| Archive for Downsizer For an ethical approach to consumption |
| Green Rosie |
Green ConesWe were thinking about getting a Green Cone to get rid of the small amount of waste we can neither feed to the dog or compost. Has anyone got any experience of these? |
| tahir |
You might find these useful:
http://forum.downsizer.net/viewtopic.php?t=21160&highlight=green+cone http://forum.downsizer.net/viewtopic.php?t=2922&highlight=green+cone |
| Green Rosie |
Thanks for those links. There does seem to be some confusion between the cones and compost bins, I am definately after the cone for all those things we cannot compost. Hadn't realised we could put dog poo down - that would be a great help especially as our woofer eats sooooo much ........ |
| James |
I manage our greencones at work.
I have reservations regarding them: 1) they need a good depth of permeable soil to allow the leachate to soak away. This maintains an areobic system. If you have a clay soil, or a thin soil, or a high water table, it wont work (this has been confirmed with the manufacturers). 2) They fill up a lot faster than the manufacturers claim & dont break down as fast- maybe this was becuase we had a clay soil. 3) you cannot use the contents without taking the whole lot to pieces, digging it up and removing the contents. We have unfortunatly given up on our green cones, and gone for the cheaper, simpler option of straight forward composting. |
| Spruengli |
Ooo-err! That's a concern - we had a special deal from the local council, encouraging us to use them so have installed one in my flowerbed  (sunniest spot in the garden). We have clay soil, and I have been trying to convince myself that the thing has been working.... but without complete success  The instructions do talk about clay and suggest that you adapt what you do (we dug a bigger hole and added rubble for drainage..)
I suppose time will tell! |
| Cardinal Fang |
We've had a Green Cone for about two years now. We put it in the middle of our herb bed. This is in full sun.
Pros 1. All the food waste etc can go in there, even bones, and ultimately they rot down. 2. The leachate seems to be working really well, as the herb bed is positively burgeoning, and things like my usually weedy tarragon is far quicker growing now. Mind you, we have good permeable soil. Cons 1. For a family of four, it does fill up a lot quicker than the manufacturers claim. Right now, ours is full, and it'll be a couple of weeks until I can top it up (suitable waste goes in the ordinary compost bins during these hiatuses). 2. Its pretty slow in Winter (obvious really) 3. It don't half pong when you open the top to put stuff in. Seems worse than a normal compost bin. 4. Bit of a pain to dig into the subsoil to start with. Overall, glad I got one though. |
| mooominmama |
please help,what can we do about the fruit flies?? we've ordered some chemical free spray, but while we wait they're sooo annoying, you cant even have a sip of wine without finding 3 in yr glass..! plus its quite expensive, are we just going to have to keep spraying them forever?? |
| dougal |
IMHO, those uv lamp plus high voltage zapper things are desirable, and certainly preferable to spraying anything around people or animals.
I'm afraid that I'm a bit of a cynic regarding expensive magic "green" products like these cones. They may well be rat-proof (allowing the incorporation of food residues). But... ... are they otherwise different to other composters? Are the conditions inside (temperature, humidity, air movement) really significantly different to other plastic composters? And IF they really are more effective, (breaking down bone??), wouldn't that be down to continual addition of the bacterial starter? (I note that this is £7+ for 3x 60g sachets...) What a pity that the active flora aren't self sustaining, and that they should require constant topping up with this expensive and proprietary consumable. Or am I being TOO cynical? |
| Chez |
Why can't one just dig a hole in an appropriate place, lid it and fill it, without the cone-bit? |
| Green Rosie |
Rats digging in? |
| James |
you can.
There's a very similar technique called "trench composting". Allthough the link below shows a nice long trench full of stuff, I've heard of people digging a deep hole, keeping the soil to one side, then when thats half full extending the hole away from it to make a short trench, using the excavated soil to cover over the stuff you've just put into the hole. For example, at the end of each day, you'd dig a spades width of hole, using the soil to cover that days green waste, and allowing a hole for the start of tomorows waste production. You need a lot of space with this method, though. http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/todo_now/faqs.php?id=93 |