3 bin composting

Since I moved to my present house 2 years ago I have started serious composting, I am lucky enough to have space in a small spinney at the bottom of the garden. (Also a field next door where a neighbour grazes horses, the muck is mine for the taking). I have used three bins, just paving slab floor and vertically set slabs for sides. The back is a cornish wall and front dry stone wall about 12" high.
So, to the method: Fill one bin with all garden waste and kitchen waste, when full sheet with an old tarpaulin. Then start the second bin, when full the fun starts. (normally it takes about 2 months to fill a bin). Turn the second bin into the third bin and the first bin into the second, sieving as you go, I made a sieve with a piece of welded fencing with 25x16 mm holes stapled to a wood frame to fit on the barror. each shovelfull is dumped in the sieve, worked thro' with a hand fork and whats left is duped back to bin 2. Depending on the weather and how long its stood you should get about 50% good sieved compost. Then sheet bin 3 and continue filling bin 2. When full turn into bin 1 and repeat the process in the reverse bin order. I have had this system running for about 1 year and so far ptoduced 16 barrowloads of clean compost. When compost is not being used and supply of material is low during winter the bins can be turned back and forth to help the process. I trust that this may give others some thought as to their methods. Of course the same method could be used with the plastic bin composters,

 

I have no bins, just make heaps. My composting corner has space for about 5 heaps 1 m3 each. The most accessible is the "in use heap", that is turned over and aired as necessary. When it is "final size" it's turned over into a corner to mature for as long as needed (usually not much). I have a big heap of dry twigs and brown dry stuff that I keep ready tomix with the green as they come (this is a very big advantage, as you can keep the browns in stand by, so to say,but not the greens). As easy as that. I am never without compost. I don't sieve the compost, when it's ready, it's ready, when I take it up with the garden fork bigger pieces turn up automatically and are thrown into the next heap. As easy as that.