I use a dalek too, never turn it, takes 1 year to get compost. I put in fruit and veg. Peelings, torn teabags, empty toilet rolls, if I think of it I tear newspapers into strips and add that too, crushed egg shells, deadheaded flowers, grass cuttings, water when dry........seems to do most decomposition during winter months, barrows full of compost for using in Spring. Don't overthink it, don't put too much grass clippings in in one go...... don't give up
Does anyone keep turning their compost throughout winter and/or keeping adding new material in? I have a lot of browns and think that my heap would benefit from having vegetable scraps added in.
I add kitchen waste (veg only + cardboard) on a twice weekly basis to my daleks (have 3 at various stages. Earlier this year I wrapped them all in old fleece/bubblewrap which seems to have worked a treat as a lot more worms are in the current one. I only very occaisionly turn them and then it's easier as others have said, to lift the top off and then mix it on the ground before piling it in back again.
I have two heaps. In the first I put all my compostable material until the bin is full ,then I turn it out, mix it up and put it in the second bin which I leave alone or turn once or twice, until it is ready to use. I then start filling the first bin again.....
I don't have a compost heap but save my kitchen waste for my daughter's bins. She loves the stuff I give her as it is mostly wet teabags so is a contrast for her mainly dry stuff. It helps that we are prodigious tea drinkers!!!
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
Well, I am a lockdown composter, so I started in March. All waste is shredded with a lawnmower before going in, plus I added last year's leaf fall. I was hoping to have a full batch ready for Autumn mulching, but no such luck. I managed to take some of the more decomposed material from the middle of the heap and put into a round bin, which I then rolled around every week or so, adding water or greens occasionally. It was full of worms and turned out great - it went on part of the border a couple of months ago. Nowhere near enough for the whole garden though, so whatever is left in the bin I am hoping will be ready by spring if I turn it regularly over winter...?
It's not a dalek type, it's a 300L square one. When I first started I didn't water every layer so the bottom half is quite dry. Every now and again I take some stuff out the bottom, put it back in the top and water. As the volume decreases I have been adding new material (vegetables) and mixing every few weeks.
The problem with adding bits is that the new material has to start the rotting process from scratch. If you want a finished batch of compost you are best to let it get on with the job without additions. Turning it, mixing it up, chopping up any lumps all helps. A lot depends on the space you have available, but two bins are better than one, if you can fit them in.
@delski - your finished compost sounds great. A lot of people have three or more bins on the go, so that you can put one to bed (with occasional turning) and it will all be ready to use at the same time. I have two rubbish bins and a Hot Box. One is full of ready to use compost, one is for filling up and one is full and wrapped up for winter. I transfer brandlings, a bit of garden soil and a bit of made compost to new bins to get them going.
Ayup @JoeX I began my composting adventure in 2018, when we moved into a new house. I began using a dalek and got exactly the same poor results that you describe, just turning out a pile of dry leaves and grass with zero worms. Too dry, not enough moisture. Thanks to the input and advice of the knowledgeable folks here, I then constructed 2 pallet bins of about 1m3 each, which I lined with old cushionfloor. I cover with a square of old carpet. Into these bins goes all fresh kitchen waste, teabags, grass cuttings thro summer and any cuttings and pruning material that comes off the garden, plus brown and corrugated cardboard, any old compost and surplus garden soil occasionally. I don't add woody or twiggy stuff as it doesn't break down quickly for me. I also do not add privet, holly or laurel hedge cuttings or evergreens, which unfortunately reduces the composting material available to me quite a bit. I also use the active bin for 'relief' whilst I am in the garden to save me trudging thru the house. I believe this is a great help to the heap, it is certainly a great help to me. I try to use my 2 bins much as @Posy says above, using one for filling and the other I leave full to cook. I turn the active one about once / month chopping up any large stems, leaves etc using garden shears. The other bin I rarely turn. I have by no means achieved perfect results yet, and I cannot seem to generate heat, but things are much improved and I get about 1/2 a bin of reasonably good compost per year now. As @Wilderbeast says, it can become addictive. Stick with it, it's satisfying when you do get good material out.
@owd potter why do you leave out the privet and laurel ? I always add such stuff after mowing and it breaks down brilliantly. In fact I ask my tree surgeon if he is doing any big any laurel jobs to call and he then will shred this straight into my trailer and I can fill an entire bin, it's brilliant it will heat up very fast and breaks down too an amazing mulch. Holly and Hawthorn go in too but only when summer cut so soft and always after being mown up twice. Keep on composting.
Posts
She loves the stuff I give her as it is mostly wet teabags so is a contrast for her mainly dry stuff.
It helps that we are prodigious tea drinkers!!!
I began my composting adventure in 2018, when we moved into a new house. I began using a dalek and got exactly the same poor results that you describe, just turning out a pile of dry leaves and grass with zero worms. Too dry, not enough moisture.
Thanks to the input and advice of the knowledgeable folks here, I then constructed 2 pallet bins of about 1m3 each, which I lined with old cushionfloor. I cover with a square of old carpet.
Into these bins goes all fresh kitchen waste, teabags, grass cuttings thro summer and any cuttings and pruning material that comes off the garden, plus brown and corrugated cardboard, any old compost and surplus garden soil occasionally. I don't add woody or twiggy stuff as it doesn't break down quickly for me. I also do not add privet, holly or laurel hedge cuttings or evergreens, which unfortunately reduces the composting material available to me quite a bit. I also use the active bin for 'relief' whilst I am in the garden to save me trudging thru the house. I believe this is a great help to the heap, it is certainly a great help to me.
I try to use my 2 bins much as @Posy says above, using one for filling and the other I leave full to cook. I turn the active one about once / month chopping up any large stems, leaves etc using garden shears. The other bin I rarely turn.
I have by no means achieved perfect results yet, and I cannot seem to generate heat, but things are much improved and I get about 1/2 a bin of reasonably good compost per year now.
As @Wilderbeast says, it can become addictive. Stick with it, it's satisfying when you do get good material out.