Compost Discussion Thread (Merged Threads)

margaretclare

Hi

Re weeing in the compost bin - I've heard Bob Flowerdew on 'Gardeners' Question Time' refer to this as 'recycled Guinness'.

My DH says he can no longer reach up that high. I'm trying to persuade him to wee into a bucket and then tip it into the compost bin.

We usually have 3 bins on the go at any one time. One is filled up then left alone to rot down. The middle one is half-full, it's the one I'm keeping an eye on because it will soon be ready to have the compost bin lifted off it and a heap left for the birds to forage in, then used as mulch. The third one is being used at the moment. We keep a 'green bucket' with a lid in the kitchen for peelings, tea-bags, coffee filters, coffee grounds, and when the bucket is full I take it down and tip it into the third of the bins. I line the bucket with newspaper - that's another thing you can use for compost, newspapers, but you have to keep it damp. Not soggy, not dry - damp!

I've put in cardboard, egg-boxes, the cardboard centres of loo rolls, tea-bags, coffee filters, all kinds of fruit and veg. What don't rot down so well are twigs, hedge-clippings, those kind of things. But that's OK because we have a 'green recycling' garden waste collection service here - the 'green bin' gets collected fortnightly. You pay £39.99 every year though, and obviously a lot of people don't like doing that because neighbours put lawn mowings and dead plants into their normal wheelie-bin, so it just goes into landfill, which is getting scarce, and in decomposing causes methane gas.

Another point is: best to have a bin with a lid on to discourage rats. Also put it in a sunny position - the heat generated speeds up decomposition.

HTH

Margaret Clare

DilbertJones

some good replys so far, great.

Debt_Free_Chick

Some of the ingredients depend on whether you are building a hot heap or a cool heap.

There's a brilliant guide on the Garden Organic website.

Gillylou

I currently compost all uncooked vegetable waste and have twice had problems with rats. It is an open based bin, and they either tunnel under or get in and out through the front hatch.
Does anyone know of any rat proof compost bins?

Wig

You could make your own using wire mesh, construct a cube out of the stuff you'll need a 10mm grid and then build or buy a wooden cube compost bin
http://www.mower-magic.co.uk/acatalog/Composters.html

Where to buy wire mesh? look for sheet metal in the yellow pages.

beer2006

Rats will get in virtually anywhere they want to, best of luck trying to keep them out.

You must be composting something they are interested in.

Eggshells are bad and attract them, are you composting them?

lottie$_2

I've got one of these:
green cone

and they are excellent.

hardpressed

I know you shouldn't put perennial weeds in a compost bin but is that just the roots or the whole plant, I just cleared a large garden of thistles and dandelions and wonder if I cut the roots off, if all the greenery could go in the bin?

Sarahjovi

We seem to have a huge ants nest in our, so I put off using it for my pots and tubs!

Sarah

pthompson

I compost most of the stuff mentioned above (but never meat). However I never know what to do with weeds. Anyone have any better ideas than sending them to the landfill?