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Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue May 03, 05 5:53 pm Post subject:
Bump, and I've added most of the comments and links. I've left out the human activator as I'm aiming the article at new people and that may put some off. I can, of course, be included in the more in depth composting for the veg plot article. Any other comments of links?

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Tue May 03, 05 6:47 pm Post subject:

No factual quibbles. A couple of typos: "one the ground" and "if the compost is to be used on to help grow".
Its a good introduction. Something that could benefit from more discussion is judging the correct moisture content.
Small heaps are cooler, and rot slower, because of their larger surface in proportion to their volume. Small heaps can be insulated to accelerate their work. (Straw-stuffed pallets, etc).
I tear tea bags open.
The smaller that things are cut up, the quicker they'll rot down.
Because small heaps are slower, this chopping (or ideally shredding) is particularly important for small heaps.
For a small (uninsulated) heap, emptying the bin, mixing and refilling may be essential to get adequate composting of the material that was around the edges. This can also help when a heap has gone wrong - eg as a result of an overdose of grass cuttings or leaves going on.
Its more than twice as good to have two heaps! Not sure this deserves to be under problems! If fresh material is being added to a single heap, the only way of 'harvesting' compost produced is going to be extracting it from the base...
Partially rotted material is a great way of kick starting the process - so if one can extract material from a hatch at the bottom of a plastic bin, putting some of the "bottom stuff" in at the top is a simple way of "turning" the heap.
Its a useful article already.

pricey

Joined: 28 Feb 2005
Posts: 6444

Posted: Tue May 03, 05 7:00 pm Post subject:
Me and me bros heap is a double made from 5 pallets that form a E SHAPE, all normal stuff in 1 side, chichen poo in the other. Every now and then we move the poo to the other side and mix it in a bit. Works for us just fine, and we use recycled beer and wiskey

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed May 04, 05 8:38 am Post subject:

dougal wrote:

If fresh material is being added to a single heap, the only way of 'harvesting' compost produced is going to be extracting it from the base...

Not a quibble - all the above information is great. But does anyone have a recommendation for a proprietary compost bin from which it is actually possible to remove the compost from the hatch at the bottom. I have tried many different types, and I always find that the force of the compost bulging out, prevents the little hatch being opened - I think without exception I have had to remove the bin altogether and then reassemble it.
Or is it just me?

Now I mainly use a 3-bay pallet edifice which is much more satisfactory, but I do have a couple of plastic composters on the go as well.

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Wed May 04, 05 11:30 am Post subject:
On a related note, has anyone used those compost bags for kitchen waste? They have started to introduce them round here, as they're going to introduce a green bin collection once a fortnight. I haven't seen one yet, but found ecover ones today, and wonder if they have other uses (as a compost bucket works just fine in this house!)

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed May 04, 05 11:37 am Post subject:

Judith wrote:

But does anyone have a recommendation for a proprietary compost bin from which it is actually possible to remove the compost from the hatch at the bottom.

Two of the bins we have have have a hatch that can be removed. It's not large enough for the compost to be easily removed though but I can open them to see how it's coming along.

I've not seen the compost bags WW, are you meant to throw the whole thing on the heap then?

Res

Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 1172
Location: Allotment Shed, Harlow

Posted: Thu May 05, 05 5:46 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

A specially designed kitchen waste bin is very useful. It has a lid and can be kept just outside the back door so you will not have to make daily trips to the main compost bin.

I keep a plastic novelty 'dustbin' outside the door, it was sold as a waste paper basket and has a lid with two handles that come up and over the edge to clamp the lid down. Keeps the flies off brilliantly

Res

Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 1172
Location: Allotment Shed, Harlow

Posted: Thu May 05, 05 5:55 pm Post subject:

I am also trying an experiment to heat the shed using the compost, as the bin backs onto the corrigated plastic of the shed. I am still struggling to get the heap to 'heat up'. I currently have it filled up with fresh horse manure in wood shavings. It was steaming away nicely at the stables but does not seem to be heating, never mind steaming, even with CAB's activator!!!

I think I need to have it all out and give it a good mix up and incorporate some 'green' stuff and see how that goes.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Thu May 05, 05 6:00 pm Post subject:
In our ideal home we'd like a couple of donkeys, their compost contribution being on of the many reasons.

Res

Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 1172
Location: Allotment Shed, Harlow

Posted: Thu May 05, 05 6:04 pm Post subject:

Treacodactyl wrote:

In our ideal home we'd like a couple of donkeys, their compost contribution being on of the many reasons.

If you had donkeys, you could try out Gavins 'lazy beds' for your potatos!

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Wed Jun 29, 05 6:36 pm Post subject:

Well after a few months and a bit of turning the article is now published. Thanks for all the comments, most of which have been added to the heap.

If there are any other comments or links please post away and they can be added to the article which can be found here: https://www.downsizer.net/Projects/Growing_your_own/Basic_home_composting/

I would also like help with a few more articles (hints, tips and someone to write 'em):

Advanced composting - Perhaps building a bin, making very good compost etc

Liquid manures - Comfrey, Nettles etc

Worm Bins

Anything else.

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 06 7:58 pm Post subject:
My son has a pet rat - does anyone think there would there be any problem adding the used bedding to the compost heap? It's just woodshavings, rat's do doos and uneaten food, no artificial bedding, but we were worried it may attract rats to the bin?? They're going to find it eventually anyway, but we don't want to put a sign up

wellington womble

Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Posts: 15051
Location: East Midlands

Posted: Mon Jan 02, 06 9:30 pm Post subject:

I think I've heard it mentioned that woodshavings take a long time to rot down, but as far as rats doings go, they should be fine, as long as the said rat is a vegetarian (All the rats I have been aquainted with will eat anything at all, but I don't know what you're sposed to feed pet rats)

I can volunteer a lot of ways not to set up a worm bin, and can write a learn from my mistakes article, but it is a bit negative. Having said that, I guess learning from someone elses mistakes it a lot more positive than making them again yourself!

Blue Sky

Joined: 30 Jan 2005
Posts: 7658
Location: France

Posted: Tue Jan 03, 06 9:21 am Post subject:

wellington womble wrote:

I can volunteer a lot of ways not to set up a worm bin, and can write a learn from my mistakes article, but it is a bit negative. Having said that, I guess learning from someone elses mistakes it a lot more positive than making them again yourself!

I used the simple method shown HERE to start our worm-composter off and it has been working well since last April.

I would recommend this link as a good starting point for anybody interested in worm compost.

It is good for kitchen waste but of course, a pig is much better on a grander scale

https://www.troubleatmill.com/wormbin.htm

Have fun, S

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Jan 03, 06 10:20 am Post subject:

Penny wrote:

My son has a pet rat - does anyone think there would there be any problem adding the used bedding to the compost heap? It's just woodshavings, rat's do doos and uneaten food, no artificial bedding, but we were worried it may attract rats to the bin?? They're going to find it eventually anyway, but we don't want to put a sign up

When we had a hamster, we used to put her used bedding onto the compost heap. Went okay, but sometimes the wood shavings lingered a bit.

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