@JoeX I've no experience of composting In a dalek bin and they are a very different route to my large set up. The laurel does work brilliantly in my large bins, as with many things there are different ways to compost
I tried composting them - not in a dalek - but the things never seemed to die, let alone compost! I had a mountain of branches and leaves at the back of my garden for a year.
My wood chipper couldnt shred them when they were fresh or later as most remained too flexible and green, they just clogged it up. 😅
Eventually I stripped and stacked them into the brown bin for collection over several weeks to be finally rid!
Re: laurel, I also had issues with the shredder clogging up with leaves. In the end I just left the branches in piles to dry out/go brown and then when I was bored during lockdown 1.0 I sat outside and picked off all the leaves individually and crushed them up in to a separate bag by hand
They're still sat in that bag and I'll add to next year's pile.
I know it's better to have multiple larger bins but gotta work with the space we've got! Bless-ed are those with mansions and acres.
I don't have a shredder so can't comment but I do mow everything, I'd lay the laurel on the lawn and mow it up anything too large to mow would go on the wood pile. I do have a big powerful mower and in all honesty it gets a whole heap of hammer, all my hedge cuttings go through it and the neighbours and in-laws I generally get it all close together so makes for a lot of material in 1 go
Unless you have space for very large compost heaps and are able to shred the laurel first I would not try to compost it (and I compost or turn into leaf mould most plant material) but put it in the Council bin if you have one, or take it to the tip. Big, tough evergreen leaves are very difficult to rot down unless you leave them for years or have a large enough heap which gets really hot.
I wish I'd bought a proper compost fork before now, it's made turning so much easier than using a garden fork. Only cheap on Amazon (probably because it is pink). I made my 2 bins using 7 pallets. While the full one is rotting down this winter I'll line the other side with plastic to prevent rot Even though they're outside I do water each layer with hose (and P.)
Its been four years and Ive never got anything like crumbly anything, let alone christmas cake, people talk of.
Ive just emptied two daleks (yes I tried an open heap before, see 2019) and one was too dry and all roots(on the left from 2019), this years not doing much, one maybe two worms in total and lots of grass clumps.
I managed to mix them up and pack them into a single dalek.
Pulled out loads of knotweed tendrils first though.
is it time to give up?
And October 2021 I am finally done with this comparing malarkey. I did finally get okay garden compost from the 2019 batch recombined in 2020 but two years is a ridiculous time and waste of space so I’ve emptied my bins and my useless leaf mould on to my beds now and… …I am done with it!
I feel like a massive 5 year gardening burden has been taken off my shoulders 😄
Started composting 1 year ago with 2 Square plastic bins. Initially thought I would do leaf mould but the thought of something taking 2 years seemed too long. Seems despite mowing the leaves, adding the water, grass, veg, compost accelarant etc it is in my bins and garden a 2+year process too. Your perseverance is commendable don't give up. What else would you do with the daleks and grass clippings! 😉 😁
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My wood chipper couldnt shred them when they were fresh or later as most remained too flexible and green, they just clogged it up. 😅
Eventually I stripped and stacked them into the brown bin for collection over several weeks to be finally rid!
Goes like leather when dry!
finally done with this comparing malarkey. I did finally get okay garden compost from the 2019 batch recombined in 2020 but two years is a ridiculous time and waste of space so I’ve emptied my bins and my useless leaf mould on to my beds now and…
…I am done with it!
I feel like a massive 5 year gardening burden has been taken off my shoulders 😄
Now does anyone want three huge Daleks? 🤣