Compost Discussion Thread (Merged Threads)

susieb

I bought a compost spike to help mix it up, it has helped

*JayBee*

There are two kinds of compost heaps, hot and cold. Generally a small garden heap won't heat up unless you dump a load of green grass clippings on it and then it will almost boil water. Only the big commercial composters build heaps big enough to get steaming hot.

I assume you have bought a composting bin (a waste of money), in which case it is a very small heap. Just turn it often and it will rot down.

These are the heaps I built. If you don't like rats then you won't build one like mine.

http://the-goodlife.blogspot.com/2006/04/composting_13.html

An alternative is just burying your kitchen waste in small holes dotted around the garden. And then, using a shredder (or your lawnmower) to shred the garden waste for use as mulch.

Poppycat

I started ours late Spring and I mainly put dead weeds in, egg boxes, grass cuttings, old plants that are dying, egg shells etc. Its almost full, I keep pushing it down every few weeks after about 2-3 weeks I get a inch or two of space when pushed down. Most of the garden waste now goes for council collection

I just opened the bottom and some of it looks okay to reuse now. I also put a few worms in it and if theres any around garden they go in too.

PixieFace

I have been composting for a few years now. My mum got me a couple of those Dalek type recycled plastic ones when her council were doing a deal on them, and they work rather well.

The key to good compost is to make sure you layer what you put in so you don't just have a whole heap of fruit and veg waste trying to rot.

Many things can be composted:

All raw fruit and veg waste
Tea bags/tea leaves/coffee grinds
Egg shells - preferably crushed
Shredded paper
Loo rolls - keep whole and unsquashed as they provide pockets of air for bugs to live in
Thin card such as cereal packs - crush into a ball
Grass cuttings - not too much in one go or you'll get stinky slush
Weeds - but not ones that have seeds
Small clippings from pruning
Dead flowers/plants
Cotton Wool - and I have it on good authority that it can even go in when used (although not if used when changing nappies)

I tend to chuck a few worms in when doing the weeding for good measure.

Try and layer these things to ensure an even mix. It is best to turn compost to get more air in and help it work faster, but I just tend to empty the whole lot out twice a year (spring and autumn) use the good stuff and put the rest back in the bottom of the bins, as this helps to accelerate when new stuff goes on top.

Never push down when you run out of room as you loose air which slows the process down. If you mix it up regularly you can have really good compost in no time, but other than my bi-annual purge I just keep adding in one until there is no more room, then use the other, once it gets going it's amazing how quickly you get space.

Although you may find that one bin is not enough, and the more you get into it, the more you will need. I've asked my mum to get me two more if they do their deal again (she can get them for £5 but my council do them for £10.

Also, in true MS style, make good use of your compost to grow your own fruit and veg (all of the waste of which can go straight back in the compost!)

I tend not to use accelerator - the bins are too tall to try and wee in! But I occassionally put some garotta in when it's a big heap of new stuff, generally when I've had a good tidy in the garden. It's about £5 for a 500g box from a garden centre and lasts well if used only when really necessary.

Hope this helps

nodwah

What's garotta?

Mary_Hartnell

What's garotta?
Google offers 76K hits!
Here is the first one:
Garotta accelerates the composting process giving rich organic compost in weeks. It's biological formula is a blend of naturally occurring high active microbes and enzymes for use on all types of garden and kitchen waste.

Build up the Compost System in layers, treating each fresh load with a sprinkling of Garotta. When the Compost System is full, leave for six to eight weeks to compost down completely. Then when the compost is ready spread on your garden as a mulch or soil improver, leaving any material not fully composted as the base for your next mix.

The 3kg box is suitable for Compost Systems 12 cu.ft (0.33cu.m) to 36 cu.ft (0.97cu.m). The 10kg box is suitable for Compost Systems 96 cu.ft. (2.75cu.m) to 144 cu.ft. (3.89 cu.m). Benefits rule 4 of the 7 composting rules (click here)

Remember that fishing tackle shops catch fishermen not fish.

My two black bins are alive with worms and just one bin will use up a two person household's garden clippings and kitchen waste. The little chaps love "P" too.

Everything slows down at this time of year though in the spring, they will wake up and get on with the backlog.

We don't add the grass cuttings, they go through a different slower bin system like the one illustrated in the link above.

(If you have a varied diet of fresh fruit and veg, I don't think your guts need a regular dose of pro biotic yoghurt either - though it can be useful for getting back to normal after Montezuma has put you through the "handful of sugar and a pinch of salt" liquid diet routine.)

chunkymunky_3

any old allotmentor will tell you urine works ten times better than any commercial accelerator and cost nothing! my grandad uses it and has for the past 30 plus years and ive never seen compost like his!

you dont need to be tall to "wee in the bin" its not good neat anyway, i keep an old watering can in the shed and add it to the compost heap in a 1 part urine 3 parts water mix!

if your compost is too dry, try using hot water this moistens the heap and helps raise the temp. i also find it helps if the bin is placed in a position of direct sunlight as this also helps keep it warm.

lastly if all else fails, i have a compost turner (a big barrel in a frame) a couple of spins a day and it can speed up decomposition from 6 months to as little as 6 weeks! its not a cheap option but it really works and i get so much compost i give it away to neighbours! i havn't bought compost once in the last 2 years!

margaretclare

Wrong time of year - too cold.

You may need extra worms - get them from here:http://www.greengardener.co.uk/worms.htm

HTH

Margaret

Davesnave

Buy worms??? I suppose there may be worm-devoid areas in the UK, but I've not lived in one yet. The 'tiger worms' sold for wormeries are known as 'brandlings' in the fishing fraternity and, if you must buy them, they may be cheaper from the angling shop. (And you'll be saving them from certain death too!) Personally, I've always found that when I start a heap, the brandlings show up of their own accord. Mind you, the biggest ones were in Devon & they made excellent illegal trout bait!

nick65_2

I added a bit of compost from the old pile and left it in the sunlight, so it would heat up during the winter time.

Cardboard seems to work well for me as well