[Hesse2509]

Having inherited a well built compost area with my allotment I have a bit of a dilemma on my hands. A picture of it is below:



As you can see the tarpaulin has seen much better days, and is actually in a much worse state since this photo was taken four weeks ago before it got battered by gales and a lot of pulling around as we have loaded and unloaded the bays.

As things stand now the left hand bay as you look at it is full of home kitchen material, and general garden waste (mainly) that will hopefully be composted in 18 months time or so. The right hand bay is currently full of about 20 bags of two to three month old manure which will be left to rot for spreading next Autumn hopefully. Finally the little black compost bin that can be seen tucked away to the right-hand side is full of compost dug out of the two bays in the first week, and will be used for generally improving beds and for potting compost this spring.

The quandary that I have is quite simply whether to replace the tarpaulin or not?

What benefits will it provide if I cover the two compost bays?

Does one need covering, and not the other?

Should I have the facility (as I would at the moment had it not been shredded) to cover some times, and others not?

Does it really matter at all?

As ever from this noobie, any help is appreciated! 

[sunshineband]

I would cover the heaps to keep in some heat in and stop them getting water logged 

[Bing]

I use , and found things rot down faster.

[JayG]

Agree with Sunshineband - covering gives you better control over the water content and helps keep the heat in (probably not that much to keep in over winter mind you!)

Waterlogging is not helpful to composting (neither is too dry in summer but you can always water it if necessary.)

(Don't go too mad and hermetically seal the whole heap though because it does need air to help it along.)

[WirralWally]

Hesse2509,
Compost happens.

Whatever you do you will get compost.

However, keeping out most of the rain, to prevent water-logging, will be an advantage so put a loose cover over the heap.

[crh75]

A few old compost bags weighted down with bricks or planks does the trick.

[shokkyy]

Is it better to cover heaps of leaf mould, or leave them open?

[bigben]

Is it better to cover heaps of leaf mould, or leave them open?

Leaf mould bins tend to have a much more open  design than the black darlek compost bins. Some are just 4 posts with chicken wire round them to hold the leaves in place. They need more air to allow whatever is doing the breaking down to do its job. I think it tends to be more fungal than in a normal compost bin, and takes a lot longer. Others will fill in the technical detail. It is also why leaves tend to come out of normal compost bins looking unchanged while everthing that went in with them has rotted down.

[Christine]

Hi Hesse2509 - from experience you do need some form of covering for your compost heaps. I'd say scavenge for a replacement as free is good. Try freecycle for tarpaulins or large offcuts of polythene. My compost heaps work very well with free covering that I was given.

To shokkyy, your leaves need the action of air and damp to encourage the fungi that are required to rot them down. Think woodland under trees. That's why people create containers using wire mess in a shady place. It's a different system to making compost.