[shokkyy]

I turned one of my big compost heaps today, in one of the wooden compost bins. It seemed to be rotting down really well, until I got to the bottom. The bottom few inches were very wet and soggy. The bin is standing on concrete, but drainage has never been a problem with plastic daleks on that same concrete, so it's difficult to see why it would be with a wooden bin, which I would have thought would have better drainage.

What's the best thing to do to avoid this happening? Would a layer of dead leaves at the bottom help? Or maybe shredded twigs, something like that?

[fatcat1955]

I think you would be better off by getting some strong wire mesh supported on bricks in the bottom.

[Salmo]

Why shredded twigs. A layer of brushwood in the bottom would do the job.

Look at the construction of the bin. Is there a gap at the bottom to let the water out?

[JayG]

In theory it's no more difficult to control the moisture levels in a wooden bin than in a dalek, apart from the fact that daleks have a built-in lid and open bins don't, but that's easily sorted by using something like a plastic sheet over the top to give you control rather than be at the mercy of the elements.

Whichever container you use, the material at the bottom will always be the most compacted and damp, and turning/stirring/mixing is an important part of the composting process (which is exactly what you have just done!) 

[shokkyy]

In theory it's no more difficult to control the moisture levels in a wooden bin than in a dalek, apart from the fact that daleks have a built-in lid and open bins don't, but that's easily sorted by using something like a plastic sheet over the top to give you control rather than be at the mercy of the elements.

Whichever container you use, the material at the bottom will always be the most compacted and damp, and turning/stirring/mixing is an important part of the composting process (which is exactly what you have just done!) 

I did wonder that when I was turning it

I don't have a lid on the wooden bins at the moment, so I could put one on for the winter. I didn't do it before because the daleks always used to be too dry, I was constantly watering them, so I thought for the summer at least they'd be better off open. I only set up the wooden bins a few months back and they're rotting down way faster than the daleks ever did, I suspect because of the dryness problems. I never really turned the compost in the daleks because it's just ridiculously fiddly to do in those, which was another reason why I've switched to wooden bins.

[sunshineband]

I know what you mean about daleks being dry -- I have to water mine too 

The big wooden bin though is never too dry, even though I have it covered (but not sealed) by  plastic sheet weighed down with a couple of bricks.