Hi,
ive got one of them big arse compost bins, and have a few questions on the whole making ya own, right first of all it doesnt have a bottom, is it meant to be like this so the the stuff init decomposes properly. also how long does it all take to properly decompose.
and for the stuff ya put init can you keep it in a plastic box till ya ready to start puttin it in the big bin.
ive been puttin stuff like egg shells, t bags, fruit, banana skins, roots from plants, dead plants, vegtables, stuff like that, is that right, also do i need to chop like bad apples up or do i just chuck em in. i read you have to put paper in it too, ow much am i meant to put in, just bits?

i appologise for all the questions, obviously i am going to research into it properly, but like to know people experiences and advice aswell.

Thanks, Mucho appreciated
Dan

takes a few months to 6 months.


Get a wormery to go with your composter

put veggie uncooked waste , paper like egg boxes, egg shells, grass cuttings airate with newspaper scrunched up
leave somewhere were sun can hit it at sometime in the day, to warm it up.

Do not or ever put weeds in your compost like dandelions etc.

keep adding as and when make a hook to lift and airate

worms will arrive chuck an overripe banana in whole and see whats inside after a few weeks

brandlings will come through from the ground underneath along with the worms.

thanks for quick responses, thought egg boxes would of bin too thick, chucked a few of them, for grass cuttings shall a not put loads in or wont it matter cos a av a big arse lawn which a could put the cuttings in when a cut it. am glad ya said bout weeds cos a would of done that, what about the green bits on ened of spring onions an that, thats like weed init? oh and a puffin, wats a wormery


Thanks
Dan

Hiya Danlad,

I started doing my own compost in January and now it is looking like a very nice compost, but from what I have researched, you should now leave it for another 6 months to ferment and then by next January it will be ready to use. Keep the composter on the ground, so the worms can make there way in to the bin, but do not dig the soil over before placing the bin in it's final place, just remove any grass or weeds and a way you go. To do a good job, I would leave it until the same time next year, so 12 months at least for healthy compost, but you could take the compost from the centre of the bin, every couple of weeks or months, depending on how efficient your composting skills are. If you are going to keep it in a plastic box for future use, then why not just leave it in the compost bin, if you are filling the bin again, then pile it up in a corner and cover it with sheeting, I think the compost will die if kept in a box with no air to circulate around it for a long time. weeks in a box is ok, but months is not. Don't chop the apples up or fruit, just lay it on the surface and the bacteria will soon make a meal of it. Every thing you have mention is ok, but be careful what plant roots you are adding, because some weeds/plants can regenerate from just a peice of root left in the compost. The compost has to generate a lot of heat to kill all the weeds and seeds completely, that is why you need to turn you compost over regular.

If you look on the gardeners world web site, there are are few short video's on making your own compost, but also do some research on 420, coz there is loads of great info for making compost.

I use all uncooked veg and any other kitchen scraps, but no meat at all and no pet waste from cats, dogs or any carrniverous animal, waste from pet rabbits or horses is great to add to your compost bin. Some weeds are ok to add to your compost, but unless you no exactly which one's are ok to add, other wise burn all weeds or you will end up with a lot of weeds in your compost. I read that for every weed that flowers and drops it's seeds in your garden, then those seeds can germinate any time for the next 7 years in your compost or garden. So burn them.

I also add any compost that I have used and mix it in with every thing else. If you intend to add add any wood cuttings to the compost, which is very good for water retention, but has no nutritional value, you must put the wood through a shredder, other wise it will take years to rot down, unless it was alreadt very rooten when it was added to the compost. Saw dust is great to add. Do not add the main stalks from brocolli, cabbage, sprouts or any other veg that have a very strong main stalk because they will take years to break down, bin them coz they don't burn. Cardboard than has no shiney surfaces is great to add, it helps to keep the compost nice and moist, never add tap water, only rain water. Never let the compost get to wet or to dry, either will kill the compost. Do not add any citrus fruit, onion or garlic, beleive it or not, it drives the worms a way and that will be very bad for the structure and nutritional value of the end product. The more worms you have in the compost bin better the compost will be, but make sure there is good drainage for them. Do not add to many suculents like soft fruit or tomatoes, if to many are added all at once, they might turn to sludge and that will kill the worms. I like to add approximately 3 inch of fruit and veg, then 3 inch of grass cuttings, then 3 inch of dead rooted leaves, cover it with cardboard or an old carpet and then a board over the top of that to keep the rain from flooding the compost. I will leave it for a few days, the warmer the weather, the quicker it will rot down. Then I will dig all the compost out of the compost bin and then put it all back in, mixing it all well as I fill it back up. I would not add to much in the winter as it is easy for it to turn to sludge. I add dead grass that I let dry out completely and add this hay with any fruit or veg I'm adding. Just try to keep the greens and browns in equal amounts, to much grass and greens will give it to much nitrogen and to many browns like woody type material will seriously lower the nutritional value, but is essential for water retention. You could also add some horticultural grit (washed or sharp sand) to help with drainage, if the compost is to sticky and does not break up easilly, do not use building sand, it has to much salt and will certainly kill your plants.

Because you are just starting out, I would advise against starting a worm farm just yet, but they are an excellent addage to your compost bin, but need a lot of looking after and the corerect conditions for them to work to full potential and they are quite expensive to buy at the begining and they also need feed ing until the compost is good enough to keep them, so there is quite a lot to think about before spending approximately £100 to just get you started.

The correct way to be self sustaining with compost is to have 4 compost bins, each one approximately 4 foot square by 4 foot high and then as one is filled, you start to fill the second and so on, untill all the compost bins are full. By this time it should have taken 4 years and the first one you filled is ready to be used, when the first one is empty, you move to the second and so on and as the first one is emptied, then you start to fill it again and the whole process starts again. I hope this method of composting makes sense to you, but it is a long term venture for the avid composter.

Any way I hope some of this will benefit you and good look with your composting, it really is common sense really when adding some thing to the compost bin, if when it is rotting it could pose any type of health risk, like meat or dog poo, then don't add it if your not totally comfortable with adding it. It's best to be safe than sorry. There are loads of very bright people on 420 who will be very happy to help and advise.
GG

As has been said, plenty of gardening sites to research on the subject.

I add weeds to my compost bins, just the tops of perennials though (even with seeds as the temperature the compost reaches will cook them). Perennial roots I throw into a bucket of water and let them stew for a few months. You can include them in the compost bin though if you bash them to a pulp with a hammer, for example. I do the same with anything big like cabbage stalks, to help them break down more quickly.

Have a read on carbon/nitrogen ratio to get an understanding on why you should mix 'greens' and 'browns. Grass cuttings are fine, but they need mixing with other materials to stop them turning to sludge.