Hollie, you have a right to be pleased, you did what a lot of people fail to do simply because they forget it. All things need some help and compost definitely does. When you have a spare half hour tip it all out mix it and put it back, with a Dalek once a month although it would depend on how much new stuff you add in that time, once it is fairly full let it take its course. That really is the reason I have two on the go one to fill one to use, Monty has four and tosses it from one to the other down the line to get perfect compost. My Son has one long one, plenty of room in the farm yard and adds the new stuff to the front we take the old from the back. It all works the Dalek being the basic takes longer, I would expect compost from it in six months as you tell us it is where it can get the sun to warm it up. The one thing you should not do is use it for seed trays unless you can sterilie it, another story.
Sam there are a couple of 'cheats' that will make it work quicker, I add in small quantities of soil from the garden or horse manure or old compost from containers that are full of roots etc.
The year I got free horse manure I added quite a lot in, it already had lots of worms in the manure and that year I got lots of good compost quickly. Most of the time I just add old compost in small quantities.
Kate is correct adding compost and roots from old pots is an automatic reaction for me. Collecting a bag of well rotted manure from my Son I add that as well it all helps. Those with Daleks can get in with a fork or even a crow bar, shuffle it around shake the bin and if possible spin it on its bottom edge when it is still light, once it gets heavy tipping it out and throwing it back will be best I also store natural water or recycled water, Old Speckled Hen beer recycled (Ladies does not work) in an old milk container to add to the watering can when I am damping the compost after turning. A handful of granular fertiliser added sparingly will also speed things up or use up any Tomorite you have left over well diluted, it is like a good stew, we all have different ways and ingredients but it all comes out tasting good, "err" I do not advise tasting the compost, especially if using recycled beer.
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Hollie, you have a right to be pleased, you did what a lot of people fail to do simply because they forget it.
All things need some help and compost definitely does. When you have a spare half hour tip it all out mix it and put it back, with a Dalek once a month although it would depend on how much new stuff you add in that time, once it is fairly full let it take its course.
That really is the reason I have two on the go one to fill one to use, Monty has four and tosses it from one to the other down the line to get perfect compost. My Son has one long one, plenty of room in the farm yard and adds the new stuff to the front we take the old from the back. It all works the Dalek being the basic takes longer, I would expect compost from it in six months as you tell us it is where it can get the sun to warm it up.
The one thing you should not do is use it for seed trays unless you can sterilie it, another story.
Frank.
Sam there are a couple of 'cheats' that will make it work quicker, I add in small quantities of soil from the garden or horse manure or old compost from containers that are full of roots etc.
The year I got free horse manure I added quite a lot in, it already had lots of worms in the manure and that year I got lots of good compost quickly. Most of the time I just add old compost in small quantities.
Kate is correct adding compost and roots from old pots is an automatic reaction for me. Collecting a bag of well rotted manure from my Son I add that as well it all helps.
Those with Daleks can get in with a fork or even a crow bar, shuffle it around shake the bin and if possible spin it on its bottom edge when it is still light, once it gets heavy tipping it out and throwing it back will be best
I also store natural water or recycled water, Old Speckled Hen beer recycled (Ladies does not work) in an old milk container to add to the watering can when I am damping the compost after turning.
A handful of granular fertiliser added sparingly will also speed things up or use up any Tomorite you have left over well diluted, it is like a good stew, we all have different ways and ingredients but it all comes out tasting good, "err" I do not advise tasting the compost, especially if using recycled beer.
Frank.
...papier mache egg boxes...shredded paper and 'Garotta' or similar from GC...