"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...
X-posting. Yes, I know I am a bad person :-)

I was just about to order a couple of plastic compost bins from the
council
(or at least, the firm that does a discount deal via the council) when my
eyes alighted on a white plastic 1cu metre bag which was used to deliver
sand. I have another one somewhere as well.

Now, with a stout post driven down through each inside corner, a few
drainage holes in the bottom, and the plastic stapled to the stakes, I
should have two nice (well glaring mucky white) containers in which to
pile
lawn mowings, prunings, weeds, old container compost etc.

AFAIKT these should be significantly larger than the 330l bins at £16 a
pop
(plus £4 delivery in total which makes the bins effectivley £18 delivered
to
me).

Not as pretty, and would need a decent cover to keep moist/dry but perhaps
an effecient use of resources?

These bag things are supposed to bio-degrade, so only a solution for a
year
or so.

The challenge now is to get 4 stout stakes which will not rot quickly for
under £4 each (which may not be as easy as it first seems, having seen the
prices they charge in the sheds).

So:

(1) any drawbacks to this cunning plan apart from the hideous whiteness? I
do plan to make holes to allow drainage and ingress of earthworms.

(2) suggestions for the best place to obtain 4 * (at least 4' high) 2*2
rot
resistant posts for under £16? Or will just filling the bags (which will
not
result in such a neat shape) be an acceptable solution?

I unded up just shaping the bag with four garden canes - the stuff going in
kept the bag in shape.

Now full (but compacting) and steaming in the middle.

I managed to virtually fill it with two mowings from the lawn, but I mixed
in some old potting compost from last year and the whole thing seems to be
working at the moment.

I am putting in a layer of veggie matter then a layer of spent compost; this
seems to work O.K.

The spent compost contributes worms, but the centre of the heap is really
cooking - won't this cook the worms as well?

[Mmmm....steamed worms...mmmm]

Last layer to go in was excess weed from the pond - a surprising amount.

I think we are due to remove some sediment from the bottom of the pond as
well - I assume that if I bucket it out carefully then the pond will settle
out again fairly soon.

Now looking for a place to put a second bag, but I have run out of hidden
corners.

Cheers
Dave R

"David W.E. Roberts" wrote in message
...


I unded up just shaping the bag with four garden canes - the stuff going
in
kept the bag in shape.

Now full (but compacting) and steaming in the middle.

I managed to virtually fill it with two mowings from the lawn,

Good Heavens! You must have a huge lawn ...

I am putting in a layer of veggie matter then a layer of spent compost;
this
seems to work O.K.

The spent compost contributes worms,

The worms will get in withut the spent compost ...

but the centre of the heap is really
cooking - won't this cook the worms as well?

They're not daft and they're temperature sensitive so won't go where it's
too hot.

[Mmmm....steamed worms...mmmm]

My hens prefer them raw. although oddly enough they won't eat worms from the
compost heap - which aren't normal earthworms.

Last layer to go in was excess weed from the pond - a surprising amount.

Yes, its growth rate suddenly goes exponential at this time of year ...

I think we are due to remove some sediment from the bottom of the pond as
well - I assume that if I bucket it out carefully then the pond will
settle
out again fairly soon.

It will. But the weed will grow again.

Now looking for a place to put a second bag, but I have run out of hidden
corners.

Where there's a will ...

Mary

Cheers
Dave R

The message
from "David W.E. Roberts" contains these words:

Now full (but compacting) and steaming in the middle.

I managed to virtually fill it with two mowings from the lawn, but I mixed
in some old potting compost from last year and the whole thing seems to be
working at the moment.

I am putting in a layer of veggie matter then a layer of spent compost; this
seems to work O.K.

The spent compost contributes worms, but the centre of the heap is really
cooking - won't this cook the worms as well?

Yes :-(
We had a discussion about that today.

I've got a huge population of worms in my worm bin and am about to turn
the current compost heap into the adjacent bay of pallets. So, we
discussed when to add bin-worms to the heap.

At the moment, the top of the compost heap is pretty hot, cooking fresh
layers of grass cuttings, sheep muck, comfrey, weeds and seaweed. If I
add worms now, they'll get fried. When I turn the heap, it will be
capped off and a new one started. Once the turned one is cool, worms
from the worm-bin will be added to the top and left to do their thing.

