How do I start a compost bin?

nykied

I wash my egg shells and then crush them up. I wrap handfuls of cut grass in newspaper when I'm putting that in, or it can make it go slimy.

Good tip about the layer of paper or soil, cbj02, I'll try that.

I wondered if you could put used compost in there, after plants have grown and died in it, or do people use that for something else?

morg_monster

I use some spent compost for other plants, eg the soil that was tipped out of my potato bags is sitting in a wheelbarrow and I use it to fill new pots for lettuce, strawberry runners, etc (obviously you need to add food to the soil as all the nutrition will be gone by the time the potatoes are finished). But I find when things like lettuce or rocket in pots has finished, the soil is completely shot through with fine roots, so I don't think would be that good for growing new stuff in, so i just chuck plant and soil all on the compost heap.

When i get to the end of the growing season and there's no more pots to fill, any spent compost from non-diseased plants will all be put on my beds for a mulch i think.

I know you are not supposed to put soil on the compost heap if the plant was diseased; also not to reuse soil for the same or related plant - eg I would not use potato soil for more potatoes or tomatoes.

cjb02

emiff6 wrote: »

Now that I am using compost bins, I use the garden waste bin as an extra water butt, with a length of hosepipe to syphon water in and out..

thanks I have now found a use for my green waste bin. I never thought of that at all and it has been annoying me for ages just sat there taking space up and doing nothing at all

cjb02

nykied wrote: »

I wondered if you could put used compost in there, after plants have grown and died in it, or do people use that for something else?

I put spent compost in to the garden and dig in as a conditioner. I never every throw spent compost away thats for sure.

or I use it in another pot with a different crop or plant.
IE tomatoes one year, then radishes or lettuce the next, then maybe sieve it and use it for starting seeds off in. then throw dig it in to the garden.

Stacey_D

We actually transfer our kitchen waste from a Burgon & Ball compost bin (a lovely little green thing that doesn't look out of place) to the outside bin once a week - much prefer that than having to dash out in the rain every time!