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Post by roofgardener on Dec 1, 2015 9:57:17 GMT
That's interesting daitheplant. I always vaguely thought that a compost bin had to be sealed, in order to encourage the heating effect, and that it was all anaerobic decomposition ? However, you prefer to let air circulate ? It appears that composting is a metaphor for the wider world of gardening ? It all seems simple on the outside, but when you open the lid, it reveals all sorts of unexpected complications and subtleties. (and in the case of Cherry's daughter; large whiskery insects). For example: Damping Down is GOOD for a greenhouse in summer (1), but Damping Off is highly undesirable with onions. (2). Damp in isolation is VERY bad in a greenhouse (3). It's all wonderfully bewildering  Notes (1) D G Hessayon, "The Greenhouse Expert" (2) as above, "The Vegetable and Herb Expert" (3) Roofgardener, "Garden Friends", Everything is COLD and DAMP. |
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Post by daitheplant on Dec 1, 2015 20:43:46 GMT
A compost heap is a living entity and like all living things it needs, WARMTH, AIR and MOISTURE. Also, it needs to be built in layers of green (fresh vegetation) and brown, or dry, material (dead leaves,manure or shredded paper)Once full, the bin needs to packed with a layer of soil or covered with a bit of old carpet. Using this method you should get over a half ton of good, friable compost a year. With the daleks, people just ten to throw in the kitchen/garden waste ie all green, wet material. As it is completely surrounded in plastic, which doesn`t allow the material to dry out, it all tends to ferment or rot rather than compost down. Also, as the bin is not porous, it does not allow air to circulate through the bin. Once the rotting process is finished you are usually left with a wet, cold compost. Also, I doubt if you would get more than hundredweight or so of usable compost.
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Post by roofgardener on Dec 1, 2015 20:52:45 GMT
.....like all living things it needs, WARMTH, AIR and MOISTURE. .... Gotcha. ALL living things ? Hmmm... does whisky count as "moisture" ? daitheplant... you are AWESOME.   Jesting apart, that makes sense. However, I refer you to my previous post, and the comment about "lifting the lid" (and wheren't you impressed with the citations ? ) |
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Post by daitheplant on Dec 1, 2015 21:21:19 GMT
Naah not at all.   |
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Post by roofgardener on Dec 1, 2015 21:41:14 GMT
"Pants on Fire" |
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Post by sweetpea on Dec 1, 2015 23:49:51 GMT
Just a point of note.
Garden compost is broken down by bacteria mainly.
Fallen leaves get broken down by fungi.
Best to keep in separate containers.
The green waste should heat up if done right and the leaves will make excellent leaf mould....no heat.
Some good compost accelerators are nettle leave, Comfrey leaves and if you have access to it poultry/rabbit/guinea pig manure.
Even small layers of stable manure.
When we had rabbits when the kids were young the hutches got cleaned out and put on the heap.
It got so hot I put a glass cloche on top and started the dahlia tubers into growth.
Currently I just let the worms do the work but not any old worms. You need tiger/brandling worms.
I also take lots to council recycling depot.
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Post by roofgardener on Dec 2, 2015 21:23:47 GMT
Ye gods... this is getting better and better. Compost is clearly a discipline in and off itself.
So now I need to get D G Hessayon's "Worms Expert" before I read "The Compost Expert" ?
Funnily enough, I DO have access to stable sweepings.
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Post by Cherry on Dec 2, 2015 21:53:57 GMT
A compost heap is a living entity and like all living things it needs, WARMTH, AIR and MOISTURE. Also, it needs to be built in layers of green (fresh vegetation) and brown, or dry, material (dead leaves,manure or shredded paper)Once full, the bin needs to packed with a layer of soil or covered with a bit of old carpet. Using this method you should get over a half ton of good, friable compost a year. With the daleks, people just ten to throw in the kitchen/garden waste ie all green, wet material. As it is completely surrounded in plastic, which doesn`t allow the material to dry out, it all tends to ferment or rot rather than compost down. Also, as the bin is not porous, it does not allow air to circulate through the bin. Once the rotting process is finished you are usually left with a wet, cold compost. Also, I doubt if you would get more than hundredweight or so of usable compost. Dai my Dalek compost really looks better than compost in the bag and it is not wet and cold. How does this happen then? The insects in Moira's Dalek are cockroaches. I really hate these things. |
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Post by SueA on Dec 3, 2015 9:14:01 GMT
My two dalek bins produce great compost too Cherry & there is air in them as there are worms, the odd slug, ants, centipedes etc. wandering around & breathing it in there as well. To get 'half a ton' of compost out of a compost heap/bin you would have to put an awful lot of compostable waste in & as my garden doesn't produce that much rubbish a dalek bin system is ideal, it's more a case of what you put in that determines what you get out rather than what you put it in. Next - let's discuss wormeries & bokashi bins!( Closed plastic units which produce plant fertiliser etc.)  |
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Post by grindle on Dec 3, 2015 16:34:27 GMT
my one and only attempt at a wormery was a disaster as they all died or did a runner  |
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Post by daitheplant on Dec 3, 2015 19:45:38 GMT
Yes, I would like to know about wormeries, also.  Oh, and by the way, I also have a dalek bin.  Though I just use it for dead leaves.  |
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Post by SueA on Dec 3, 2015 20:43:26 GMT
I haven't got a wormery either but I am considering one, I fancied one at the old house but you are supposed to have somewhere to put it in winter if it's very cold so that the worms don't die (maybe that's what happened to yours grindle?)& we didn't have a greenhouse, shed or garage there. It is a bit worrying though as you're responsible for keeping the worms alive & fed. I have a Bokashi bin but I don't use it for that purpose anymore, I keep the bird food in it! I used to use it, you put all sorts of cooked & raw food waste in it & sprinkle a layer of bokashi bran in between each layer of food until it's filled up & leave it to ferment. You can keep it in the kitchen as it seals quite well & doesn't smell. There is a tap at the bottom & you open that to drain off the liquid produced which is a bit like vinegar & this can be diluted & used as plant food or weirdly as a drain cleaner! Any solids left can be thrown away or mixed in with normal compost but I used to throw it away. I stopped using it eventually because you had to keep buying the special bran to activate it. My 2 daleks - I have a wooden 'beehive' shaped bin as well which has only recently been put in 'hopefully' it's final place & will be in use when the green dalek is full.  The lovely compost   The Bokashi/bird food bin!  |
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Post by grindle on Dec 4, 2015 5:25:15 GMT
I kept mine in the shed but it was a very cold winter that year so I guess it wasn't warm enough. I've seen the Bokashi bins advertised and wondered what they would be like, wasn't sure about the smell but as you say they don't smell, I would imagine the bran worked out quite expensive in the end?
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Post by SueA on Dec 4, 2015 8:38:01 GMT
The bran was a bit expensive grindle that's why I gave up using it really. I think I won the bokashi bins originally, as a set of two, the other one is in the greenhouse with various bits & bobs in it, the idea is you fill the other one while one is fermenting down. |
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Oh, and by the way, I also have a dalek bin. 
Though I just use it for dead leaves. 
