Compost

gilesi · « **on:** May 12, 2015, 13:08 »

I have a Dalek compost bin which is full of rubbish, on my newly acquired plot. Would appreciate any advice/help on how I should start proper composting once I have got rid of the rubbish. What should I put in, do I need to cut it up, should I use "compost maker" solution, how long will it be before I can use the compost ?
Sorry about all the questions but hope someone can advise me
Thanks

TheWhiteRabbit · « **Reply #1 on:** May 12, 2015, 13:16 »

The general rule is to put equal amounts of green waste (plants, non perennial weeds, kitchen scraps etc) and brown waste (cardboard, paper, straw, earth etc) and then leave nature to do its thing. It works best if your compost bin is in a sunnier spot so it all heats up quicker.

You don't need to use a compost maker...a bit of dilute wee will help get the process started. Even then, it takes about a year to get usable compost but it does depend on your mix of materials, how many worms are present and temperature.

Don't put couch grass, dock, dandelion roots or weeds that have gone to seed in there.

Bob Flowerdew has an excellent book on composting which should be available in your local library.

ptarmigan · « **Reply #2 on:** May 12, 2015, 14:18 »

I started off fairly scientifically, and now just lob everything in. If it's looking a bit dry I'll pour some water in - if it's a bit slimy I'll add some shredded paper.

I've got 3 bins (pallets) and they all eventually produce compost...especially if I've planted a squash on top, in which case you get lovely compost.

I get lawn clippings and will mix them in too as they add a bit of heat and a boost, and also add in some manure or seaweed as well.

Don't put in weeds that have gone to seed, but it can be quite hard not too sometimes, and if you put in some lettuce that has gone to seed, you'll get free lettuce seedlings next year when you turf it out.

3759allen · « **Reply #3 on:** May 12, 2015, 15:06 »

several small bins are better than one large one. i have four daleks, i fill them one at a time. once one is full i pull it off and fork the contents into the next and so on and so on until the last one has got the finished product ready to go. this way it is easier to turn than trying to move the contents inside the dalek.

as said half brown and half green is ideal, but i always seem to end up putting more green than brown. use grass cutting sparingly as they seem to end up as slime if you use too many. or mix with shredded paper/ straw/ leaf before adding it to the heap.

everyone seems to do it slightly different ways, if time is on your side and you can afford to leave it a year or two it seems to be better.

Beetroot Queen · « **Reply #4 on:** May 12, 2015, 15:39 »

Quote from: ptarmigan on May 12, 2015, 14:18

I started off fairly scientifically, and now just lob everything in. If it's looking a bit dry I'll pour some water in - if it's a bit slimy I'll add some shredded paper.

I've got 3 bins (pallets) and they all eventually produce compost...especially if I've planted a squash on top, in which case you get lovely compost.

I get lawn clippings and will mix them in too as they add a bit of heat and a boost, and also add in some manure or seaweed as well.

Don't put in weeds that have gone to seed, but it can be quite hard not too sometimes, and if you put in some lettuce that has gone to seed, you'll get free lettuce seedlings next year when you turf it out.

That throw it all in and follow the too dry= water it etc method. Works here

colin120 · « **Reply #5 on:** May 13, 2015, 20:11 »

I have been composting for about 6 moths now I just throw every thing in my plastic composter I have also added about a box and a half of compost maker in it and mine is turning into good compost

Also think having a lid on top helps to compost it quicker

Beetroot Queen · « **Reply #6 on:** May 14, 2015, 06:32 »

Last year our open bins produced compost faster than the darlek.

not sure why but it made very good compost too, I have both and that seems to work well.

ptarmigan · « **Reply #7 on:** May 14, 2015, 06:59 »

I have a Daley at home which is mostly veg scraps tea bags and cardboard. Stir once a year and empty once a year. At the plot the pallet ones do seem to work more quickly but they are bigger and get turned more often.

Aled · « **Reply #8 on:** May 14, 2015, 09:39 »

I just pile everything in, house food scraps, grass clippings, the compost bags I've grown tomatoes in, leaves, and a bit of wood ash, (I don't take me wellies off and go inside to answer the call of nature when I am gardening!

) I then empty it in late October, and put the good stuff on the veg patch, then empty it again in spring, putting everything on the veg patch. Seems to work or me? However as others have said there are no hard and fast rules.
Cheers
Aled

Ivor Backache · « **Reply #9 on:** May 14, 2015, 15:18 »

Quote from: Aled on May 14, 2015, 09:39

(I don't take me willies off and go inside to answer the call of nature when I am gardening! )
Cheers
Aled

I know what you mean, but it is not exactly what you have typed.

Aled · « **Reply #10 on:** May 14, 2015, 15:34 »

Ahh now you see English is my second language.......LOL

Aled
ps apologies to mods........

Yorkie · « **Reply #11 on:** May 15, 2015, 10:56 »

Quote from: Aled on May 14, 2015, 15:34

Ahh now you see English is my second language.......LOL
Aled
ps apologies to mods........

Just blame the autocorrect, Aled

Aled · « **Reply #12 on:** May 15, 2015, 13:18 »

Quote from: Yorkie on May 15, 2015, 10:56

Quote from: Aled on May 14, 2015, 15:34
Ahh now you see English is my second language.......LOL
Aled
ps apologies to mods........

Just blame the autocorrect, Aled

LOL

cadalot · « **Reply #13 on:** May 16, 2015, 07:09 »

As others alternate green and brown - I'm using the lower levels of woodchip paths for brown, I also add a lot of comfrey, spent compost from tomato pots, paper shredding's especially toilet rolls, leafs from winter and the like for browns.

I'm also adding quite a lit of coffee grounds and when the dalek gets full and in winter I poke holes down to the bottom and fill with Coffee grounds and water to re activate lower levels and warm up the pile and have many coffee crazy red wrigglers living in the compost over winter.

Below are photographs when I emptied Dalek 1 I forked out from the top and then lifted off the Dalek and used for my bean trench recently

Baldy · « **Reply #14 on:** May 16, 2015, 09:30 »

I've moved from daleks to pallet bins on the plot - the daleks were too small and fiddly for my liking.

In a bid to keep the fiddliness down even more I've put pipes down through the middle of the bins. The central pipe is a guttering downpipe with plenty of holes drilled in - then some chicken wire wrapped around the outside to 'increase girth'. I'm hoping that by keeping a supply of air to the centre of the heap I won't have to turn it (or at least not have to turn it too often).

Pip pip,
Balders

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