Starting a Compost Bin (Merged Thread)

ampersand

V_Chic_Chick wrote: »

You could always just build one yourself for free from pallets

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Just what I was going to suggest.
They work brilliantly.

nodwah

I'm dredging this one up as I was fairly happy with getting my compost and bokashi bins though they weren't that fast, but yeaterday I got 2 separate letters saying that they haven't collected payment ( I ordered away back in the spring)and the card details I gave them are now expired. This is so poor i 'm bloomin mad, they're going to get a strongly worded letter but what else can I do? They really can't expect people to move over to more recycling if this is the example, people want the same sort of service that they get in the private sector.

kittenpea

recycle - get it off freecycle like i did!!

elantan

i ordered from waste aware scotland myself ihave some of the order but not all still waiting on the compost bins but it did say on the web site it would be 60 days so i am expecting that ...i'm now looking into wormeries i'm thinking the can o worms can anyone reccomend it ?

nodwah

We made our own wormery out of a plastic bin, takes a lot more stuff than a can o worms does.

elantan

how would you do that ...can you explain please

nodwah

All we did was get an plastic bin with a well fitting lid from B+Q. Put 2 bricks in the bottom and fitted a tap on the bottom. Then made a circle of wire mesh to fit over the bricks and another circle of black landscape fabric on top of that, this lets the fluid come out but not the compost. Then just get some worms from the fishing tackle shop and start filling up with veg peelings. Give the worms somewhere to live in like some shredded paper shoved to one side and they'll eat up the veg for you. Treat them like pets and feed them regularly but not too much - it may get a bit manky if you overfill with stuff and they can't quite cope. My DH rummages around for the worms for fishing and we get big juicy ones. When it starts getting a bit full I tip it out and get the good compost and anything that's not been digested I put back in and try to get all the worms back in too. ( you might want to wear rubber gloves but I'm not that fussy!)
The worms don't seem to like anything oniony or citrussy but they like other fruits and peelings.

I saw a can o worms in action at the holiday cottage we went to this year and I wasn't that impressed! I filled one layer in a few days and I didn't think you got a lot of compost out of it, but i admit it's a bit easier to operate.

I have ordinary compost bin s and a bokashi on the go as well as you can't over feed the worms and so need another place to put your stuff too.

Give it a go on a small scale and see if you like it as not everyone likes the worms ( and actually my DH is allergic to them)>

elantan

thanks that sounds much cheaper than the can 0 worms idea ...i have ordered two waste aware compost bins as well so i was planing on just using the worms as a kindve top up...although from what i have read (and please correct me if i am wrong) you can give the worms cooked foods but you cant put cooked foods into the compost bin so i was thinking of giving the cooked stuff to the worms ...as you can probably tell i am all very very new to this and need tonnes of advice etc was thinking if starting a diary on here but not too sure if this would be acceptable or not ...thanks again for your help

nodwah

Not sure elantan, I've never put cooked food into the worms, only the bokashi bin.

In_for_a_Bargain

Have got ourselves a compost bin this year, to try and do our bit for environment. It is nearly full , but there are hundreds of tiny little fly things in the bin and around it. They are also coming in on the washing I am pegging on line. Does anybody know what these are and what can be done to get rid of them. Hubby says that they will die off soon when weather gets colder. Thing is I don't want to have to keep washing in house I want to make most of any dry days that we might still have over next few weeks, but can't do with them in house as well. Any suggestions???