Collecting liquid from compost

brownfrog

I've seen several compost bins now (particularly the tumbler type ones and the wormeries) that have a collection tray beneath them to collect all the liquid, which is then diluted as feed. This sounds like an excellent idea, but is there any reason why you shouldn't be able to do this with any compost bin? I've got several plastic ones, and they've all got open bottoms that you're supposed to sit directly on the ground. I've ben unable to find any reason for this other than to let the worms in, and it does seem a shame to waste this.

I'm sure I could convert my existing bins by putting a sheet of fine mesh in the bottom of the bin to hold everything in, then parking it on top of a collection bucket with a tap in it. I've also got a couple of wooden bins that need to be moved, so I'm thinking I could put in a mesh bottom on these, one plank up, and then slide some old freezer drawers under them to collect the fluid.

Can anyone think of a reason why this wouldn't work or would be a bad idea generally? Obviously, I'd add a layer of good wormy compost in to begin with, so the worms would be in there anyway.

Kay_Peel

I can only think of two reasons why compost bins are sited on soil:

1. Worms and other micro-organisms can get access easily.

2. If, like me, you turn your material regularly (to stoke up the heat and make sure all the materials are evenly composted) then mesh trays and containers might be up-ended. Few worms survive in my compost bins anyway when I turn up the heat with regular stirring. I go for the fast, hot method of composting and aim to get results within 8 weeks.

However, in autumn/winter hot composting is out of the question. The bins' contents remain undisturbed and become gigantic wormeries - so there's plenty of scope to try an experiment.

Why not? Tell us how you get on, won't you?

PeteW

Do they have to be sited on soil? My current bin is full and the only space I have to put another one on is on the concrete the greenhouse is on. Would this not be suitable then?

Antispam

Mine is sited on flag stones and it partly shade during the day, west facing so only get sun on a morning until around 2pm ish.

I do use compost maker though from wilkos and I get around a full compost a year worth of material to reuse

oli1122

wow thats a great idear because i have tons of compost bins in my garden i can collect it and sell it.

thankx for the idea:T:A

ixwood

The compost liquid is also a bacterial/microbe boost as well as a nutritional feed.

brownfrog

Kay_Peel wrote: »

I can only think of two reasons why compost bins are sited on soil:

1. Worms and other micro-organisms can get access easily.

Exactly, which shouldn't matter if you're shoving the worms in anyway.

Kay_Peel wrote: »

2. If, like me, you turn your material regularly (to stoke up the heat and make sure all the materials are evenly composted) then mesh trays and containers might be up-ended. Few worms survive in my compost bins anyway when I turn up the heat with regular stirring. I go for the fast, hot method of composting and aim to get results within 8 weeks.

Well done, but far too much like hard work for me! That's why I've got so many bins - I generally aim to have a couple on the go, a couple a year old that're capped and left to stew, and a couple that are 2 years old being emptied, and I'm lucky enough to have the room for them. With the wooden bins, I'd nail the mesh to the bottom, and I think with the plastic ones there's a lip underneath so I could wire the mesh to that.

Kay_Peel wrote: »

However, in autumn/winter hot composting is out of the question. The bins' contents remain undisturbed and become gigantic wormeries - so there's plenty of scope to try an experiment.

Hit the nail on the head - even in the midst of winter, my compost bins are crawling with worms of every type and size you can imagine, from tiny ones a few millimetres long (usually in the plastic ones, right under the lid for some reason) to huge brandling worms.[/QUOTE]

Kay_Peel wrote: »

Why not? Tell us how you get on, won't you?

Well, I wondered if there was some arcane reason for not doing this, but I suspect it's just that people didn't think of doing it until wormeries became popular. I'll give it a go with one bin and report back later in the year if it worked or turned the whole thing into a no-go area!

gmgmgm

The main reason compost bins are on the ground is for drainage. They are supposed to be moist.

If you really want to get liquid from a normal compost heaps, you can easily steep the compost in water to make a "tea".