Idiot's Guide To Composting Please!

3v3

Eenymeeny wrote: »

...
Any tips to increase the green supply please as we will be cutting the grass less now and this is my main source? ...

Potato and vegetable peelings? Fruit cores/past its best fruit? Used teabags/coffee grinds?

The compost will become more "dormant" during the cooler/colder months as the biggest "activator" of the heap is the heat. So, even though your grass cuttings will be less, that won't be a problem as the decomposition slows down with the decrease in temperature. But do mix it in well between now and your final mowings in November time. Turning the heap is the most important thing to keep the decomposition process equal throughout the heap.

I have 3 bins.
Bin #1: fresh compostable materials (from Autumn through to Autumn); bin #2 contains the 'compost' added in the Autumn from Bin #1; bin; #3 contains the Autumn offerings from bin #2 and will be used in the Spring as it will be the most "well rotted". This is how I rotate mine In a very good (hot) year, the bins may well be rotated more frequently - the secret being that the contents have to be very well decomposed before you use them on the garden. I keep hens so I also have the hen deposits which act as a compost enhancer and speeds up the process.

HTH

Sambucus_Nigra

Eenymeeny wrote: »

Ahem, I'm afraid that I'm back...:o
I've quickly realised that I have a lot more 'brown' stuff than green.
Any tips to increase the green supply please as we will be cutting the grass less now and this is my main source?
(I had thought of donning a balaclava and kidnapping my neighbours 'green bins' during the night, but is this taking things a little too far do you think?)
Thanks

What sort of stuff is going in as browns? If there is too much, you don't need to go mad on the greens, just make sure it doesn't dry out too much. I doubt if anyone gets a totally true 50/50 mix.

Eenymeeny

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

What sort of stuff is going in as browns? If there is too much, you don't need to go mad on the greens, just make sure it doesn't dry out too much. I doubt if anyone gets a totally true 50/50 mix.

Shredded paper, torn up cardboard, tiny broken up twigs.
I read Bob Flowerdew's book on composting yesterday, got loads more ideas. He even adds cotton and wool, which I hadn't heard of, but I think that would take too long for me!
The main thing to me was to collect 'dirty water' in a covered bin and add the roots, cardboard, all of the harder to compost items. Going to start that bin this morning
Great book by the way, lots of pictures showing what he meant! I read it cover to cover...sad I know:o

Eenymeeny

Oh! and he sprinkles a fine layer of soil on top of each new layer and lime to keep it clean. Going to have to get some of that:)
I'm turning it every week thinking that I'll leave it be when the cold weather comes, that should be ok shouldn't it?
Thanks again:)

AngryPig

londonsurrey wrote: »

Ye gods, I had no idea. I don't wish foxes any harm,

Other than chucking them in the landfill bin, is there anything useful and ecofriendly I can do with them?

Apologies for going off subject, but a top-tip for slugs - Apparently they tend to live under grass (not under rocks/logs etc as I always assumed), they also come out at night when conditions are cooler and damper. So it logically follows that to eliminate slugs from your garden, mow your lawn at night!

It sounds grim I know, but if you have a sizeable lawn, it is likely to be harbouring most of the slugs in your garden. If you need to mow your lawn anyway, why not do it at a time that will reduce the slug population also?

PS Hens are great, but its not always practical to keep hem in suburbia (I'm working on persuading OH otherwise!)

cazziebo

I've had some lovely compost from my dalek. Thanks to all for the great advice and tips on this thread.:T

However, I now have a big empty space at the bottom (where I've been taking out compost) and the bin is full at the top.

Why is it sticking? I've tried forking through but can't break it up.

Eenymeeny

I'll leave the experts to answer that for you as I'm still a learner! Pleased to report that my dumpy bag contents are smelling very earthy too! (I keep turning mine, maybe you need to upend it on to a tarpaulin or suitable surface, fork it over and refill your dalek....?) I'm thinking that I'll just take the big uncomposted bits out to use as a base for next year. Pleased that the thread's been a help to you too

Smithills

Hi Eenymeeny,
Good you have the composting bug too, I get excited when I empty mine out! I'm a lazy composter- I have 2 bins, and alternate between each- there's not much space so mixing & turning them isn't an option really. When mowing season starts I put a bit of grass in, but not loads (as it turns into silage). And I chuck in egg shells (smashed up but not cooked), onions, citrus peel- all things that some people leave out...but as I live on my own there are never mountains of any 1 thing. I'm fairly careful about putting dandelions etc in- I'll put in leaves, but not the "core" ie where the tap root turns into stem. And I have now got fed up with fishing tea-bags out of the compost so I open them up and compost the tea leaves, but bin the bags. I also chuck in rough cardboard- toilet roll inners & egg boxes, plus shredded paper.

Anything that doesn't rot down in year 1 goes through again in year 2- plus I usually through a bit of compost in- I'm thinking a bit like making yoghurt! What will surprise you the most is that what you think of as a huge pile of compost doesn't go very far at all- so you might want to think about where you want to use it first. Enjoy!!

Eenymeeny

I've been told not to put potato peelings or raw eggshells into compost as it encourages rats? but I put everything else that I can get my hands on! Was out there today clearing the leaves that had been blown up into corners over the last few days. I'm so keen it's embarrassing! I have heard that if I put old, sprouted potatoes into my heap there may be some little ones to harvest come spring? Maybe that's a different project and I should put them in a seperate tub or bag of soil? Whatever, I'm loving the fact that when I find soft veg at the bottom of the box now or have a piece of fruit the waste is now added to my stash! Thanks everyone!:beer: