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Garden Composter

  • 08-01-2006 12:00pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭


    With summer approaching, I want to get a composter for the garden.

    ANy suggestions for where I can pick one up? What size are they typically, so I can start thinking about where to put it? What kind of cost are they?


Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 160 ✭✭chickey


    If its a regular composting bin Local authorities often sell them. Bought one from Wexford Co Co for about 25 or 30 euro a couple of years back. Its about 3 feet diameter at base and about 4 foot high.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 655 ✭✭✭Macy


    Must be that time of year. Emailed Grow Green Solutions over lunch for a price of their Big Pig Composter. I'm looking at the Compost Tumbler type solutions as they take cooked food and meat as well as uncooked as it is sealed from vermin.

    They also claim to take dog and cat waste, but not sure I'd fancy spreading that on the veg plot (which doesn't exist yet, but is on the way)!

    If it's just to reduce waste going in the bin, the green cone (www.greencone.ie) looks interesting and again can take cooked food and meat. Might be able to give more info on that in the summer, as me mam is thinking of investing. Doesn't really appeal to me as I want to use the compost around the garden.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭noby


    chickey,
    I had one of those about four years ago. Big green plastic dalek. At the time I had no interest in gardening, but it seemed to work well.
    Hoping to grow some veggies, starting this year, so I'll probably get another one.
    Macy, let us know the price of the Big Pig.

    I also got three hens last summer. They'll eat alot of food scraps in return for some lovely fresh eggs.


  • Registered Users Posts: 69 ✭✭LiamG


    Hi

    I got one of the above a few months ago - works well (in spite of it being so cold) - it does need a bit of heat to work.
    Miles better than a "standard" composter as it is so easy to "turn" and thus the scraps get aerated easily


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,546 ✭✭✭Enii


    I made my own composter by cutting off the bottom of a standard bin, works really well and costs only about a tenner.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 655 ✭✭✭Macy


    Got the price back - 550 plus VAT! :eek:

    tbh too much for me, so I'll be looking at other options. Probable after that is the green cone for cooked food and meat, and traditional heap for uncooked peelings, garden waste etc, unless one of the other compost tumbler's comes in significantly cheaper.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 19 madonnar


    Macy
    I have often read that you should NEVER compost meat of any kind and def not cat/dog faeces, only vegetables,hoover contents incldg dog/cat hairs/paper


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 655 ✭✭✭Macy


    madonnar wrote:
    Macy
    I have often read that you should NEVER compost meat of any kind and def not cat/dog faeces, only vegetables,hoover contents incldg dog/cat hairs/paper
    In a traditional compost bin that is true, but the sealed tumbler types claim that they reach a high enough temp to make cat and dog waste safe. Also afaik, meat and cooked foods shouldn't be put in a traditional compost bin/heap more because of vermin rather than any other issue.

    Personally, I'd be wary of using dog or cat waste whatever system, particuarly on veg plots.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,297 ✭✭✭Reyman


    You really need an insulated bin of a good size to make compost properly. Otherwise it takes forever to breakdown.

    The plastic ones the Councils are selling are a waste of time - a complete joke!

    You need a minimum 3' x3' x 3' size to generate heat properly with perhaps a timber frame. I used 6" x 1" planks to make up a frame with 1" between the planks for aeration. Also you need a roof cover to keep the rain out and maybe an old carpet to cover the compost and keep the heat in.

    Alternatively you can buy purpose built composters with 1"-2" polstyrene lining for insulation and these are supposed to work well, though i've no experience myself

    If you're serious about this you ideally need two adjacent compost heaps, alternating between one filled and breaking down and the other currently in use.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    All I'm looking for is something I can throw my grass & hedge cuttings in the summer into as the bin collection in our area has now gone to black bin/green/bin/black bin/green bin every week, so I can see myself having problems in the summer time trying to get rid of the grass in a bin thats collected every 2nd week.

    I'm not too familiar with composters, so what actually happens to the grass cuttings? Do they eventually break down and will you have to empty the compoister every now & again or what can it be used for?


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,031 ✭✭✭MorningStar


    Reyman wrote:

    The plastic ones the Councils are selling are a waste of time - a complete joke!

    I think that is really unfair to say. They make a difference and if people pay it a bit of attention they can work well. THere is better OK but they do reduce waste which is what they are for. Speaking like that is a big too negative.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    I checked the Kildare CoCo website and they are selling ones for €38. Not sure of the size of the composter or specifics of it.

    Just had a look at Woodies website
    They have 2 for sale
    http://www.woodiesdiy.com/productdetail.aspx?pid=6250&loc=P&catid=14.21
    http://www.woodiesdiy.com/productdetail.aspx?pid=6249&loc=P&catid=14.21

    For the money, I think I'd opt for the 300litre, but there are no details on size, so would anyone try to hazard a guess as to dimension sizes for a 300litre?

    Looking at the pic and using Inter Cert Maths I'm gueesing it would be something like 60cm wide * 40cm deep * 125cm high approx.

    Doesn't appear to be huge, so would it be big enough for avg. garden cuttings in summer once a week?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭noby


    It may start to stink with just grass cuttings. You need to get the right balance of what you put in.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,220 ✭✭✭✭Lex Luthor


    noby wrote:
    It may start to stink with just grass cuttings. You need to get the right balance of what you put in.
    Suggestions?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 435 ✭✭Gordon Gekko


    A very rough rule of thumb is that you want to have 2-3 parts brown material to 1 part green material.

    Brown material is carbon rich material such as woody prunings, shredded newspaper, straw, sawdust, brown leaves etc.

    Green material is nitrogen rich material and includes green garden clippings, grass cuttings, kitchen waste etc.

    You don't need to be overly scientific about it. The key things to remember are - more brown material than green, a decent sized compost bin (really you should be aiming to have one metre cubed at least - easy to build your own out of planks), have the base touching bare earth so that worms and other friendly composters can wriggle up into it.

    There are two types of composting - hot and cool. Most domestic heaps never get hot enough for hot composting - hence you're not supposed to put diseased plant material or weed roots into it, as the heat never gets high enough to kill pathogens and weed seeds/roots.

    Most domestic heaps operate by cool composting, i.e. are slower and depend more on worms and other creepies to do the work.

    You can speed things up dramatically by keeping it moist, but not too wet, and turning weekly with a fork - fork all material out, and then fork it back in again.

    Check out this link for more detailed info.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,297 ✭✭✭Reyman


    Good post Gekko! All there for everyone.

    Forget those icebox plastic council bins and do it properly


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 655 ✭✭✭Macy


    Just for info, the compostumbler (the one you see in all the garden magazines) is around stg£300 from what I've found (and mixed reports of their success anyway).

    Still kinda tempted for the Greencone for kitchen waste (cooked and meat included) (€165). But I'll be building a heap at the weekend with some of the spare wood I have around first I think.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,114 ✭✭✭noby


    Would it be ok to make a composter out of four pallets, or are the gaps undesireable?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,297 ✭✭✭Reyman


    You must have air gaps or the compost won't break down. Usually for each horizontal 6 inch plank you would allow a 1 inch gap, and then another 6 inch plank 1 inch gap, etc.

    Maybe the gaps in your pallets would meet this approximately


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 586 ✭✭✭Desmo


    noby wrote:
    Would it be ok to make a composter out of four pallets, or are the gaps undesireable?

    sounds fine. The gaps are big but if the heap is big enough, that will not matter. Can you make it into 2 compartments. It is easiest to run if you have one pile cooking (takes a few months at least) and a second pile filling up.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 336 ✭✭Bombbastic22


    Anyone used this? I feel I need one. I was thinking of getting one.

    The reviews look great! It may be just what I'm looking for.

    Any opinions would be super.

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dolmen-Compost-Mixer-and-Aerator/dp/B0050I2FB4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1347048551&sr=8-2


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 15,858 ✭✭✭✭paddy147


    Lidl and Aldi are selling large composter bins at the moment,for not alot of euros.

    http://www.lidl.ie/cps/rde/xchg/SID-89B654F3-FB95808C/lidl_ri_ie/hs.xsl/index_24314.htm


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