[debih]

I have inherited 3 compost heaps on my new allotment but I dont really know anything about composting.

Do I just put weeds, etc on it and keep it covered (it is covered at the minute).  What else can I put on it from the allotment plot.  Do I need to do anything with the heap and what can I actually do with the compost - just dig it into the ground?  And when do I do this.  

I live a couple of miles away from the plot and would hope to get up there every couple of days.  I dont really have much of a garden at home so we have never been able to compost our waste veg peelings, tea bags, etc.  Do you think it is worth my while getting a little pot of some sort to keep my household compost in to take the the allotment with me each time I go.  If I did this I would either need to keep something on the kitchen window sill or just outside the back door so can any one recommend something for me to use that wont smell or have flies buzzing around.

Sorry if this question seems abit stupid and obvious but I want to get it right!

[Ice]

There is no question too stupid to ask so don't be afraid.  We are a very friendly and helpfull bunch on here.

Yes you can put weeds on but make sure thay don't have seed heads.  Anything you grew can go on it too.  Any vegetable scraps can be composted as long as they are not cooked or you will attract rats.  Also, shredded paper. egg boxes, the middle of toilet tubes, egg shells etc.  Just make sure you layer them so you don't have too much of one thing at a time.

I bought a plastic container from B&Q with a lid to keep my kitchen scraps in.

Turning the heap occasionally ensures it rots more quickly.

[peapod]

I compost at home, though it wouldnt be a problem to keep my kitchen scraps, loo roll innards etc to take to my plot every couple of days
I have a big plastic tupperware bowl next to my cooker, and use that to peel and shred in, and empty it every couple of days. Ive never had a problem with flies, and I have my back door open all the time. Theres plenty of tupperware containers with a lid that you could get and take up with you.

As for composting the weeds at the plot, be careful they are very dead! I wouldnt compost mares tail or bindweed...Im so careful coming off the plot that I shower my shoes at the water pipe so I dont fetch any bit home!

Id burn them if you have them, you can compost the ashes..and any ashes you end up with

[Stevens706]

I live in Lancashire and the council provided free compost bins to homes delivered free, these also come with a small bin to collect the kitchen waste, worth checking with your council (try the internet) to see if they have the same scheme.

[GreenOwl]

Do I need to do anything with the heap and what can I actually do with the compost - just dig it into the ground?  And when do I do this.  

Its worth occasionally turning the compost to mix it all together.  It speeds up the process of turning into compost but if you have a bad back or anything don't worry too much.

When the compost at the bottom is all brown and crumbly add it to your soil.  You can just put it on top as a mulch and let the worms dig it in or you can dig it in.  I usually spread it on top as a mulch in the spring when I'm preparing the beds to grow stuff or to earth up my potatoes.

[debih]

Thanks so much.  

[peapod]

Ive just got another free compost bin :-)

Didnt think Id get away with applying for another one!

Paula

[e15]

I occasionally pee on mine to aid decomposition but not too often as it can smell. You need to turn it at regular intervals to allow air and to break up the vegetable matter.

Ask at a large Tesco bakery, if they have an empty bucket with a lid used for country paste going spare. I work as a baker and they are very good for keeping waste until its ready to go on the heap. The lid keeps everything nice and sealed.

[Novice but totally hooked]

A good way to keep your compost heap from spreading is to get three wooden pallets and four stakes.  Put the stakes in the ground to form a square and then put the pallets up against them (like building a card house that we did as children) and either nail or lash them together.  You've then got three sides of the square enclosed to use as your compost heap.  

If you've got the space add a second bay next to the first and then when the first bay's full you can start using the second whilst you empty the first.

You can probably pick up pallets on freecycle or ask at a local DIY store or garden centre.  They usually chuck them out after they've had deliveries on them.