Compost - first attempt

I've decided to have a go at making compost.

Unfortunately I've pruned all my plants so don't have any to use

So far I've added two loads of grass clippings, a pineapple, some apples, some loo roll inners, newspaper, potato peelings, tea bags and some pine needles.

I think I may need to beg some stuff off my next door neighbour (either that or nip round pruning my neighbours' plants in the middle of the night)

I've started the first load in a old plastic dustbin and I've also bought a collapsible composter from Morrisons for £3 for the next load.

I may be coming back for advice if it doesn't all go to plan!

 

I am unsure of the "plastic dustbin" as you need air into it, or it will just go a yucky mess a very smelly soup mix

Jack McH

 

Drill some holes in the bottom of the bin or it will get "yucky" as Jack says. If you add drainage and ensure that you add about a 30% amount of "browns" e.g. loo rolls, cardboard, leaves etc it should produce decent compost.

 

If you don't want to drill holes, you will need to turn it ALOT. I have 2 black plastic compost bins. Everytime I put materials in them, I turn it right away, making sure I get to the bottom of it. Turning it, letting air into the bin accelerates the composting process.

 

I drilled some breathing holes in my standard issue green waste wheelie bin, and have been using that as my compost bin. I haven't emptied yet, it has so far taken almost a full year to fill, and that's adding typically at least one full bucket of tea bags, egg shells, veg peelings etc per week, and then the lawn clippings as and when I do it. I reckon if it wasn't for the decomposition process, I'd have filled the bin easily 5 times over by now, so it must be rotting. It doesn't smell either, which is obviously a good sign, and whenever I open the lid to add more stuff, I notice its like a mini world in there, with all sorts of spiders, snails, bugs living in there.

I should say this is the second attempt for me. In the first year I used the same bin, only I didn't make any air holes in it. When I emptied it out (about last April time) it was only part decomposed, a bit smelly, and not what you'd call compost, so I guess the air holes are obviously working.

I should also add that I drilled some holes in the bottom of the bin this time round. I made them about half an inch in diameter, i.e. wide enough for worms to get through but not wide enough for mice etc. I can't say if there are worms in there because I haven't tipped it out yet, but that was my plan when I did it.

 

I did drill some holes in the bottom of the bin The bin is only about 2/3 full, but I've given it a good mix up, covered the top with cardboard and am leaving it to its own devices.

I've started a second compost bin using a £3 fold down job from Morrisons.