Don't put anything under it.... just let nature and worms do their best. If you are going to have a lot of food/ kitchen waste, then do line the bottom with fine chicken wire. Could you site it on the flower borders, perhaps with something growing in front? At least that way nothing will leach out onto the gravel, but won't do the soil flower bed any harm, also, when you tip it over it will be directly onto a bed and not the gravel.
Dalek compost bins can be a bit cumbersome to turn out once all the compost is ready, if it's on a bed you can just lift it off leaving he compost on the bed.
I have a large wooden composter on my allotment and for a time had a of of raw food waste- it was overrun with rats for quite a while.... wish I'd used chicken wire!
The borders/raised beds aren't big enough for the compost bin plus it would look a bit like an enormous carbuncle! There are no gaps - just roses, small shrubs and flowers. See photo. I could put chicken wire underneath the bin and clear the gravel? When I move my pots and containers there are often worms underneath so I suppose the worms will find their way into the bin - with a bit of help if I add a few!
As there is just me, I don't have a vast amount of kitchen waste but my neighbour will contribute. I have sacks of leaves, some lawn mowings from a neighbour and there will be plant waste and prunings. I understand that newspaper is a good addition? A friend had a terrible problem with swarms of flies in his compost bin. Not sure what contributed to this?
I see what you mean... what a pretty garden though & sweet looking dog too!
I would just pop it on a cleared bit of ground, so you're not trying to separate compost from gravel when you want to use it. If it's got a lid it won't be so wet & don't imagine there'd be too much gunge leaking out!
Grass cuttings can be a bit slimy if there's too much, but brilliant if mixed with other things so paper would be a good idea. You're looking to get a roughly 50/50 mix of green and brown waste, green = grass, plant & kitchen waste, brown = card, paper & twiggy stuff. I don't think about it much, i just know that along with grass & kitchen waste I add loo & kitchen roll tubes, egg boxes, bits of waste and shredded paper .... just mix a bit so it doesn't form a big dry clump and don't worry about getting green and brown ration exact.
That's Alice my Cavalier - yes she's a little treasure.
Thanks very much for your suggestions. If I get problems later on when the compost bin contents are under way, I will call on the wise folk on this excellent site.
A lot of really useful information here. Thanks. I live in a flat and the building shares a concrete terrace. Lots of people doing really good flowers and little trees in lots.
I don't feel like I can put a compost bin directly onto the concrete because the water would seep out of the bottom which wouldn't bother me as that's part of the point of better waste disposal and how the compost works. But it probably wouldn't be fair to the other residents. Does anyone know of a system of composting where the draiainge is collected into a box at the bottom or anything like that?
You could consider a vermicomposting (worm composting) bin. Those are designed to collect the liquid which can be drained via a tap and is a superb liquid plant food. Google 'worm factory' and one of the 'hits' is this video showing how it works:
Like Bob I would recommend a worm composting bin. Ours stands proud of the ground (handy for storing pots underneath) and has a tap that you use to drain any liquid away. Very nice and simple to use.
Hi there, I see this conversation hasn’t been active for a while but I’m chancing my arm here... ☺️
I’m about to empty my compost bin for the first time. It’s a plastic bin with no bottom. I have a feeling that a lot of the black stuff has gone into the ground beneath it and that’s why I’m thinking of adding a mesh grid underneath. I’m hoping to keep the compost in and let the worm roam free. I'm not too concerned about mice etc as the compost bin is way down in the garden and guaranteed to be full of wildlife. Any ideas?
If there's no base then yes much of the liquid will have drained into the soil but usable d compost won't have mixed into the soil to a significant degree. When you turn it out, make sure you've spread a plastic sheet to hold it and keep the surrounding area clean. It's also easier then to scrape up bits that need to back in for another go. The stuff near the top will be less well composted and maybe still a bit woody, depending on what you're composting.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
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Don't put anything under it.... just let nature and worms do their best. If you are going to have a lot of food/ kitchen waste, then do line the bottom with fine chicken wire. Could you site it on the flower borders, perhaps with something growing in front? At least that way nothing will leach out onto the gravel, but won't do the soil flower bed any harm, also, when you tip it over it will be directly onto a bed and not the gravel.
Dalek compost bins can be a bit cumbersome to turn out once all the compost is ready, if it's on a bed you can just lift it off leaving he compost on the bed.
I have a large wooden composter on my allotment and for a time had a of of raw food waste- it was overrun with rats for quite a while.... wish I'd used chicken wire!
The borders/raised beds aren't big enough for the compost bin plus it would look a bit like an enormous carbuncle! There are no gaps - just roses, small shrubs and flowers. See photo. I could put chicken wire underneath the bin and clear the gravel? When I move my pots and containers there are often worms underneath so I suppose the worms will find their way into the bin - with a bit of help if I add a few!
As there is just me, I don't have a vast amount of kitchen waste but my neighbour will contribute. I have sacks of leaves, some lawn mowings from a neighbour and there will be plant waste and prunings. I understand that newspaper is a good addition? A friend had a terrible problem with swarms of flies in his compost bin. Not sure what contributed to this?
I see what you mean... what a pretty garden though & sweet looking dog too!
I would just pop it on a cleared bit of ground, so you're not trying to separate compost from gravel when you want to use it. If it's got a lid it won't be so wet & don't imagine there'd be too much gunge leaking out!
Grass cuttings can be a bit slimy if there's too much, but brilliant if mixed with other things so paper would be a good idea. You're looking to get a roughly 50/50 mix of green and brown waste, green = grass, plant & kitchen waste, brown = card, paper & twiggy stuff. I don't think about it much, i just know that along with grass & kitchen waste I add loo & kitchen roll tubes, egg boxes, bits of waste and shredded paper .... just mix a bit so it doesn't form a big dry clump and don't worry about getting green and brown ration exact.
That's Alice my Cavalier - yes she's a little treasure.
Thanks very much for your suggestions. If I get problems later on when the compost bin contents are under way, I will call on the wise folk on this excellent site.
Hi there,
A lot of really useful information here. Thanks. I live in a flat and the building shares a concrete terrace. Lots of people doing really good flowers and little trees in lots.
I don't feel like I can put a compost bin directly onto the concrete because the water would seep out of the bottom which wouldn't bother me as that's part of the point of better waste disposal and how the compost works. But it probably wouldn't be fair to the other residents. Does anyone know of a system of composting where the draiainge is collected into a box at the bottom or anything like that?
thanks
You could consider a vermicomposting (worm composting) bin. Those are designed to collect the liquid which can be drained via a tap and is a superb liquid plant food. Google 'worm factory' and one of the 'hits' is this video showing how it works:
http://naturesfootprint.com/community/articles/worm-factory-360-setup/
Like Bob I would recommend a worm composting bin. Ours stands proud of the ground (handy for storing pots underneath) and has a tap that you use to drain any liquid away. Very nice and simple to use.
Oh brilliant! Just looked one up online. Looks ideal. Thanks for such a fast reply!
I’m about to empty my compost bin for the first time. It’s a plastic bin with no bottom. I have a feeling that a lot of the black stuff has gone into the ground beneath it and that’s why I’m thinking of adding a mesh grid underneath. I’m hoping to keep the compost in and let the worm roam free. I'm not too concerned about mice etc as the compost bin is way down in the garden and guaranteed to be full of wildlife. Any ideas?