worm bin awkwardness

 I have one of those basic worm bins that councils often promote (open
bottom, narrower at the top, hatch on the side at the bottom for
shovelling out), and I find it quite difficult to get all the good
stuff out of the bottom without unfinished stuff collapsing down.

I use a spade to scoop the finished stuff out, but end up with a
cavity with a sort of arch over it, and it's very difficult to scrape
out the finished stuff from the sides and back.  Then a few days
later, it drops down but the stuff accessible from the hatch is
largely undigested and I end up shovelling it back in the top to get
at a bit right on the bottom.

Any tips?  Maybe a spade isn't the right approach?

 wrote:


Just checking here - are we  talking some sort of "wormery" or a
"Dalek" type compost bin? Sounds like the latter which I wouldn't call
a "worm bin". Whilst worms are a major (and essential) element in a
wormery, they are incidental in a compost bin/heap.

Whilst the "Daleks" are reasonably well-performing bins, provided they
are sited right, their one downside, compared to the open compost
heap, is that they are difficult to turn unless you fork out for one
of those special turning tools. I have two which run on a 2-year
cycle. Dalek 1 gets filled in year 1 and left in year 2. Dalek 2 gets
filled in year 2 and left in year 3. Dalek 1 provides my spring
mulching etc. in year 3 and then gets refilled. From that point on, I
harvest each Dalek in alternate years when the contents are entirely
composted. So emptying doesn't present a problem. If you can't wait
for the entire bin-full to turn to compost, then you're really stuck
with the design flaw.

FWIW I find it much quicker to produce compost in "open" heaps. You
can build a "set of two" easily using five wooden palettes to make an
E-shape (try a "wanted" ad on Freecycle). Then add to heap 1 and turn
the decomposing stuff into heap 2 to finish off and harvest from
there. Bit of old carpet to cover as needed. Cost is a bit of petrol
to collect the palettes and a bag of nails to fix together.

Cheers
Jake
==============================================
Gardening at the dry end (east) of Swansea Bay
in between reading anything by JRR Tolkien.

www.rivendell.org.uk

 says...
 I

 When a Dalek compostheap is well along, past the worm-infested stage,  I
recommend letting it get very dry so ants will colonise the contents.
there's nothing like ants  for chewing up rough compost into friable soil


  Like Jake I wait until the Dalek compost is done (it never gets turned).
Then I slide off the whole Dalek upwards, (Like lifting a bucket off a
sandpie on the beach) leaving a compost-pie which is easily accessible.
 I put the dalek on another spot and if there's any rough material at the
top of the pie that isn't quite digested yet I just return it to the
dalek.

   I have several daleks, scattered around the garden hidden in high plant
growth. Saves carrying weeds etc to the big compost heaps; and then I have
"local" supplies of finished compost around the garden later, for mulching
or planting. Saves carrying compost.

   Janet

 Got rid of our Daleks as too energy consuming for what they did.

Settled for http://www.myalbum.com/Album§TCLLF7  which have been nothing
but 110% successful and this week, where we have been cutting back and
pruning hedges and producing stacks of shreddings, we have made a temporary
'holding' with wire netting.

Our 'Gardens', even though postage stamp size ;-)) enjoy A) producing a lot
for the compost bins and B) the frits of the bins. (Ours may be postages
stamp, but our daughter's has the scope for a JCB to empty them :-))

Mike


--

...................................

Don't take life too seriously, you'll never get out alive.

...................................

 says...

I use the old grow bags, empty of course! as a cover, tucked down the
sides and held in place with a few large stones/bricks!

--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales