New Composter

I got my composter at the end of last week, so far I have put some old compost in, shredded paper, kitchen scr aps (veg peelings and fruit cores/skins) tea bags, cardboard and some plant cuttings. Have I got it right so far and what can I or can't I put in, I have a rabbit and have heard I can put her straw and poo in there, and have been told no banana skins or orange peel, is this all correct

thanks in advance

 

just about trish, but i dont put orange peel in, banana skins are fine, dont forget to turn it every few weeks.. dont put leftover food or meat in as it attracts flies.. ive got 2 bins. ones cooking while im filling the other one.. flippin lovely :D

 

Thank you Dee, I will carry on then, am slightly worried that being excited about a compost bin is not normal :D

 

trish, on this site that is normal. You don`t want to know what is not normal, especially when Dee and Paula get going :D :D :D

 

Hello David.

 

Thank you John.

 

should I be worried David??? :D

 

Why not orange peel?

 

Get another bin. You will soon fill the first and you will want to start filling another while you wait for the first to rot, or better still get a third! I have filled one but will have to empty out the compost of the other. The compost is ready but I wont use it till spring so will have to stick it in a bag or something. I will then fork the stuff out of the full one into the empty one, puts air into it you see. Then I can start filling that one again.
I got a bin at my in laws where I grow my veg. Thats full so i need to buy another then I will fork the compost into the new bin and start again.
I throw orange peel in. Banana skins are ideal compost material. Full of a type of plant food? Perhaps its because they are so valuable some people use them on their own but there is no probs with throwing them in. Crushed egg shell. Chuck them in unless you collect them seperately.
If you have a shredder then you can throw in prunings and hedge cuttings. Lawn mowings can go in.
You have to get a mixture of greens, which are rich in nitrogen and browns which are rich in carbon to get good compost. The main problem is that people put in too much greens and the compost gets horrible and slimey. Too much browns will cause it to be dry and not decompose. So you alternate layers of greens with browns.
Browns = shredded paper,cardboard, prunings put through the shredder, straw, dead tops of plants chopped up.
Greens = kitchen waste, lawn mowings, soft plant cuttings.
The straw and poo from the rabbit will be brilliant. It will enable you to turn the kitchen waste and any lawn mowings into compost without it going horrible. Most of the plant nutrients in the straw from the hutch will not come from the rabbit poo but from the urine in the straw. The best compost i made was when we had a rabbit.
Don't know why people say no orange peel. Mine rots down OK. Oranges are acidic but if you throwing in eggs shells or a bit of lime then thats no problem. I can' t see any peel when mine is used.

 

The only thing I see in the compost when I use it is peanut shells. (Yes, I do crush them) Tough little shells

 

hi caj, the reason i dont put orange peel in is because i find it takes too long to rot, turnip peel too.. theres nothing like putting your own compost back into your garden, and it smells gorgeouse (i need to get a life me) :D

Cheers David, :D

 

Do any of you smell your compost im not the only one.. am I

 

It`s to late to be worried now Trish, you`re part and parcel of the site. Dee smelling your compost is one of the best ways of knowing it`s ready , if it smells earthy then you know it`s done. Of course you should actually taste it,if it tastes sweet it`s ready for use. And believe it or not I have not made that up, when I first started gardening seriously that is how the old time gardeners used to test it.

 

Well thats one way of cutting out the middle man. Why bother growing vegetables when you can eat the compost instead?
I don't usually smell the compost but i have been known to smell of it! Usually when my wellie fell off while I was shovelling.

 

Really David! I actually think it smells sweet, my neighbour caught me smelling it once hehe, you should of seen his face :eek: dont think I could taste it though, got my reputation to think of