Compost Help!

[Ben1971]

Hi all. About three or more years ago I aquired a compost bin from the local council. I filled it with a mix of lawn clippings, veg peelings and small twigs, non perenial weeds etc. It's still full and I've never been able to use any of it as it's just dry material that hasn't rotted down very much at all. I now have chickens and have when I muck them out I put the wood shavings and chicken muck mixture on the top. I no longer have any room left in the bin for any more wate.

Any tips please???

I have heard of "Garotter" is this any good?

I would like to use home made compost on my new raised veg beds. The only thing I can use at the moment is bought compost and the top layer of soil from the chicken coop.

Thanks in advance,

Ben

[Rosendula]

Hi Ben,

Two things: first, apart from the small twigs, you haven't had enough 'brown' material - things like shredded bark, straw, paper - my mind's gone blank but someone will shout up, I'm sure. Secondly, with so much 'green' stuff and not enough brown you would expect it to turn into a slimy, stinky mess. You've avoided this by keeping it so dry. Unfortunately, it's not going to rot down if it's that dry.

My suggestion would be to tip it all out and restack it. If it's standing on earth, rather than concrete, turn over the soil a bit to encourage the worms to come up, and stand the bin on top of that. After that start refilling, but this time do a layer of your green stuff (by the way, I'm pretty sure chicken poo is 'green stuff'), then a layer of brown. Green, brown, green, brown.....
And give it a good soaking. Dig up some worms, or buy some and chuck them on the top. Any slugs or woodlice you find can be put to work in there as well. It wouldn't hurt to put the odd layer of garden soil in there as it will be full of the right microbes and creepy crawlies, but don't worry if you don't have room.

If you're really struggling to get it all in, store some of it in a sack for a couple of weeks until the level has dropped a bit. Also, if you can't fit in any more of your lovely chicken poo, try making it into a fertilizer I asked how to on this thread but unfortunately I keep knocking it over and having to start again

[pelmetman]

Hi Ben,
Sounds like you have got one those Dalek type bins, best thing to do is to turn your compost on a regular basis, I prefer to have two bins next to each other so that as soon as one is full I turn it into the other. But dont forget to add water if it is dry, I tend to use a natural Garotta called pee

[Ben1971]

Thanks you two. Yes it's a Dalek type thing. It does seem to be too dry and definately not turned to sludge. I remember putting in some big clods of turf from someone elses garden in there so im sure there would be worms. It is sitting on earth. I don;t really have room for 2 bins at the moment. I will empty and refill it, water it and I will try weeing in it. I hope the neighbours don't see me

[Jessiebean]

I can testify to the wee method but I used a jar to transport it as being a lady person who can sometimes be prone to falling over I thought the prospect of trying to balance on the top of my compost heap (slippery and unstable) was a bit too daunting, esp. as the locals who drop by to say hullo generally just charge straight through the back gate rather than knocking on the front door...
would be hard to explain with dignity if I was caught!

[Ben1971]

Jessiebean......

Had a route around in the bin this morning and have found some useable compost mixted in with bits of unrotted conifer and still formed turf. Just sifted that out and placed back on the top. Have also watered it. Not done the wee wee bit yet.

There were 2 old rhubarb crowns that I thought had had it so threw them in last year, actually growing near the top just the same as forced rhubarb with long stems and tiny leaves !!! Thats how much the compost bin is not rotting down. Planted them outside now

[pelmetman]

Don't put conifer cuttings on your compost, it will never rot down. The same goes for bay, holly and eucalyptus leaves. What we try to do is as soon as Dave has cut the lawns I get weeding so we can alternate the grass clipping with bulkier stuff inbetween. Don't forget all your kitchen waste. I think Rosey mentioned about paper, newspaper is great on the compost just rip it up and pour water over it. Loo rolls (if not being used for seedlings) can all go on.

[SaveSomeGreen]

Hey there, First post and all that so please be gentle with me.

I run a business encouraging everybody to live a greener lifestyle and composting is one of the best ways.

Wee is a winner no doubt about it... it will help to 'activate' the compost and provides lost of lovely nitrates which will be grand for your compost. I would be keen to recommend using wee as opposed to any shop bought accelerator. Its also a very green thing to do (I rarely pee in the house anymore)

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg1 ... tml?page=1
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007 ... 975072.htm

If you fancy knowing more...

anyway back to compost

Chicken poo again is top dollar, with plent of poo and presumably sawdust/straw you will put in loads of lovely nutrient which the worms will go bonkers for (my 16 or so hens are making my allotement a fine and wonderful place to be) however Chickens produce a fair old bit of waste, it can be better to either put the chicken waste straight on to the soil for a couple of weeks and dig it over and then use the enriched soil to grow from.
It can also be a perfectly good mix of greens and browns (poo and sawdust ya see)

Either way turning is always the best way to get things moving, I turn mine at least once a month and it really does make a huge difference.

http://www.savesomegreen.co.uk/pages.php?pageid=17 has a pretty good composting page

If you are running low on space then perhaps throw your food waste to the hens, I put all my weeds and anything I dig out of the ground to the hens. Left over brassica stalks and peelings, everything. The hens will pick anything useful off it, green or wriggly and with the picking and scratching help to break up the item for adding into compost after. It also makes the yolks incredibly bright and yellow, improving the taste even further.

Hope that helps,

Good luck with it

James

[red]

welcome

[Green Aura]

Hi ssg and welcome to Ish

If you go to the welcome section you can let us know a bit more about yourself and we can welcome you properly.

We're quite a friendly bunch

[SaveSomeGreen]

Bless you guys..

Very sweet of you... updated and well more to come I guess..

although I have been charged with looking after my little man and the neighbours to grandkids, good lads who now know not to prod the lovely new tadpoles in my lovely newly established pond... bless the inquisitive and lively little buggers :D

back soon to read up and all that

[snapdragon]

keep a watering can in the shed (or somewhere equally appropriate) to wee into, then you can add it to your compost whenever you like.
Does sound like it needs watering as well though, I have one of those big cones (green johanna) from the council too but I dont have sufficient green waste to get it going properly, might have to beg next doors grass cuttings

[Nomada]

There were 2 old rhubarb crowns that I thought had had it so threw them in last year, actually growing near the top just the same as forced rhubarb with long stems and tiny leaves !!! Planted them outside now

Not much to add that hasn't already been said, I just wanted to say that this happened to me too! It's been moved to the front of the plot.

[Ben1971]

Nomanda, mine is looking a bit sorry for itself since I planted it out in the fresh air

Thanks to SSG and Snapdragon....... Good idea about weeing in my shed, as it will save me treading through the house when I'm gardening.

The compost bin has been emptied now. It wasn't actually that bad and I could use most of the contents as a mulch on my shrub border and raised veg beds. It just hadn't turned into a nice compost type consistency. There must have been a problem though as it's taken 3years or more to get to this stage.

Must get weeing in the watering can!

[pelmetman]

Don't forget by saving your pee your also saving the water you would use to flush the Loo