Question about Compost bins

 

Hi,

Due to the layout of the house - I probably need to locate most of my black
plastic compost bins (3/5) to an area of the garden which gets full sun. I
tried it before - but the worms invariably fry during Summer.

But would the composting process still work? (I'll put a bucket of water
each day to keep it moist)

I tried the open concept - but the compost invariably dries up and does not
decompose. Doesn't work so well.

 



You didn't say what these bins look like or how they operate.

For example, I have 2 of the 'upside down' Gedye bins - the ones with no
base and the lid on them.  They operate anaerobically and one fills them up
till they are about 80% full and then leave them for a while.  These bins
are ideal for kitchen scrap and they never, in my experience, need the
addition of any liquid.  both mine sit in full sun for most of the day and
there is no problem with them.

The other 2 mobile bins I have are the ones on a central axle that tumble.
They too sit in full sun but are a bit more problemmatic.  They do dry out
more easily but still work.


I don't make good compost from big piles either, but then I don't have the
strength to turn them anymore and thus they do what your's have done, dry
out and although everything eventually rots - it's not what I'd call real
compost.

 



I have the Gedye bins - the one that look like squat post office
letterboxes - but with just a lid, no drawers.

For some reason, they do tend to dry out. I'm living in Melbourne. The area
I located the bins gets full sun - including a full blast from the West.

We have a large compost pile with fencing - bad idea I think - that one has
problems as it dries out too easily and a lot of the stuff turns straw
like - esp. the stalks of plants; and does not decompose.

The main problem with that section is that the compost worms die. You see
them desperately trying to crawl out of the bin in Summer and getting fried.

(I relocated the compost worm bin - also a Gedye - to a shady spot)
Hopefully that will help. But my garden is too big and needs about 4 compost
bins.

 


That's interesting.  Mine have never dried out.  I use them for kitchen
scrap so thats always pretty moist since I put any liquid from stuff I've
cooked in there too.  My Gedye bins are shaded from the most severe late
afternoon sun from about 5.30 onwards in summer.  Perahps you could put up a
bit of shade cloth on some stakes on the westward side and add some more
liquid.

 I'll post up some photos of the compost bin locations at
alt.binaries.pictures.gardens

tomorrow or when I get some free time on the weekend.

If you are free check it out.