Composting!

I have always composted garden waste, but we have not really seriously been into composting household waste, but now we intend to do it seriously.
Can I compost shredded paper, and does it need damping or anything to get it going.
Can I compost stuff like banana skins.
I would welcome any help you can offer.
I shall set up with 3 composing bins, and a shredder, is there a natural thing I can put in the composters to really get things moving quicker.

Re: Composting!

These look good value, what do you think?

Composter

Re: Composting!

As far as I have read Wrinkly, my books suggest to 'layer' contents of the composter. Layers of greenstuff, strawy manure, even hair from your local hairdresser will compost, spoilt fruit from a friendly greengrocer, leaves, and shredded paper (wetted) to help it start rotting. Apparently you can also layer grass cuttings and cardboard to make a leafmould/peat subsitute.
If you also buy a product called Garotta (J.rthur Bower's) from any garden centre, it speeds up the natural composting process, by providing food to promote bacterial growth, which helps the compost temperature to rise. Just sprinkle a bit over each new layer of material added and water it in.



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Re: Composting!

I used to use Garotta but it's expensive and unnecessary if you can wait 2 years for your compost. I run 6 compost bins. At any point in time 3 are being filled up while 3 are getting on with the job of rotting it's contents. It takes a year to fill the 3 bins and when full I empty the other 3 bins onto the garden and dig in the compost and then these bins can be filled.........simples. The compost is always well rotted without using any chemicals.

Re: Composting!

Thanks for your input folks.
An old gardener once told me to pee on the compost heap, it accelerates the process, personally I wouldn't fancy doing that!

Re: Composting!

Yes, it's supposed to be excellent. If you have a go though Wrinkly, it's supposed to be diluted 1 : 4.

Re: Composting!

Really the best thing to kickstart the composting process is horse muck, and avoid putting onion peelings or anything citrus in the compost as it deters worms, which do most of the work in a good heap. It is also important to keep the material damp and to turn it over once a month to introduce oxygen for the bacteria to thrive...

Re: Composting!

Well things are moving, I have got a bargain on the 330 litre composters, buy one get the second at half price, £!9-99 and the second at a @£10 from our council.
So I will start with 4 and see how long it takes to fill them and rot it down.
We usually start the planting season, by getting between 12 and 20 sixty kg. bags of compost.

Re: Composting!

I don't know what you are expecting from your efforts Arthur, but just bear in mind that if you are successful, the compost which you produce will be suitable for mulching and soil improvement, and will not be of a quality to use for seedlings and growing on, so whether it will negate the need for your usual spring compost delivery only you can know..

Re: Composting!

Thanks for this tip! On my allotment we have surplus horse manure but it's mostly saw dusty. We need to get it cleared away ready for our Produce Show in 3 weeks so I will start getting some to put in my bin. I might suggest it to other plot holders when we get together.

I only have a raised bed and small ground area but did inherit a boxed composter. Unfortunately I've chucked so much on it but there's no way to get to the good stuff at the bottom. Whoever built it didn't provide a door!

Sorry, edited to add that I DO have a plastic composter bin which I am using too.