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Compost Bin

LillyLilly Posts: 64
in Problem solving
Approx. 20 years ago we were given a bottomless composting bin with a lid. I have regularly used it for green kitchen waste egg shells etc. In all this time it has never filled more than 3/4 and is full of red worms. Where has all the compost gone? 🤷🏼‍♀️
It is positioned alongside our general garden composting bays. Thanks for any advice 

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    That’s what it’s supposed to do,  everything you put in it breaks down. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • LillyLilly Posts: 64
    That's it then? You can't use it? Sorry to be so dim.

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited February 2021
    You use what's broken down. Have you looked at the stuff in the bottom? It should be ready by now, even if you're adding fresh material on top. A two-bin system is easier, where you fill one, then leave it to rot down while you fill the other. It sounds as if you don't have enough material to fill it though. Are you adding garden waste as well as veg peelings etc? Grass clippings, old bedding plants, all the dead stuff that you cut back, hedge clippings and prunings chopped up or shredded, torn-up brown cardboard also composts if you have too much soft wet stuff in there. If you want to compost just kitchen waste, a wormery might be a better option.
    Edit- just noticed that you said you have other compost bays, so I'm puzzled as to why you would compost the kitchen stuff separately.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • LillyLilly Posts: 64
    Thanks JennyJ. As you can probably tell I'm not much of a gardener. I try, our garden is mainly grass with borders of bushes and a huge Ash tree The compost heap is mainly grass cuttings and leaves. Tbh it's just what we've always done. 🤷🏼‍♀️. I think the bin has turned into a wormery on its own🤦🏼‍♀️.Maybe I need a new system as I intend to do better from now on.  Thanks for your advice it's a big help 

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    There are some great and detailed discussions on great composting if you look for the threads using the forum search function.
  • delskidelski Posts: 274
    I'm not sure I understand @Lilly Can you show us a picture of what you mean?
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I think if you take the top foot or so off, you will have some lovely stuff to use under it.
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