Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi everyone!
Thank you for all your helpful advice so far - things are going well with my plot and greenhouse, thanks to your help and advice.
Here's another query I have: I have just been given a large, black plastic compost bin by my neighbour and was wondering where the best place to site it would be. I still have one small undug patch in my plot (if it hadnt been raining today, I would have dug it over ) so I guess I could place it there.
What should I place underneath? Do I just put it straight on the soil? Does anyone have any good ideas as to what to put in it? Can you buy "stuff" to get it going? Enough questions! Many thanks in advance for your advice! dexterdog

My understanding is that compost bins go directly onto bare earth. For a very good thread with just the information you are looking for go to "Allotment Advice" and hunt up "Composting". Brilliant info and you won't go wrong if you follow it!

I've heard of people putting mesh underneath to stop rats getting in, but I have my compost bin on earth as Squirrel says. Helps let the worms etc get into the bin

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Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Thanks Squirrel and Shortie - think my new bin will be going onto my last little patch of land! will check out the other thread you recommended! Thanks dexterdog

For everyone with questions regarding composting - like me above - follow Squirrels advice and goto the alloment advice section and then composting - especially the advice from Geordie. dexterdog

Hi there,

I put my compost bin straight onto the earth, but I put a layer of mesh on the soil so that the rats can't get in. I never compost meat or anything cooked so hopefully I'll never have a rat problem, but I wanted to be on the safe side. Being that it's directly on the soil means that the worms get in and out easily as the mesh is plenty big enough for them!

Slug

Many thanks Slug - have put mine straight onto the soil. As far as I am aware we dont have any rats around here - if there are any in my back garden, boy will I let everyone know! Dexterdog

I don't put mine straight on the earth, but put a layer of membrane down first as I have alot of problems with perrenial weeds and find they still manage to grow up through the compost. It doesn't deter them completely, they always manage to get around the edges, but at least the majority of it is ok. Doesn't seem to deter the worms either, mine is always healthily packed with them.

Hope this helps anyone in a similar situation - I have done it with both the plastic and the wooden bins.

If you haven't logged on to Geordie's composting advice then I would urge you to do so - I have it stuck in the back of my gardening diary. It is a MUST!

Hi Jennie - what a damn good idea! What kind of membrane do you put down? many thanks dexterdog

Dexter - just the breathable membrane from the garden centre, the one you can use to plant through. It is quite expensive but just a small bit is worth the money.

Many thanks Jennie - will get some tomorrow! dexterdog