[Nogger]

I have 13 warrens and at present i put all their poo in one of those large black compost containers, would it be better to mix it with all the veg waste off the lotty, and the household waste  :?:    

[compostqueen]

I have loads of bins so I can separate stuff out and keep tabs on what heats up and cooks fastest.  My chicken poo one doesn't seem to be doing much at all.  The kitchen waste one is winning at the moment.  I keep a few bins for hoss and cow muck and several bins for general lotty greenery with grass mowings. Leaves are separate. You can bung the lot in together as long as you mix your greens and browns evenly.  I do like to keep the thuggish stuff separate, eg the really woody brassica stalks and tough things like sunflowers etc. They go in my large pallet bin (chopped up with a machete first  :twisted: )

Why not do an experiment. One all mixed in together and one just chook poo and their bedding material.

[Nogger]

I have loads of bins so I can separate stuff out and keep tabs on what heats up and cooks fastest.  My chicken poo one doesn't seem to be doing much at all.  The kitchen waste one is winning at the moment.  I keep a few bins for hoss and cow muck and several bins for general lotty greenery with grass mowings. Leaves are separate. You can bung the lot in together as long as you mix your greens and browns evenly.  I do like to keep the thuggish stuff separate, eg the really woody brassica stalks and tough things like sunflowers etc. They go in my large pallet bin (chopped up with a machete first  :twisted: )

Why not do an experiment. One all mixed in together and one just chook poo and their bedding material.

thats what I am doing at present compostqueen,all my hen poo is in one bin then i have two large areas for my horse muck ;so we will see how it goes, I had a load of horse poo delivered about 2 months ago and it was about 4 foot high, now its aprox 2 foot high,it soon rots down to that  good black stuff  

[compostqueen]

I've got bags of horse muck in bags on the plot. Not had time to empty them into the bins yet but it looks like rats or something has been making holes in the bags  :shock:   Unless it's two legged ones checking what's in the bags

Yes, it does slump and start rotting quite quickly but I don't expect much progress now that it's cold and dark.

[Parsnip]

I've had my compost bin since June, I top it up almost daily with veg peelings etc...( all the reccomended stuff) it's definitely rotting down, but I've not seen any steaming just a load of manky looking stuff in there.

Am I doing something wrong? :?

[compostqueen]

it doesn't do much this weather unless we get a sunny day and then you might notice steam when you lift the lid

It's lawn mowings that usually heat things up but again not this weather.  You can stir things up to get some air in which usually kick starts things if the bin is sluggish.  You can add toilet roll middles etc as well, ripped up cardboard etc which is good with kitchen waste which can get too wet.  Comfrey leaves added with each "deposit" will also help

[Parsnip]

I do all that with the exception of Comfry, I suspect I'm just being impatient...I'll have a dig round in it tomorrow.

[compostqueen]

do it on a still, sunny day     So that'll be next spring then  

It's a pleasant, mindless task. I take it all out and put it into the wheelbarrow, give it a good mix up and plonk it back in. Comfrey is good stuff and I have plants growing by the bins so it's an easy job just to rip the leaves off and bung them in, in layers if you have enough. You could always add some wee as well, or nettles  

[Parsnip]

Funny you should mention wee, I mentioned it to my hubby that it's good for the compost, so he did one in it last night when he let the dog out for his night time wee...I said how did  you manage to reach, he said he used some of the old slabs sat near by...

I reckon it might become a bit of habit , with the top end of my garden starting to smell like an old folks home..

[compostqueen]

deters foxes too  

[Christine]

Trust the council to leave the cutting of the steep grass bank over the road till the middle of November - could have done with some grass cuttings to mix into the compost a month ago. Still better late than never and it does have a fair number of leaves mixed in.  At least it's an area free of dog walking due to the steepness and the location (lack of footpath)

Had great fun getting six large sacks full down to the allotment yesterday along with a lot of donations that the family had been saving up. Good thing there was a car available.

At least the compost heap I am working with is what I expect to be a two year heap - or at least not required till January 2010 so it will have time to warm up between now and then - the grass layer will come in useful at some point  when the weather warms up

[compostqueen]

I was collecting leaves yesterday too, lovely and dry they were. Bodger recommends adding them to the hen run for the chooks to pick over for bugs, which I've been doing. It keeps them happy for hours. When it's wet and manky I take them out and off to the lotty for composting.

I filled a builders rubble sack with leaves but it was too heavy to carry and had to be dragged to the lotty. I don't think I'll do that again  :roll:  

[birmancats]

Hi Compostqueen.  Where did you go on your course for composting?  I went a two day one with Garden Organic.  We might have met at the Master Composters Conference!!

[compostqueen]

I never went on a course. I just acquired my nickname I from a fellow plotter    

I did draw the short straw to attend a composting talk from the council. Everyone thought it was hilarious to send me on a Sunday at 2.00 pm when everyone else was either having lunch or in the pub.  They quipped that I'd be sat there on my own  :roll:   The place was packed and I had a job to get a seat     It was very interesting and folks had taken along pots of their homemade stuff    

I have been asked by the lady from Recycle Now to be a compost person, can't think what they call em  :?    

[birmancats]

Hi.  Were known as Master Composters.  It's worth going on the course if you fancy it.  You get all sorts of info off Garden Organic and the food on the course if great!