Not been seen for nearly a year This will be the thread you're thinking of though: https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1059287/composting-success/p1 He was keeping it going by turning it when it starts to cool through lack of oxygen because it's become compacted inside (so the air can't get in.)
You can build a heap which keeps itself going for months without needing turning (maybe it'll need one turn after many months to get the outer layer inside and complete the compost). The trick is to use 90% mulch (crushed and torn wood chippings, not wood chips) mixed with 10% manure for the bacteria to get it going and feed it. Because the wood chips are torn and crushed they contain air and also hold the pile up so air can get in continually and the stack keeps going (with heat) for all of Winter.
If you build it big enough you can run water in a coil of pipe through it and heat your greenhouse, heck, you could heat your house with it if you were determined enough. Then the end product is great usable compost!
Hi @Fire I'm more a lurker this year, stress and the like has kept me away from posting much.
My compost system continues to work, turning out very large amounts of excellent material. I have 5 active bins holding 1200lts each and a large holding area for finished compost, this holds approximately 3000lts, originally made of pallets they are now steel corrugated roof sheets 1m w x 1m d x1.5m h. Everything I put in is mown up to reduce size and reduce how much room it takes up.
I start in bin 1 which is lined with sections of kingspan insulation, this holds moisture and heat and add as much waste as possible as fast as possible. I now regularly collect green waste wheelie bins from 5 neighbours (1has 3 bins which are almost 100% grass) fortnightly all year round and never complain what's in there, my in-laws bring all there waste as does my mum. I aim to fill the bin within 2 weeks and have the temperature up to the mid 80°c within that time.
Once the temps drop bin 1 goes to bin 2 without the extra insulation this makes extra room and I add more waste to this bin till it is piled 6ft high. Then I start bin 1 again. Once bin 2 has sunk down and temperatures drop below 60°c I turn this to bin 3, bin 1 goes to bin 2 and so on. When the first bin makes it all the way to bin 5 I continue to add material till the heap stays the full 5ft depth. I monitor the temperature and once this drops below 40°c I move this to the holding bay.
This system means I can produce quality compost all year round and has vastly reduced my number of turnings (I used to turn heaps back and forth twice a week) and I only ever turn from right to left which doesn't aggravate a shoulder injury.
I do need loads of material so along with the neighbours supplies I take all the leaves from my roadside areas and some acre plus sized gardens, I bring in fresh horse manure (I don't use rotted stuff as it doesn't heat up as well), I take regular loads of tree surgeon waste (the fresh is laid around all the dead areas of the garden and year old stuff removed first to go in the compost), barrow loads of apples in autumn and also collect garden waste from more building job customer's (I do get funny looks when asking for grass and hedge cuttings).
All in last year I made 8000 ltrs of proper finished fine compost that looked as good as bought multi purpose peat compost. There was also approximately 2000ltrs of rougher stuff with large wood chips in it. I never have a period when the compost bins are quiet and have always got a bin that's at least 65°c hot. I even grow plants that provide me materials while looking good, we have 12 blocks of cardoons which produce vast quantities of leaves that I regularly remove so they don't smoother neighbouring plants (we do love the cardoons and they planted without compost in mind).
Composting is my thing and I love it, it definitely helps my mental health (I'm not harping on about it mind), and it's also a massive help to my garden.
Finally when the kids play area is redundant I'll have room for 12 bins, now that is really exciting 🤣🤣🤣
I'm very glad to hear from you @Wilderbeast and that your wonderful systems are working well. I'm sorry to hear you don't fancy posting much any more and that things are stressful. I was sure you would have good insight to offer to a compost thread. Sending you all best wishes.
Much the same here @Wilderbeast, it becomes a full time job with the turning and by autumn we have black gold ready to spread, I’m sowing seeds and potting plants in it now. Strangely enough, or maybe not, the seeds sown in that are up in a week, the tray next to them, no sign, my pepper plants are in 5” pots and only our own compost. I won’t be buying any next year.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Does anyone have experience with those super pricey hot bins? yes it’s pricey but is it worth the money? I have loads of perennial weed at my plot so the idea of being able to compost anything and everything is most tempting.. not to mention not having to really sort out diseased bits and that I could also chuck in kitchen scraps..
Rightly or wrongly I put everything in my bins, no sorting out weed roots or seeds it all goes in. Within 3 months each batch will have seen temps of 80°c some above 90°c and a prolonged period above 70°c so it should kill all them off.
For those of a practical mind you could make a hot bin from kingspan insulation or polystyrene insulation for much less money. That's why I line my 1st bin with insulation to create smaller bin which heats rapidly and makes the heat rise through the heap without escaping.
I forgot to say that all my heaps are covered with plastic bags, cardboard, tarps and then kingspan. This holds in the heat but the main thing is holding in the steam and moisture, I find they dry very quickly in my system if left open. I still have to water bins sometimes when turning, again im different to most as I hang my hose sprinkler over the empty bin and saturate the mix as I turn it. Seems extreme but I've managed to get temps back right up on bins that have cooled right down.
