Compost bin insulation
Fire
Posts: 19,096
Hi all,
does any of you insulate their small compost bin / darlek? I have a small bin (less than a metre square) which does not get hot, even with manure added. It can't. It's too small. It is slated and matter takes six months to a year to become soil - with turning etc.
I also have two smaller regular black plastic rubbish bins which work faster - partly because the are easier to turn / monitor and partly because they are sealed/warmer - with a regular rubbish bin lid on top. I add garden soil, worms from other bins etc and they are teaming with life - probably more visible than the open bins. They are on a similar three months food to soil cycle that the Hot Bin advertises. We have a local rat problem so I put food waste in the sealed rubbish bins (with carbons) and garden waste in the big slatted bins.
I see recommendations for bin duvets (made or bought). It would be easy enough to make, sewing up weed membrane and stuffing with old bubble wrap / old polystyrene Quavers (I can't believe companies still use this stuff). I even have some old insulation board from a building project.
For those of us with tiny spaces to put bins in, it would see to make entire sense to insulate them, people people rarely seem to. This is essentially what a hotbox composter is - which costs a fortune. I am trying to generate all my own compost for my (small) garden's needs without having to bring much extra resources in - a la permaculture principles. It's certainly doable, now that the basics of the garden systems are established.
Thoughts on insulation please.
Posts
I try wrapping my three plastic dalek bins with old fleece and/or bubblewrap over the winter to keep them warmer, not sure if it works though as the little red worms disappear underground when it gets cold outside I thought. In the summer with full sun, I don't bother.
Thanks. I'm struck that the HotBin says you can add dog waste and meat to the bin efficiently, even though it's just a polystyrene box. Even for large compost heaps the advice is not to add pet waste or meat....