Rotating composter

http://www.gardensite.org.uk/envirocycle.php

I have been coveting one of these for ages as I have trouble turning compost- I think it was michaelmasdaisy who found this type. I can't find the thread- compost must be our biggest topic!
Anyway I'm getting it it for a joint Christmas and birthday present from my daughters- my birthday's next month.

 

That's a great present, Liz! I'd love one myself, but there are other priorities......unfortunately :(

 

hi Liz just looked at the compost bins sounds good but a little too expensive. I have two compost bins. I leave one full for a whole year and use it the following year.the quickest way for it to break down is to cut all dead material to small pieces and then compost it.works for me.

 

Try this easy to construct for you Fancy with your woodworking skills
http://www.bra.org/homemade.html

 

If you don't like the center spindle through the barrel put some small wheels in the vee of the support frames so the barrel rests on these you can then spin it with one hand

 

Hi Walnut,snap to the compost bins. my brother and I built two of these bins on the allotment site all ready for use. we have three plots together brother Nick, my good neighboug Trev and my own plot.lucky to get three together.I dont know about the rotary bin looks like a bit more mechanics on that one.

 

New Rotating bin arrived yesterday and is now set up, rotated, and hopefully making good compost! They say 3 weeks so I shall be reporting back....
I now have 2adjacent wooden bins which I find very slow as it's difficult for me to turn the contents, a large Dalek cheap from the council which is better than the wooden ones but rather unsightly, and the rotating one, which is easy to turn and makes liquid fertiliser as well.
The 4 guinea pigs and 2 rabbits are making lots of straw/sawdust/ hay/ droppings to add to the compost- this will be excelllent in summer to add to grass cuttings but at present the compost area is rapidly filling up with bags waiting for additional greenstuff!
In addition there are bags of leaves composting [I hope] and bags of prunings and dead dry stuff waiting to be shredded and gradually added.
I did find a DIY plan for a rotating one somewhere on the net, must find it again.

 

With all that, do you have space for a garden and plants, Liz?? :D

Looking forward to the report..... my MIL is interested.

 

Well, it's going to take more than 3 weeks. It's now brown and needs another 2 weeks, possibly. It wasn't an ideal mix, lacking in green stuff. Weather hasn't helped either!
It hasn't been any problem turning it every time I check the greenhouse, which is every few days.

 

hmmmm, now I was thinking about having something similar. I did some research on t'internet and found this rather useful article.
http://www.organicgardening.org.uk/factsheets/gg14.php
I was rather intrigued at the notion that you have to add all the clippings etc in one go; have other people found this to be the case?
If it IS the case then it's not really any good for me as I'm likely to add bits and pieces over time.
:(

 

I think I may have a wasps nest in one of my hand made composts. I have three dalek type and a wormery and two others I made myself. When I cut a tree down last year I used the branches to weave a front to the two composts I made and the rest of the branches and twigs etc went into these two composts. Unfortunately I think I have created an ideal nesting site for the little stingers? Any ideas on how to flush them out or get rid of them?

 

Unless it's very small I'd get diposal experts to spray it... won't help the compost though!

Lynne, the rotating bin I have got works best if you load it all at once. My second batch is well on it's way. I have enough garden space to store bin bags of material ready to add to grass clippings in summer. I also have a dalek which I fill and leave, it's slower but also works well, there's a hatch at the bottom to remove 'done' compost.
There is a type which advertises that it moves the compost along horizontally, to which you can add stuff as you want. I can't find the reference, maybe someone else can- it is more expensive than mine, which means VERY pricey.

 

Found it! Here it is, expensive but can sit anywhere amusing the kids [old and young]:
http://www.rolypig.com/index.htm
HeHe :D