D.I.Y Composter - Do I need anything else?

Suckit · 21-04-2019 2:51pm #1

I am making a composter from pallets, similar to this one - http://palets-con-vida.blogspot.com/2011/10/compostador-con-tablas-de-pales.html
The one I am making will go straight on to the soil and won't have feet like that one.

does there need to be a layer of chicken wire or similar ⅔ of the way down, above the hatch?
Like this?

23hXiNH.jpg?1

And do I need to mix anything into the compost? I never thought I did, but have been told today that I would need to mix it with something.

magicbastarder · 21-04-2019 5:22pm

you'd only need to mix something in if you were planning on using it mainly for grass clippings, etc.; i.e. a compost bin needs a mix of greens and browns, and if you were primarily putting grass clippings in, it'd go messy and claggy.
once there's a decent mix going in, i would not say you need anything, i've never mixed anything into mine.

Suckit · 21-04-2019 6:17pm

Thanks, and is the chicken wire correct or do I leave that out?

magicbastarder · 21-04-2019 6:30pm

I guess it's kinda an inbuilt sieve so all the compost at the bottom would already have been sieved, but before the question as to how all the creepy crawlies you want in the compost would get up to the material to start work on it when you fill it?

Suckit · 21-04-2019 6:46pm

Thanks, so best to leave it out I guess?

I'll leave it out.

FFred · 21-04-2019 6:53pm

Don’t forget to consider the problem of vermin.

Suckit · 21-04-2019 7:05pm

FFred wrote: »

Don’t forget to consider the problem of vermin.

Rats etc?

I am not planning on putting any meat scraps into it, just garden cuttings mainly, and potato peels, vegetable/fruit remnants etc. Teabags, and that type of stuff. Should I still be worried?

How to stop that from happening?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 21-04-2019 9:31pm

Suckit wrote: »

Rats etc?

I am not planning on putting any meat scraps into it, just garden cuttings mainly, and potato peels, vegetable/fruit remnants etc. Teabags, and that type of stuff. Should I still be worried?

How to stop that from happening?

No need to worry on that front.

yellowlabrador · 21-04-2019 9:34pm

don't compost teabags,they have plastic in them.

Suckit · 21-04-2019 10:44pm

yellowlabrador wrote: »

don't compost teabags,they have plastic in them.

Lyons/Barrys type looking bags?
Didn't know that. I know the Java Republic type ones with a string and label etc. do.

I mostly use loose tea tbh, but have a few in bags. I won't be composting them. I didn't realise that. thanks.

Roen · 22-04-2019 8:49am

There's a few brands that don't. Pukka being one, you can compost those. Think there's polypropylene in the rest.

recedite · 23-04-2019 10:36am

I'd say that (Spanish?) design would rot very quickly in our climate. Also looks lke a lot of work to construct.

I'd buy 2 or 3 of the plastic ones in the DIY store if I was you, and use them in rotation. And as they are open at the bottom to general soil life, you don't need to add any cultures of anything.

Markcheese · 23-04-2019 10:40am

Are you making a mainly vegetable waste composter or garden and everything one,

Suckit · 23-04-2019 12:22pm

recedite wrote: »

I'd say that (Spanish?) design would rot very quickly in our climate. Also looks lke a lot of work to construct.

I'd buy 2 or 3 of the plastic ones in the DIY store if I was you, and use them in rotation. And as they are open at the bottom to general soil life, you don't need to add any cultures of anything.

I am planning on weatherproofing it. I also looked at the old whiskey barrels, but decided to use one of them as a water butt.
Weatherproof coating on the both the inside and outside should be okay?

Markcheese wrote: »

Are you making a mainly vegetable waste composter or garden and everything one,

Mainly garden waste, but will be throwing in fruit and vegetable scraps from the house too.

magicbastarder · 23-04-2019 12:46pm

a neighbour built a vaguely similar compost bin, but lined it with leftover insulation to keep the heat up in it. he says it does the job well for him.

Suckit · 23-04-2019 12:54pm

magicbastarder wrote: »

a neighbour built a vaguely similar compost bin, but lined it with leftover insulation to keep the heat up in it. he says it does the job well for him.

What type of insulation to line it with?

magicbastarder · 23-04-2019 12:57pm

he just has the standard enough rigid insulation with foil on either side.

Hocus Focus · 23-04-2019 4:15pm

Suckit wrote: »

Rats etc?

I am not planning on putting any meat scraps into it, just garden cuttings mainly, and potato peels, vegetable/fruit remnants etc. Teabags, and that type of stuff. Should I still be worried?

How to stop that from happening?

Just make sure that the vegetable waste from the kitchen has had no contact with cooked food or blood from meat etc.

Hocus Focus · 23-04-2019 4:34pm

You don't need anything in any way elaborate. Mine is just five pallets on their edge, in an "E" layout, tied together at the corners, with a fourth one at the front secured with a prop so that it can be removed for turning the compost over. The compost is accumulated in the first enclosure, then the front is taken away and the semi-mature compost forked over into the second one. This is left to mature while a new batch is started in the first enclosure.

standardg60 · 23-04-2019 8:28pm

Hocus Focus wrote: »

You don't need anything in any way elaborate. Mine is just five pallets on their edge, in an "E" layout, tied together at the corners, with a fourth one at the front secured with a prop so that it can be removed for turning the compost over. The compost is accumulated in the first enclosure, then the front is taken away and the semi-mature compost forked over into the second one. This is left to mature while a new batch is started in the first enclosure.

Perfect advice.. definitely best to have two or even three on the go at various stages of decomposition.

Day Lewin · 23-04-2019 11:24pm

recedite wrote: »

I'd say that (Spanish?) design would rot very quickly in our climate. Also looks lke a lot of work to construct.

I'd buy 2 or 3 of the plastic ones in the DIY store if I was you, and use them in rotation. And as they are open at the bottom to general soil life, you don't need to add any cultures of anything.

The plastic "Dalek" type are much harder to make good compost IN: they are tall and narrow, and not well ventilated. whereas, with a wide square bunker such as the pallet type, you can toss the compost over with a fork or spade every now and again, and this speeds things up considerably.

Also, of course, plastic is not sustainable whereas wood is. People make compost piles out of bed frames, wood planks, all sorts of reclaimed materials. My personal favourites are breeze-blocks, rocks and logs. And I've been making good compost for decades.

D.I.Y Composter - Do I need anything else?

Comments