[barley]

I know this has been discussed before but thought you may like to see how I make mine and what sort of quality it turns out

I have used this method for many years and have excellent results

This is how my compost starts - I have a 3 year rot down compost rotate , this is year 1



This is how it looks after year 3



I then sift this with a garden sieve



This is what is left over after sieving which can go straight on the plot or back in the compost heap



This is what the sifted compost now looks like



I then repeat the above with sifted mole hill soil ( if you are not lucky enough to have access to this you can use top soil direct from the plot ) I then mix 50 % of each together   





You need a 50% mix as neat sifted compost may be to rich to use on its own ( although I have not tried this yet )as you can see it is as good as any shop brought product but completely free and very environmentally friendly - I store it in plastic bins with lids but you could use old compost sacks



Thankyou for viewing 

[Mum2mj]

Looks good!   

[Fairy Plotmother]

Thank you 

[solway cropper]

The problem with mole hill soil is that it is usually packed full of weed seeds so, unless you sterilize it, using it in a seed compost mix can be problematic.

I use it in my own potting mixes but only when the transplants are big enough to outpace the weeds.

Pretty good compost, Barley. I wish most growers were as patient and conscientious as you.

[fatcat1955]

Looks good but with a closed and insulated bin i achieve the same results in 6 month's.

[cadalot]

Every time I fill my dalek and look forwards harvesting my compost, a couple of weeks later there is room for more, do you ever get to a point where you have really filled the bin 

[JayG]

As Barley's pictures suggest, you really need more than one bin, partly because you can never have too much compost, and partly because it makes it much easier to manage the process through from the raw ingredients to finished compost.

I've got 3 daleks, one of which is about half full of luvverly finished compost - hopefully very soon I will be able to top it up to a full one with the best of the stuff from the other two.

I only use it for digging in to growing areas - I've not yet mastered either hot composting, or keeping all the weed seeds out of it well enough to risk using it for seed sowing.

[barley]

Every time I fill my dalek and look forwards harvesting my compost, a couple of weeks later there is room for more, do you ever get to a point where you have really filled the bin 

I have 3 separate compost areas

it works by filling it for 1 year then cover and leave to rot
then year 2 - I start another compost heap fill it cover it and leave it to rot
year 3 repeat above
then the following year the first compost from year 1 is ready to use 

I am lucky enough to have room for large heaps so never tried a dalek - they sound quite effective , might give one a go

The problem with mole hill soil is that it is usually packed full of weed seeds so, unless you sterilize it, using it in a seed compost mix can be problematic.

I don't usually find that too much of a problem - I just pull any weed seedlings out as they germinate , they are easy to tell apart from the cultivated seedling

[Aled]

Looks brilliant.
Will definately do the sieving!
Cheers
Aled

[Beetroot Queen]

Every time I fill my dalek and look forwards harvesting my compost, a couple of weeks later there is room for more, do you ever get to a point where you have really filled the bin 

Eventually yes. We have three daleks, opps make that four. Plus three open bins. For years we seemed to be adding and getting little in return now they seem to be throwing stuff out so fast we cant keep up. Not sure why maybe they have warmed up a bit or maybe it was all the urine that helped.

I must must must invest in a sieve though