Compost Discussion Thread (Merged Threads)

JennyBigBum

Mike,
Don't forget you can add all sorts of things to your composter to fill it up - not JUST garden waste - loo roll 'middles', tea bags, coffee grounds, old newspapers (shredded or just scrunched up), cardboard (scrunched up), old egg boxes, envelopes, till receipts, old wollen jumpers, hair, peelings, paper bags, kitchen roll, feathers, animal hair, used animal bedding (hay, straw etc) as well as the obvious grass clippings and weeds (not the 'nasty' ones though). My husband and I recycle pretty much everything and the dustbinman only has to take away half a sack or less a week of refuse - it's fun trying to see just how LITTLE you can leave out for them!

elhadders

Jenny,

I researched a few websites for details of what you can/can't put in a composter, and the problem for me (with a very small plot in which to site one, and with grass as my only garden waste) is that I want it primarily to dispose of kitchen waste, yet it sounds like much of it can't go in a composter anyway. No fish, no meat, no cooked veg... which rules out most of what's left at the table after my picky kids have refused to eat it! :rolleyes:

Jake'sGran

Mike307 wrote:

I would like to go a lttle bit more "green" and recycle my compostable matter, problem is I have very small garden and find the smallest 'bin' is 330 litres which is much too big, Also as I live alone I don't produce that mush vegetable waste from my kitchen. Any suggetions would be appreciated

We got ours from the local council FOC and have been using it for years.
Have you tried them? It is a bit shorter than an old fashioned dustbin. It has a lid and at the bottom there is a square opening with a slide-in cover. From here we dig out our lovely compost. Recently I heard that it is best to have two (Gardener's Question Time I think). Can't remember why though. Something abut taking out the uncomposted stuff to remove the good compost at the bottom. In this area the council are very keen on recycling and we have four containers, one for paper, one for bottles tin and plastic, a large green wheelie one for garden waste (we have a lot) and a normal black one.

Good on you for wanting to be green. You can put all sorts of things in one, anything that once was alive (plantwise I mean). Making a small one for yourself is definitely an option. Just need to make sure it gets some air and is turned from time to time. Also, remember to wet it from time to time. Urine is a great activator for the breaking down process according to Bob Flowerdew.

tawnyowls

Wickes do one about the same size, for about £15 I think. However, it's always worth checking with your council, or you could try ringing up Blackwall (http://www.blackwall.co.uk/) who supply most of the councils with bins; usually all you have to do is tell them which council you're with and they'll tell you how much a discounted bin is. Last time I bought which was at an open day held on behalf of the council, a large bin (the 220 litre black bin) cost £5 and the little mini kitchen bin was £3, plus a choice of free compost activator, either liquid or granules.

Liney_2

You can also empty your vaccuum cleaner bag/bin into your compost heap along with any pet hair if you have any dogs or cats to groom :0)

ilovecakes06

hi, well we've been using a compost bin and recycling organic matter, however we do seem to have developed a problem of rats and mice. now its all sealed in a compost bin, but there are still rats about, i think they must be diggin undeneath it (and we never had a problem before).

is there any way around this because it very offputting continuing recycling. and its not apropriate to be putting down posion as we have hedgehogs. the council have put down traps and it seems to have solved the problem BUT i dont think i will continue using the compost heap if the problem will only arise again in the future. any suggestions?

wealthsaver

ilovecakes06 wrote:

hi, well we've been using a compost bin and recycling organic matter, however we do seem to have developed a problem of rats and mice. now its all sealed in a compost bin, but there are still rats about, i think they must be diggin undeneath it (and we never had a problem before).

is there any way around this because it very offputting continuing recycling. and its not apropriate to be putting down posion as we have hedgehogs. the council have put down traps and it seems to have solved the problem BUT i dont think i will continue using the compost heap if the problem will only arise again in the future. any suggestions?

Could it be the hedgehogs getting in your bin? Or have you seen rats and mice? A compost bin with lids rather than open ones will reduce access for vermin. Take care not to put cooked food scraps on the heap.
Our compost heap (built out of old pallets) had two resident frogs and they burrowed inside to live I presume. We had to take care when emptying it although they have been with us for years. There are rats everywhere, especially in Urban areas and I suspect compost bins are not the major cause of any increase of rodents in your area. If you are composting egg shells, rinse them off before putting them in.

save-a-lot

Different problem but could have same solution. A colleague of mine has (had) a problem with moles, so he literally dug up his whole lawn and laid a net a foot down horizontally and on his boundaries he sank netting down vertically to meet. No mole could enter the garden after that.

Maybe use this idea and bury some chicken wire about 1 inch below the surface underneath the compost bin, and do this maybe 3 feet around the bin so that nothing could get in.

Jo138

I've got thousands of baby armadillos in my compost bin! How big will they grow and is it a normal habitat for them?

Drummergirl_2

Are you sure they are not jumbo-sized woodlice? I thought armadillos were from South America and certainly wouldn't reproduce at that rate. The former makes sense as they love rotting wood, vegetable matter, plenty of that in a compost bin, I'm not sure if that makes them helpful or harmful to your compost though. Regards Drummergirl.