Compost bins can remove loads of waste and provide loads of garden compost - a clean nutritious soil improver. All gardens thrive on garden compost - all soil types improve.
My best continuous recycling bins are here & my big heaps are here - with details on how to use.

UK Gardeners use these links to get the best composters at a keen price also at this shop there's a selection of Worm Composters . American gardeners find links to Static Composters, Tumbler composters or Timber composters. Expert Book - The World's Best Compost by Rod Turner

THE ANNUAL COMPOSTING CYCLE

• Starting in autumn sweep up leaves into bags and containers to make leaf mold or for composting later on.
• Vegetable scraps from the kitchen and old plants provide a small supply throughout the year. See Continuous Composting
• Spring brings grass cuttings. Mix with brown leaves gathered in autumn to make the first compost pile, ready by summer for autumn preparation. TIP: Spread whole leaves over lawn before mowing. see large slatted timber bins
• Green manures and comfrey cut from spring onwards keep the compost bin fired up.
• In July / August cut hedges and shred into bags.
• Grass growth resumes after summer rest. Mix cuttings with soft shredded hedge trimmings to make an ideal green/brown mix for the compost bin. See Compost Tumbler Bins for autumn ready compost.
• Well-managed gardens provide only a small supply of weeds for composting. Wild areas may be scythed and composted in late summer.

Compost bins, worm bins and other techniques enable you to recycle on-site to get the nutrient value all over again - no noise, fuss, or carriage to recycling centres. Let's start with compost making bins.

Different types of compost bin are used with different composting methods. My notes on the links below explain these methods.

About static and modular bins: My Dad wouldn’t recognise my 'space-age' composter. The next link explains the advantage and practicalities of using modern continuous composters - I've described several examples and how they suit different needs.
Design, advantage and use of static compost bins is explained on this link.

Revolutionary Compost Bin Tumblers: Check these with my special page about bins that easily rotate to turn the whole heap, aerate and speed decomposition. Design, advantage and use of tumbler compost bins is explained on this link.

Is Plastic Any Good For Compost Bins? Nowadays compost bins can be made from re-cycled plastic which has many good properties:-

• can be moulded to useful shapes faciliating new innovative designs e.g. tumbler compost bins.
• can be a ready-made single piece that's easily moved around to new locations.
• heap totally enclosed keeps cool winds out, but can also have smart vents.
• tight fitting lids and internal condensation retains moisture inside; some designs save liquid compost tea. Keeps out excess rain water.
• the often smaller convenient size contributes to lower temperatures. But finely shredded material packed wall to wall heats up well.
• are tough, durable, and maintenance free.

About Traditional Composters Made Of Wood: on this link.

My explanatory notes (free to read by clicking the link) deal with the basics, so you can better understand the composting process and adapt a method to your needs.

What can you compost? : To find a list of organic materials to compost try the next link. It also gives appropriate treatment methods for each kind of material. Garden & domestic material for composting

I think you'll agree - the worst part of mowing the lawn is not pushing the mower, but emptying the grass box; and the worst part of cutting the hedge is not the cutting, but gathering up the clippings.

...and with that in mind you probably put off doing the jobs. So let me introduce you to some tools and methods to make all these jobs easier.

Collecting material for composting: First, here's a few very handy tools to help you collect your garden waste and make the hard work easier.

Worm Composting: Specialised worm composting bins are useful if you don’t have a garden but grow house plants, or when you want to make compost for plant containers or seedlings. Different types of bin can bring different results. Find out how to make worm compost and the best worm bin design to use. How to make worm compost

Use garden compost effectively and efficiently: With just a few compost bins, gardeners can rarely make enough to go around. So find how to economise and prioritise compost distribution. This link gives details on how to distribute and apply compost.

Seed compost 50:50 mix of gutter grit & composted wood

Mix your own seed and potting compost: You can make your own seed and potting compost out of ready to hand organic ingredients like leaf mold, coir, loam etc... The advantages include saving on cost and bulk, while your compost is better suited to plant needs - find more on making compost for growing seedlings and plants here.

Compare Proprietary Compost for Seedlings and Potting: What is multi-purpose compost, evaluate peat and non peat alternatives, will your compost bin help? This compost garden pages checks them out.

Compost Gardening: You can make and harvest organic matter by re-using, recycling and converting nutrients to organic form with green manures. You can make a range of soil conditioners, composts and nutrient rich liquid feeds. About working with nutrient cycles in the garden

Commercial growers make useful organic fertilizers and soil conditioners from their nutrient/organic waste streams. Read more about ready made organic fertilizers.

HEAP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN - more information & links on composting

GARDENER'S INTERNET: FERNDALE LODGE - here I find quality tools selected for my gardening needs - practical, innovative & decorative products GARDENER'S SUPPPLY - in-tune with organic gardening - they understand the needs of gardener's - VERMONT. ON OTHER WEBSITES: Savvy Vegetarian - support for vegetarian diet, healthy eating & green living, with free advice, articles, blog, recipes, & resources.	MORE ON THIS WEBSITE: Tradition Composters - take a look at my big heaps Compare Static & Continuous Composters - practical details on continuous composting & how to do it Compare With Revolutionary Tumbler Bins - discover the advantages of tumbler bins & how to use them Basic Explanatory Notes On Composting - about how composting works & guidlines Fall Gardening - clear up & contain hedge cuttings, autumn leaves... make garden compost - some practical methods ^ Top of page
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