Compost Area

[moonlight1705]

We are having an area of garden redone which will include a compost area. We currently have two compost bins made of old pallets which are rotting away so it will be nice to get something proper constructed.

The area will be about 3msq to add the bins. What would you recommend? We are looking to really make the most of composting over the next few years.

Anyone?

I would suggest at least 3 bins (one for filling, one for maturing and one for emptying). Compost heats in proportion to its volume, but loses heat in proportion to surface area, so make it a cube to minimise the surface area: volume ratio. At least 1m cubed.

To use, fill bin 1. then fill bin 2. When bin2 is full, take the non composted stuff from bin 1 and use it to start bin 3, and use the compost at the bottom of bin 1. In practice, I find I need 4 bins, because in the middle of the growing season there's always masses of stuff to add, but I'm not using as much compost. So at this time of year, I'm filling 2, emptying one, and one is stewing.

My bins were constructed of treated timber in the early 1990s. They're now really rotting away - it started with the dividers and continued with the lower parts of the side. I can't face a rebuild, so I'm simply patching with new wood, and accepting the patches will too add themselves to the compost in time.

Google it.

Thanks @MereDintofPandiculation for your helpful reply. I like the sound of a three bin system. I guess yours have lasted 20 odd years so not bad going.

I did, funnily enough, google it and there were so many options that I thought I would see what worked best for people.

A friend of DH's has fairly recently got a hot bin and he raves about it. It speeds up the process of composting which I suppose means that you wouldn't need as many bins and can make better use of the area.
It may be worth considering as you are, effectively, starting from scratch although I think the results may be reliant on how good the gardener is.

We have one made of brick on three sides. Old carpet on top. Currently it’s full of leaf mulch but it would work for compost. Personally I keep mine on slabs with tiny gaps because of rats.

There are so many ways of composting. There's dig a trench, there's leave the stuff to rot a bit in plastic bags before putting it in the bin or on the heap, there are so many different bins too.

Bob Flowerdew suggests you take it out and mix it up!! Then replace it.... it goes on, it's really what you can afford, who can help you or how handy you are, if you can make one from old pallets etc.

Since we are getting the whole area redone, we are going to ask the garden team to create us some proper bins. We had old pallets before which was good but they have rotted so quickly.

I think I like the idea of the three bin system with the possibility of adding a hot composter later on as we always have lots to go in.