Compost bin

Have decided to purchase a green plastic compost bin promoted by our council (half price) !I have never done compost and would like some advice on how to, i have scrounged so far grass cuttings going stinky in a plastic bag also some new wood ash, tree just recently cut down and burned from my daughters large garden.
I have been told that it has to stand on a soil base, info came with the leaflet but apart from that I know nothing of compost bins. I vaguely remember my Dad turning huge forkfuls of claggy looking stuff from a pile of in our garden that is out of the question as @ idont have room and b couldnt lift it any way will welcome advice from any one on how to go about it, should arrive this week sometime Cheers.

 

You need a mix of green and more stalky / dry material so that you get Aerobic bugs doing the work (they are the ones that need "Air" [Oxygen])

If you have just green, such as grass cuttings, it will turn to a slimy mess (ANAerobic bug - "without Air"). But the grass will get the temperature up in spectacular fashion.

Adding some manure, or pee-ing on the heap, will help get the temperature up.

Adding 1/2" or so layer of soil every foot or two will provide some bugs to get things going.

If it starts to smell horrid, or get slimy, it would be worth turning the compost - get the whole lot out, mix it up, put it back.

Don't add diseased nor woody plant material, nor meat.

You can add an "accelerator" - like Garrotta - but you probably don't need to.

If your heap runs "cold" it will take a long time to break down - 6 months to a year - by which time the bin may be full?! Whereas a "hot" heap can make compost within about 6 weeks [that's a hard target to achieve though].

 

Mmm wondered about soil inbetween the layers that would make it crumbly I hope.. yup, can get some horses dung also I will bear in mind Peeing ! Thanks a lot cant wait to get started.

 

Be careful, it will get very hot in there!

 

Screwed up newspaper and torn up corrugated cardboard can also be mixed in with the green material. This will help let some air into materials like grass clippings.

Paul