Thanks both, I appreciate your comments and advice. I'm a sad person really when I get quite excited about a new hobby. It's goes without saying that I'll post my results and no doubt I'll be back with more questions.
It isn't sad at all, it's what makes life enjoyable. It's why gardening is so good for your mental and physical health. You're making something really useful out of rubbish and for free, it's highly satisfying!
I'm just taking a break from making usable soil out of terrible, useless, stony ground with my homemade rotary riddle: £50 that cost me!
@MikeOxgreen your "soil" looks a lot like mine, except mine has rounded sandstone pebbles rather than angular chunks of stone. I admire your dedication! I don't bother riddling it unless I want some to mix with compost for containers. Any big pebbles that I come across (about hen's egg size or more) get chucked to the back under the hedge.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
so the heap above is getting turned, it is steaming but the temperature had dropped suddenly and I found the heap really dry. I turned the heap and added lots of water, about 100lts so a buckets every 8inch layer This is the same heap after 4days back up to 60°c. I find for me it's much harder to keep my heaps wet enough. As for leaves I try to collect them when it's raining or has rained heavily as they dry out so quickly, I do mix lots of green with my leaves and don't treat them as leaf mould
JennyJ I like the way you've put 'soil' in inverted commas, I can think a few rude words to describe it! The house and that part of the land is cut into the side of a very steep stoney slope, you don't go for a spade here to dig, a mattock or pickaxe is more useful. After digging out to about a foot deep I lay in some new compost then spread the sieved stuff back on top. My back aches like buggery tonight though
Mainly veggies and toms Uff, I don't think any of those type of annuals will need any more than a foot. I've previously built raised beds and bought in soil to get me going, but it quickly gets expensive. Bit by bit i'll convert the veg patch and inside the polytunnel to decent ground.
I've found that square bins that you can take the whole front out of are much easier when it comes to turning and emptying than the ones that just have a little hatch. Sadly I can't find ones like my original two any more - they have four identical sides that slot (not clip) into each other so it's easy to take the front panel out made of dark brown plastic about 1cm thick so nice and solid and unobtrusive looking, only a few small air holes in them.
Not sur if these are anything like what you refer to:
I'm re-reading this excellent thread as I'm going to need to replace my 2-bay wooden bins before next season as they're now pretty rotten. I bought them many years ago from a small-ad in the back of a gardening mag and they've served me well.
So I've set about looking for a plastic replacement which I know will be more expensive initially but will effectively last forever. However I've been surprised that I can't find one that is made of thick or twin-walled plastic (1cm or so). The bin mentioned above is unfortunately made of thin plastic and lacks easily removable panels at the front for turning.
So it looks as though it's going to have to be wood again. I'd prefer to buy one that's ready to assemble but I'm still having difficulty finding what I need. The Suttons' one appealed initially but then I realised it's only 27" tall which seems like a waste of space given it's footprint.
Then I got onto the Harrod system which, although rather expensive, looks really well designed. But reviewers have highlighted the need to drill upto 400 holes & screw in that no. of screws to assemble it and some have also talked of panels distorting after only a short time.
You can make your own from concrete fence posts and planks of wood or recycled plastic. I would worry that the plastic is too flexible though and especially the lower ones will bow out in time.
Posts
You're making something really useful out of rubbish and for free, it's highly satisfying!
I'm just taking a break from making usable soil out of terrible, useless, stony ground with my homemade rotary riddle:
£50 that cost me!
This is the same heap after 4days back up to 60°c. I find for me it's much harder to keep my heaps wet enough. As for leaves I try to collect them when it's raining or has rained heavily as they dry out so quickly, I do mix lots of green with my leaves and don't treat them as leaf mould
After digging out to about a foot deep I lay in some new compost then spread the sieved stuff back on top.
My back aches like buggery tonight though
I've previously built raised beds and bought in soil to get me going, but it quickly gets expensive.
Bit by bit i'll convert the veg patch and inside the polytunnel to decent ground.
I'm re-reading this excellent thread as I'm going to need to replace my 2-bay wooden bins before next season as they're now pretty rotten. I bought them many years ago from a small-ad in the back of a gardening mag and they've served me well.
So I've set about looking for a plastic replacement which I know will be more expensive initially but will effectively last forever. However I've been surprised that I can't find one that is made of thick or twin-walled plastic (1cm or so). The bin mentioned above is unfortunately made of thin plastic and lacks easily removable panels at the front for turning.
So it looks as though it's going to have to be wood again. I'd prefer to buy one that's ready to assemble but I'm still having difficulty finding what I need. The Suttons' one appealed initially but then I realised it's only 27" tall which seems like a waste of space given it's footprint.
Modular Wooden Compost Bins | Suttons
Then I got onto the Harrod system which, although rather expensive, looks really well designed. But reviewers have highlighted the need to drill upto 400 holes & screw in that no. of screws to assemble it and some have also talked of panels distorting after only a short time.
Slot Together Compost Bins - Harrod Horticultural (UK)
So I'm still looking
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
http://www.carryoncomposting.com/142941477
https://greenfingers.com/d846/wooden_compost_bins
https://www.greatgreensystems.com/product/905-litre-wooden-composter/
GW test here, but i'm guessing you've seen it as it has two of the ones you mentioned in it: https://www.gardenersworld.com/reviews/gardening-kit/which-type-of-compost-bin-is-best/
You can make your own from concrete fence posts and planks of wood or recycled plastic. I would worry that the plastic is too flexible though and especially the lower ones will bow out in time.