[shokkyy]

I must be doing something wrong We have a row of 6 plastic compost bins and there's never enough space to get rid of all the kitchen/garden waste/lawn mowings. When we first started filling them last year (moved the enormous old open heap into them) they did go down quickly, but in the last few months they don't seem to be moving at all. We have two different sorts as well, one bought from Wyevale constructed as a single unit, which is nice and robust, but the rest were bought from Homebase as flat pack self assembly jobs and every one of them has come apart down all the joins. They didn't even last a year before falling apart.

[Babstreefern]

If you are putting a lot of lawn mowings in, you need some to "separate" it, ie, mixing it up shredded paper, as lawn mowings can bulk, and is hard to "digest"

[RichardA]

moisture content is in my opinion more important than people realise and a lot of shredded paper etc will need wetting down either from a hose  or by leaving lids off to catch the rain. Often the biggest drop in level occurs after a good wetting and then a good warming up again.
R

[shokkyy]

I turned the hose on them yesterday, cos when I opened the hatches at the bottoms most of them did look pretty dry. How wet do they need to be? Are we talking a 30 sec spray from the hose or are we talking soaking wet?

[JayG]

I turned the hose on them yesterday, cos when I opened the hatches at the bottoms most of them did look pretty dry. How wet do they need to be? Are we talking a 30 sec spray from the hose or are we talking soaking wet?

Without trying to be facetious a 30 second spray from a hose should soak everything! It tends to go dry in places (usually at the bottom and round the edges); a good "stir" helps get more even composting.

[peapod]

I spray mine until it just starts to seep out at the bottom on a low pressure spray.  You dont want it too wet as it will leech the nutrients out. Damp - if you see what I mean? 

[RichardA]

moist evenly through the heap to help with rotting as dry material will never rot but not wet through as that excludes air and over chills the heap. Think about how quickly grass cuttings start to heat up (moist) but how hay lasts for a long time unmarked by mould etc(too dry). A good guide is a few days after moistening the heap will sink again and may feel warm to touch and even steam a little which a dry heap never does. As for stuff leaching out -- if you can move the heaps occasionally and grow something in that place such as courgettes, rhubarb etc that enjoys rich conditions if will recoup any leached goodness.
All the best
R.

[shokkyy]

I hadn't realised it was so important to add moisture. I think I've got the same problem with my leaf bin too, which always looks dry. Though that doesn't have any cover on it, so I'm kind of suprised the rain isn't enough. But sadly, if I tried giving those Homebase bins even a half-hearted stir I suspect they'd collapse completely.

[Kristen]

I pee on mine each day when I close up the greenhouse - whether it needs it or not!

[DD.]

What about whether you need it or not?

[Kristen]

I use my storage tank and fill it from a bottle a few hours beforehand "be preapred" 

[sunshineband]

I might pass on that idea -- don't want to afll off 

[penninehillbilly]

We have a few of the 'daleks' about. A few weeks ago we did quite a bit of shredding prunings, filled a large and a standard dalek, putting very wet manure in layers. today I thought I should be turning it, - pulled the large bin off to refill with the mix but- the mix was bone dry and mouldy, with mould (spores?) blowing away like smoke. I had to leave it to think what to do. (good job no neighbours) thought about spraying it with a washing up-liquid solution as a wetting agent (water runs straight off).
Any advice?

[JayG]

Probably better not to use chemicals if you don't have to; it will wet if you do it slowly enough, preferably with a fine mist of water if available. 

[Kristen]

The moulds may well be taking the temperature up higher than the normal compost critters will (are they bacteria? not sure) so I'm not sure they are a bad thing per se.

If the heap is not hot, but mouldy, then I reckon turning it will provide more pockets for water to collect and then it should be possible to water the new heap and have it retain enough.