick base to stop them
tunnelling in

Since rats can easily climb a pallet compost heap they can still get
in (and will). It's warm, safe from predators, and it's full of food;
what's not to like? :-)

urine used as an accelerator? :-)

But rats like sewers...


Janet

On Tue, 25 Oct 2016 13:54:57 +0100, Derek
wrote:

Today the pallet boards were delivered. Big thanks to our local
'Wickes' DIY superstore , who have been very supportive of our charity
work

1) Would you line them with plastic sheeting?

Will be lining them with cardboard as suggested

2) would you put on a lid?

No, but might throw on some plastic sheeting/tarpaulin if it gets too
wet.

Thanks, for all the advice,hopefully photos link will be posted at
some time.

Derek
@the growing plot, Cherrywillingham Lincolnshire!