I also forgot that I add lots of cardboard, in fact all the cardboard from the kitchens I fit goes in and that's a lot. It's soaked in a bin filled with water over night then I tear it up into smaller chunks before mowing it and adding to the bins. It's very noticeable that worm's are attracted to the cardboard with any lumps full of worm's in the cooling stage.
@Fire I do get good harvests and this year haven't used any fertilizer at all except potted courgette plants. Mind the veg part of my garden is only 3 1/2 years old, it's no dig and I add a large wheel barrow load of compost per 2mt2 in the autumn or spring depending on cropping.
Posts
This will be the thread you're thinking of though:
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1059287/composting-success/p1
He was keeping it going by turning it when it starts to cool through lack of oxygen because it's become compacted inside (so the air can't get in.)
You can build a heap which keeps itself going for months without needing turning (maybe it'll need one turn after many months to get the outer layer inside and complete the compost).
The trick is to use 90% mulch (crushed and torn wood chippings, not wood chips) mixed with 10% manure for the bacteria to get it going and feed it.
Because the wood chips are torn and crushed they contain air and also hold the pile up so air can get in continually and the stack keeps going (with heat) for all of Winter.
If you build it big enough you can run water in a coil of pipe through it and heat your greenhouse, heck, you could heat your house with it if you were determined enough.
Then the end product is great usable compost!
My compost system continues to work, turning out very large amounts of excellent material. I have 5 active bins holding 1200lts each and a large holding area for finished compost, this holds approximately 3000lts, originally made of pallets they are now steel corrugated roof sheets 1m w x 1m d x1.5m h. Everything I put in is mown up to reduce size and reduce how much room it takes up.
I start in bin 1 which is lined with sections of kingspan insulation, this holds moisture and heat and add as much waste as possible as fast as possible. I now regularly collect green waste wheelie bins from 5 neighbours (1has 3 bins which are almost 100% grass) fortnightly all year round and never complain what's in there, my in-laws bring all there waste as does my mum. I aim to fill the bin within 2 weeks and have the temperature up to the mid 80°c within that time.
Once the temps drop bin 1 goes to bin 2 without the extra insulation this makes extra room and I add more waste to this bin till it is piled 6ft high. Then I start bin 1 again. Once bin 2 has sunk down and temperatures drop below 60°c I turn this to bin 3, bin 1 goes to bin 2 and so on. When the first bin makes it all the way to bin 5 I continue to add material till the heap stays the full 5ft depth. I monitor the temperature and once this drops below 40°c I move this to the holding bay.
This system means I can produce quality compost all year round and has vastly reduced my number of turnings (I used to turn heaps back and forth twice a week) and I only ever turn from right to left which doesn't aggravate a shoulder injury.
I do need loads of material so along with the neighbours supplies I take all the leaves from my roadside areas and some acre plus sized gardens, I bring in fresh horse manure (I don't use rotted stuff as it doesn't heat up as well), I take regular loads of tree surgeon waste (the fresh is laid around all the dead areas of the garden and year old stuff removed first to go in the compost), barrow loads of apples in autumn and also collect garden waste from more building job customer's (I do get funny looks when asking for grass and hedge cuttings).
All in last year I made 8000 ltrs of proper finished fine compost that looked as good as bought multi purpose peat compost. There was also approximately 2000ltrs of rougher stuff with large wood chips in it. I never have a period when the compost bins are quiet and have always got a bin that's at least 65°c hot. I even grow plants that provide me materials while looking good, we have 12 blocks of cardoons which produce vast quantities of leaves that I regularly remove so they don't smoother neighbouring plants (we do love the cardoons and they planted without compost in mind).
Composting is my thing and I love it, it definitely helps my mental health (I'm not harping on about it mind), and it's also a massive help to my garden.
Finally when the kids play area is redundant I'll have room for 12 bins, now that is really exciting 🤣🤣🤣
For those of a practical mind you could make a hot bin from kingspan insulation or polystyrene insulation for much less money. That's why I line my 1st bin with insulation to create smaller bin which heats rapidly and makes the heat rise through the heap without escaping.
I forgot to say that all my heaps are covered with plastic bags, cardboard, tarps and then kingspan. This holds in the heat but the main thing is holding in the steam and moisture, I find they dry very quickly in my system if left open. I still have to water bins sometimes when turning, again im different to most as I hang my hose sprinkler over the empty bin and saturate the mix as I turn it. Seems extreme but I've managed to get temps back right up on bins that have cooled right down.
I also forgot that I add lots of cardboard, in fact all the cardboard from the kitchens I fit goes in and that's a lot. It's soaked in a bin filled with water over night then I tear it up into smaller chunks before mowing it and adding to the bins. It's very noticeable that worm's are attracted to the cardboard with any lumps full of worm's in the cooling stage.
@Fire I do get good harvests and this year haven't used any fertilizer at all except potted courgette plants. Mind the veg part of my garden is only 3 1/2 years old, it's no dig and I add a large wheel barrow load of compost per 2mt2 in the autumn or spring depending on cropping.