compost bin

solongmarianne

hello all I have jus got my very first vegetable patch at the age of 26 I hear people talking abut compost bins/heaps

should i hve a compost bin and what goes in it, im hearing old food scraps , weeds?? also do worms need to go in , and then theres the do i need holes in it question.

I fear I may be gettin two types of thing mixed up but if anyone can shed any light that will be great.
i am truly clueless about gardening

Orange_King

I was lucky to get one free from the Council.

I put all the veg peelings, cardboard, egg boxes, some of the grass cuttings and general garden waste. After reading the "Do you pee in your garden shed" thread it seems that it may also be good to add some urine - no, seriously, not taking the !!!!!

I give the contents a good turn over every now and then and the result is usually excellent compost. Worms in it help to break down the contents as far as I know.

ecgirl07

if you live in scotland:

http://www.wasteawarescotland.org.uk/html/compost.asp

we just ordered one £8 delivered

solongmarianne

thanks orange king, I will ask my council, but if not do you think an old style bin would work, I really dont have spare cash to spend on them as they , to me, are really dear!

As a laydeeee I wont be peeing up the compost heap but i read that thread and found it funny, my grandad recently died and we havent cleared out his shed yet, ill be on the lookout hahaha

solongmarianne

not near enough for me, but good link for those that are nearer

scbk

You don't need a proper bin, even just a heap will rot down eventually, bit untidy though.

You can make a bin using old pallets, or any other timber you can get for free

retro_bluebell

This site has good tips on how to compost. I got mine off the site last year for a fiver it doesnt look like they are selling an atm but it would pay to keep an eye out.

HTH

solongmarianne

thanks all I have found some old pieces of a wardrobe so I will cut them and style a makeshift bin outof that and see if it works... failing that its gonna be a heap in the corner

kimmee

I live in Cambridgeshire and I've got one going spare (got two from work and only needed one) so if you're anywhere near and could collect then just pm me.

solongmarianne

kimmee, thank you , that is so kind of you to offer!!! I am nowhere near you unfortunatly but the offer was much appreciated

ixwood

Heaps are better for wildlife generally anyway and worse for rodents who like to nest in nice enclosed dry bins.