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Useless Compost Bin

NewBoy2NewBoy2 Posts: 1,813
in Problem solving
I have been giving a 74 yo lady with arthritis a hand on her plot getting it into shape for March.

She has been filling her bin up with grass with the soil attached so it will never produce any compost..............I made the same mistake on my plot so guidance please.

It is made of 3 x 4 foot pallets stood up on end and loosely connected by wire and is leaning at about 30 degrees.

My idea is to pull it down and spread the "contents " around and then get her a new one either from the interweb or re use the pallets.

For the first time she will be growing veg on about 80% of her plot and not just a few beans on a small area so she will be producing lots of greenery in August 2021






Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.

Posts

  • NewBoy2NewBoy2 Posts: 1,813
    I suppose the main question is what to do with the contents. I dont have an area I can shift it to.
    Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.
  • PalustrisPalustris Posts: 4,307
    Out of interest why do you think it won't rot down?
    I have a huge mound of turf (which is basically grass and roots) and that is slowly, admittedly, changing into usable top soil.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    edited December 2020
    There must be space in front of the compost pile so lay a sheet of plastic or cardboard and move as much of the contents as you can onto that so you can re-do the pallet construction.    Doesn't have to be a work of art, just needs to be solid enough to hold the composting materials.  Then fork back the contents, mixing in some shredded brown material - twigs, stems, leaves, cardboard - with the layers of grassy stuff.   Water well if dry and then cover it so it can build up some heat.

    Find room for a second bin if you can as it helps to have one "cooking" and one in use.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    Stack it grass side down.
    If it is difficult to tell due to it being in or on a compost heap/bin.
    I would leave it at the bottom unless it fills it.
    If it is still recognizable as turf surely it can be stacked in a neat heap if  you need the composting space in the bin?
    It only needs to be a couple of feet square. Cover it with tarp or whatever is available Surely her allotment plot has space?

    Sorry if I misunderstood what you are saying. But as Palustris said, it will rot down.

    If you want to get her a dalek type bin too,, try the local tip.
    We got a couple of daleks in good condition for a fiver each they usually are around twenty five to thirty new.

    Also so nice of you to help her out. You is going to heaven, if there is such a place :)

  • owd potterowd potter Posts: 979
    Depends what is meant by 'grass' I suppose, which is not necessarily turf.
    If weed or couch grass type stuff then probably better left out, unless the heap gets hot significantly, which mine does not.
    Otherwise I would concur with others, rebuild the bin, refill. I have 2 pallet bins, I drove 50x50 stakes in the front corners to provide structural support to fix pallets to.
    Just another day at the plant...
  • WibbleWibble Posts: 89
    I dug up a lot ‘lawn” (ie , course, scrappy grass that was very compacted)  to make borders earlier this year. Used some to build a bank for ferns etc in the shady bit of the garden and stacked the rest in a builders bag.

     Went out last week intending to add to my bank, to find they have rotted down almost completely into quite nice soil. Plenty of worm activity. About 8 months it’s been stacked. Had expected it to take a lot longer to even start rotting down.
  • StephenSouthwestStephenSouthwest Posts: 635
    As others say, the turf will eventually rot down. If it were mine I wouldn't want to spread it around, I'd want to compost it and use it. 
  • NewBoy2NewBoy2 Posts: 1,813
    Thanks friends.

    I had the wrong idea of how a compost bin works so thanks for that.

    My LOL, Little Old lady has decided to extract the soil from the turves from the bin and spread it over the soil so she can reuse it.

    She has shown me how she turns home veg bits and coffee granules and tea bags into rich compost with red worms in it.

    The only draw back is that there are rat tunnels under it.
    I intend to buy a plastic bin and start my own but with several layers of chicken wire under the bin.

    Everyone is just trying to be Happy.....So lets help Them.
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