Compost Bin

[Andy Hamilton]

Can I put cigarette butts and ash in the compost?

No to butts, yes to ash, although I would put the ash straight onto the soil.

[hedgewitch]

My bin's full up all ready!!
I'm gonna need 5 or 6 at this rate.

[Mandyz]

We just picked up our free outdoor compost bin today. In Canada almost every municipality offers a free bin to each household. So, now that we have a house we got a bin :)
It is an open bottomed bin, so the worms can make their own way in.

I currently have a vermicompost bin indoors with red wrigglers. It is a very efficient bin - it takes care of my kitchen waste quickly, saving it from the trash and turning it into lovely compost. But it's not nearly big enough to provide compost for my garden. I suppose I could have started a larger worm bin, but I didn't have a garden.

Earlier this month I also started some compost out in the sun in a black garbage bag. By the time the ground is ready for sowing that bag should have composted. I think this year we will avail ourselves of the free compost offered by the municipality on May 13th.

One thing I thought of when I saw your compost bin was that if you cut out the bottom entirely and attached something like a large-holed screen to the bottom then you could harvest the finished compost that falls through.
And if you use a plastic bin underneath you could gather the compost water, which is also good for fertilizer.
A compost pile should take less than a year to fully compost.

[ina]

I think this year we will avail ourselves of the free compost offered by the municipality on May 13th.

Does that happen in any other places, too - I mean free compost? It does in Germany - last time I went, they just happened to be handing it out, so my aunt was glad to have me there with the car to pick up a load. You had to bring your own containers and shovels, but they even helped us loading up.

[Goodlife1970]

Thats a fantastic idea! I dont know of anything comparable here,although there may be a forward thinking council somewhere,Id be interested to know. Regarding the erm,other issue,knowing how fellas like to pee outdoors,I often ask them to use the compost heap,seems I shouldve been asking the ladies too,equal rights and all!

[Mandyz]

Regarding the erm,other issue,knowing how fellas like to pee outdoors,I often ask them to use the compost heap

I'm not sure if I want DH peeing in the composter... So I don't think I'll mention this to him.
Thinking about it... I probably could sit on the top of our composter...
Of course, now that we lost the tree that gave us privacy I'm even less likely to do this. We're on the top of a hill, so all below could see.

[Millymollymandy]

Our rubbish company offers compost bins at €15 each. They are a greeny plastic and quite smart. We managed to get two more yesterday. I now have about 7 compost bins and 5 huge pallet bins for horse manure. Still isn't enough of course but I'm getting there! (oh and not to mention about 6 cubic metres of leaf mould bins made from chicken wire)

[hedgewitch]

One thing I thought of when I saw your compost bin was that if you cut out the bottom entirely and attached something like a large-holed screen to the bottom then you could harvest the finished compost that falls through.
And if you use a plastic bin underneath you could gather the compost water, which is also good for fertilizer.

GREAT ideas mandz, thanks.

Free compost bins is such a good idea, more councils should take example from this.

[elfcurry]

I'm not sure if I want DH peeing in the composter... So I don't think I'll mention this to him.

Please tell him!

When I moved into this house my Dad visited to help sort out the garden and I was apalled when he said he was going behind the shed instead of using my indoor plumbing like 'civilised' people!

A couple of years ago I went to a recording of BBC Radio 4's Gardeners Question Time, when a question was asked by a woman who disapproved of her husband peeing on compost. The (male) team members were very positive and said they do it. To see how common it was, they asked the audience and lots of people put their hands up.

More recently, I went to some event where Adam Hart-Davis was the guest speaker and he mentioned using a straw bale urinal and I asked him about it afterwards. So now I use mine and I'm in good company!

It's a shame to throw it away as it's good for compost and when diluted, the nutrients are good for many plants. There's no smell or health problem, it avoids flushing it away with drinking water thus saving money.

See: http://www.geocities.com/impatients63/F ... ilizer.htm

[Mandyz]

I'm not sure if I want DH peeing in the composter... So I don't think I'll mention this to him.

Please tell him!

Strange that this should arrive the day after I did mention it to OH ;) and he gleefully agreed to do this.
Granted, he'll actually have to go outside! lol
But he's turning it from now on!

[Ranter]

My local authority provides subsidised compost bins & sells cheap bags of compost, produced from the garden waste taken to the city tips (sorry, Domestic Recycling Centres). The compost is usually advertised on buses, but I haven't noticed them - the adverts - this year.

Then again, that could just be my eyesight.....

[elfcurry]

I'm glad you told him Mandyz. 8)

I just spotted a BBC page (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4753331.stm) which reports attempts to encourage urban wormeries and composting.

Some people commenting on that page had trouble with rats in their compost. Anyone here had that problem or is it due to poor practise?

[Wormella]

I was about to post that link elf curry!

I want a tabletop wormbin - it's on my birthday list.

[hedgewitch]

So, I started my bin in February and I used the compost this weekend!
It's a gorgeous rich smelling soil. I'm surprised at how quick it all decomposed though!!??
At least now I've got some space in the bin so that I can start adding more waste.

[greatexpectations]

I made three bins, two out of extra cinder blocks from the corner of the yard, and one out of a large wire mesh used to reinforce concrete. I stuck the fork in this morning and was delighted to see a plume of steam coming off of the hot material. Should I wait to turn it until things cool off inside?
Ben