agree @Fire. This year we’ve really been let down by the heat and drought, I think we’ve only cut our grass 3 times this year, Normally weekly to 10 days.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
@Fire I find it quite hard to ‘turn’ the contents of a compost bin because most of my browns are torn up cardboard pieces.. whenever I try to turn the contents I end up all sort of bits falling out of the bin at the top and end up all over myself.. am I doing something wrong..??
@celcius_kkw I would think that if the bin is quite damp, the cardboard would get quite mushed up pretty fast. Leaves are also good browns. Finding the right height of bin is super useful. Too high and it's a PITA to mix. Perhaps try adding some manure or earth to speed up the process. Or smaller bit of cardboard. Or - get another bin and just tip one lot into the other bin. What kind of bin do you use?
Here are our bins, it then gets turned into plastic containers then into builders bags. metre cube is the best size to get it working, Takes 2 - 3 months to be ready to use.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
That's what I would have if I had space, Lyn. My compost area is about 2m x 2.5m. In that area are three dustbin composters, a water butt (of debatable use for the space it takes up), one big Hotbin, one small Hotbin and a bin with slatted sides that I find useless for composting but useful for storing stuff like wood chip or manure. I like the dustbins as they are cheap, have a quick cycle, are easy to turn and easy to move. I can carry them into the garden.
I love the worms and the Hotbins get too warm for them. There is a lot of matting on the ground to try and stop the cats pooing there. It doesn't work.
Ok so I've messing with my compost this morning after 2 weeks away. Holding bin still not full
Holding bin at 30°c This bin is 2 months old currently 55°c and ready for turning, it was up to the top of the bin before I went away My bins The latest bin, you can see the insulation. My mower won't start so it's all going in unmown for the time being. A little snap shot of my composting system. I would also say that to make the quantity I do you need loads of materials, I think I need 5 wheel barrows full of fresh product to make 1 wheel barrow of finished compost
You are all obviously loving making your own compost. It seems to be almost a separate hobby for many of you, as interesting as gardening itself. I don’t make compost myself but it is all very fascinating. I can see the appeal of transforming what many discard into something useful.
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metre cube is the best size to get it working, Takes 2 - 3 months to be ready to use.
Holding bin still not full
Holding bin at 30°c
This bin is 2 months old currently 55°c and ready for turning, it was up to the top of the bin before I went away
My bins
The latest bin, you can see the insulation. My mower won't start so it's all going in unmown for the time being. A little snap shot of my composting system. I would also say that to make the quantity I do you need loads of materials, I think I need 5 wheel barrows full of fresh product to make 1 wheel barrow of finished compost