I've just emptied out one of my dalek compost bins and been pleasantly surprised at the good, crumbly compost that's come out. It was probably about a year old stuff and I never turn it. What I have done over the last two years or so is wrap old fleece and bubble wrap around my 3 dalek bins for insulation and also covered the lids with old bathmats. I disguise all this with a bamboo screen tied from a wire leaf bin on one side and some trellis on the other. It's just tall enough to hide the bins but allow me to lift the lids on top to add material.
Thanks @MikeOxgreen. Just went down the first link and found what I'm probably looking for - the Tekplas large bin with add-on. I may even be tempted to set up a three bay system.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
The below vid offers quite a detailed explantion, but useful, exploration of why you will get more available nitrogen from your compost (making it 'richer', feeding the plants) if you let it decompose right down (and not stay twiggy).
Bruce trialled amendments to add to homemade (or municipal compost) to make it richer. He found that a high nitrogen liquid feed, like dilute urine, given regularly through the season, comes out head and shoulders above the rest for his crop. He explains where the other amendments go and why they were not available to the plants during his trial.
My main two are pallets punkdoc so cost nothing which pleased me greatly. My wire mesh one didn't cost anything either but I use that for leaves not that it makes any difference.
Re my wire mesh compost bin. I chopped the leaves up that had been in there since last year and watered it very well and that's how it's been for about a month or so. On Sunday I wrapped the outside with foil backed bubblewrap and gave it a lid of the same. The temp. is about 13c. Bearing in mind winter is coming can I do anything to accelerate the the rotting down process? Anyone please?
Hello @Uff, to the best of my belief I don't think you need do anything at all with leaf mould, it's a slightly different process. Watering does help but you don't need heat and you don't need to turn it. If it's been in there for a year, you would probably find the bottom half is good to go. If you don't need it now, it will be even better by next spring. If you need the bin for this year's leaves, you could bag up last year's and just leave it. Hope this helps.
I totally emptied it a month or so ago Lizzie27 because nothing was happening. Chopping it up with the mower made it look more like but was hoping to speed the process up a bit.
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When you don't even know who's in the team
S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
It's good enough for me!
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
Hope this helps.