Janet

On Sat, 15 May 2004 17:47:32 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:



You can buy compost bins from www.lakeland.co.uk -made of some sort of
plastic type material-about £9 if i remember -got a lid and a flap at the
base to remove the cooked stuff and they are self supporting .
The time I had one I just made it from scrap timber with a lid and a bit
at the base (front) that you could remove to scoop out the "ready"
compost.

I put a bit of old carpet on the top to keep the heat in .You can buy
stuff to help it along in the initial stages .

can you use brandling worms ??-u can get them from fishing tackle shops in
wee tubs.
Stuart


--

"YESTERDAY is history,TOMORROW is a mystery,TODAY is a gift

That is why it is called the present "

"Stuart" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 15 May 2004 17:47:32 +0100, "Mary Fisher"
wrote:



You can buy compost bins from www.lakeland.co.uk -made of some sort of
plastic type material-about £9 if i remember -got a lid and a flap at the
base to remove the cooked stuff and they are self supporting .
The time I had one I just made it from scrap timber with a lid and a bit
at the base (front) that you could remove to scoop out the "ready"
compost.

I put a bit of old carpet on the top to keep the heat in .You can buy
stuff to help it along in the initial stages .

can you use brandling worms ??-u can get them from fishing tackle shops in
wee tubs.
Stuart

In my long experience the right worms will find their way in and make it
their home/brothel/maternity unit ... you don't need to introduce them.
Honestly.

Mary


--

"YESTERDAY is history,TOMORROW is a mystery,TODAY is a gift

That is why it is called the present "

In article ,
Mary Fisher wrote:

In my long experience the right worms will find their way in and
make it their home/brothel/maternity unit ... you don't need to
introduce them. Honestly.

The mfr's data does suggest standing the compost bin
onto bare soil, and nature will do the rest. But one
serious problem with doing that (around here anyway)
is that it attracts rats, who find it easy to dig a
small entry hole under lip of the bin, and there
they are, got themselves a nice, warm nest, with
plenty of worms in the pantry.... Billy Butlins.

--
Tony Williams.

"Tony Williams" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Mary Fisher wrote:

In my long experience the right worms will find their way in and
make it their home/brothel/maternity unit ... you don't need to
introduce them. Honestly.

The mfr's data does suggest standing the compost bin
onto bare soil, and nature will do the rest. But one
serious problem with doing that (around here anyway)
is that it attracts rats, who find it easy to dig a
small entry hole under lip of the bin, and there
they are, got themselves a nice, warm nest, with
plenty of worms in the pantry.... Billy Butlins.

I reckon that if rats want to get into anything less than a very substantial
plastic or, of course, metal container they will.

Mary

--
Tony Williams.

In article ,

I reckon that if rats want to get into anything less than a very
substantial plastic or, of course, metal container they will.

The best compost bin we ever had was a simple
kit of 5x squares of strong mesh wire, about
48x48" per side, and with about a 1" mesh.
Clip together the 4 sides, then the base. Fill
the thing up, turn your back on it, and the
level had sunk. Took a couple of years to
finally fill it. When dug out there were
thousands of tiny red worms at the bottom.
Are they what are called Tiger worms?

--
Tony Williams.

"Tony Williams" wrote in message
...
In article ,

I reckon that if rats want to get into anything less than a very
substantial plastic or, of course, metal container they will.

The best compost bin we ever had was a simple
kit of 5x squares of strong mesh wire, about
48x48" per side, and with about a 1" mesh.
Clip together the 4 sides, then the base. Fill
the thing up, turn your back on it, and the
level had sunk. Took a couple of years to
finally fill it. When dug out there were
thousands of tiny red worms at the bottom.
Are they what are called Tiger worms?

I've no idea. All I know is that they're not earthworms and our hens won't
eat them. They smell like the ones I used to use for angling (fifty years
ago and I don't think they were given names then) but the smell might not be
exclusive to one type of worm. A rose by any other name ...

As long as they do the dibs it's not important, is it? I was about to
suggest asking u.r.g. then noticed that this is crossposted!

Mary

--
Tony Williams.