Compost bins
The composting process can take anywhere between 3 months - if started in spring - and a year, depending on conditions.
We generally recommend that compost bins are placed in areas of dappled shade as they need some heat to help with the composting process. Too much sunlight and the bin tends to dry out and stop composting. Too little sunlight and not enough heat will be created for microorganisms to become active.
Finished compost should be a dark brown crumbly loam.
Compost bins have a large capacity and are great for people with a garden. They are capable of handling:
- Most garden green waste
- Uncooked vegetable and fruit matter
- Shredded card and paper
- Coffee Grounds and tea bags
- Vacuum Cleaner Dust (wet first)
- Sawdust
- Onions and citrus fruit - these can be put in, but in small quantities because they're particularly acidic
To get the best results from your bin you need to get an even mix of the wet, mainly green materials listed above (green and kitchen waste) and the drier, brown materials (cardboard and paper for example). This will give the mix the right balance of carbon and nitrogen needed to produce high quality compost.
There are a number of items to avoid putting in the compost bin:
- Animal faeces
- Nappies (even if they say they are biodegradable)
- Root systems from persistent weeds like Japanese Knotweed and Brambles.
- Cooked food
- Meat / fish / Dairy / Bread (all of these attract vermin)