Composting info please

Fill one at a time, so you got one maturing while the other is being built.

Conifer leaves take ages to rot down and come under leafmold rather than compost.

Layers of crumpled cardboard after kitchen waste makes a better carbon/nitrogen ratio and a less soggy end result.

It'll help if you empty it out and fork it back in again at least once to get some air in it/ mix it up

 

Both would be good

Don't forget the compost activator after you been drinking the strawberry jam wine

 

No, it just doesn't worry you if the neighbour see you when you'm had a few

 

Morning Pee is best

I just put all greens and cardboard (but not the tape)in, if i have a lot of grass cuttings i always tread on them in the bin that way they heat up quicker then i would turn it over with a fork after a week and so on (i do like the smell of hot grass ie silage)
all big stuff goes through shedder and in but if you haven't got shedder just stand over bin as you cut things up into smaller bits

 

Don't tell everyone

 

If you make wine, keep you composters as far away as possible, they're a breeding ground for thousands of wine (fruit) flies that'll head straight for you back door, open windows, al fresco wine glass, etc. every time you lift the lid in summer.

 

~ Do not put any perennial weeds in the composter (for nettles, make nettle tea instead)
~ Do not put any cooked food in the composter; as for veggies (raw) none are banned as far as I'm aware.

The biggest reason for ending up with stinky sludge is because there are not enough "browns" in there - I know this from experience! So, I now make a point of picking up those free newspapers from the shop at weekends, just for this purpose. I do put all my office paper shredder stuff in there but I just wasn't producing enough.

Wee: do not let Mr Shy Knee mislead you ... no, you do *not* have to stand proud at the composter to "water" your compost ... sufficient to use a receptacle in your bathroom and then pour it on Also, do remember that by harnessing your liquid waste product for the composter, you are also saving water in the home (less flushing ) so .. very economical Now, if you could drink your drink from paper cups ... just saying!

If you have the space, I would always recommend 3 composters: fill B1 in year one; leave B1 alone in second year and fill B2. Third year, leave the other two alone and fill B3; in the Spring of the fourth year, leave B2 & B3 alone, use contents of B1 over your garden and then begin the process of refilling B1. Yes, it does take a little time but, it is well worth it!

 

That's were i've been going wrong on a feezing cold morning, good job i haven't got a metal pole by the compost bin!!

 

Please can you put pulled up broad bean plants in compost - as they are covered in blackfly? Or are blackfly going to infest the whole bin and susequent compost?

 

Put em in, blackfly can only live on live plants