Covering a compost heap - is it a good idea?
Or is it better to leave the top open?
--
Chris

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
Covering a compost heap - is it a good idea?
Or is it better to leave the top open?
--
Chris

Better to cover it so that it rots down quicker

In article , "Robert
(Plymouth)" writes
"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...

Covering a compost heap - is it a good idea?
Or is it better to leave the top open?

Better to cover it so that it rots down quicker

Is that to keep it warm or to keep rain off?
--
Chris

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
In article , "Robert (Plymouth)"
writes
"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...

Covering a compost heap - is it a good idea?
Or is it better to leave the top open?

Better to cover it so that it rots down quicker

Is that to keep it warm or to keep rain off?
--
Chris

Both i think, if it gets too wet it may go mushy/smelly and to retain some
heat at least.I have covered mine with those 1 ton builders merchant
delivery bags with the two handles.But you could cover with card board and
let it rot in,or old carpet is good and long lasting.
Cheers Keith

"Chris" wrote
Covering a compost heap - is it a good idea?
Or is it better to leave the top open?

Our present large heap is not covered and takes an age to rot down but on
our previous allotment we had a "hot box" type heap, insulated on all sides
and top with thick polystyrene, which used to produce two lots of compost
per year and often the centre was ash showing how hot it had got. No weed
seeds survived that!

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

In article , Bob Hobden
writes
"Chris" wrote

Covering a compost heap - is it a good idea?
Or is it better to leave the top open?

Our present large heap is not covered and takes an age to rot down but on
our previous allotment we had a "hot box" type heap, insulated on all sides
and top with thick polystyrene, which used to produce two lots of compost
per year and often the centre was ash showing how hot it had got. No weed
seeds survived that!

Interesting! Did it have any ventilation?
Construction details would be welcomed and appreciated.
--
Chris

In article , Bob Hobden
writes

"Chris" wrote
Covering a compost heap - is it a good idea?
Or is it better to leave the top open?

Our present large heap is not covered and takes an age to rot down but on
our previous allotment we had a "hot box" type heap, insulated on all sides
and top with thick polystyrene, which used to produce two lots of compost
per year and often the centre was ash showing how hot it had got. No weed
seeds survived that!



Did you fill it all at once Bob or keep adding to it? I find those that
I make quite quickly do better than those that you keep topping up at
intervals.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article ], Chris ]
writes

Interesting! Did it have any ventilation?
Construction details would be welcomed and appreciated.

I've just bought one called a "Joanna" which has a special grid so that
rats can't get in and has a special jacket to put round it for the very
cold parts of the year. Hopefully this will work really well!

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

While we are on the subject I was wondering if it is possible to add
pistachio shells or date stones to the compost? Has anyone tried? Or
does that take too long to decompose?

writes
While we are on the subject I was wondering if it is possible to add
pistachio shells or date stones to the compost? Has anyone tried? Or
does that take too long to decompose?

They take a long time, but they are small enough not to cause a problem.
Date stones tend to germinate, but won't last the first winter.
--
Kay

"Janet Tweedy" wrote ...
, Bob Hobden
writes

"Chris" wrote
Covering a compost heap - is it a good idea?
Or is it better to leave the top open?

Our present large heap is not covered and takes an age to rot down but on
our previous allotment we had a "hot box" type heap, insulated on all
sides
and top with thick polystyrene, which used to produce two lots of compost
per year and often the centre was ash showing how hot it had got. No weed
seeds survived that!

Did you fill it all at once Bob or keep adding to it? I find those that I
make quite quickly do better than those that you keep topping up at
intervals.

I filled it almost in one go, possibly over a couple of weeks, making sure
there was plenty of rough stuff on the bottom with plenty of air in it and
that the heap was damp, by pouring a few cans of water over if I was making
it in summer and anything in there was dryish. Plenty of fresh green waste
helps. There was no ventilation as such, only what was trapped in the heap.

The heap was about 2 cu metres big (has to be over 1 cu m.) made of wood
from an old shed and lined with 2 inch thick polystyrene sheets obtained
from a builders merchant. The heap was made within this and covered with
another sheet of polystyrene held down with anything heavy enough to do the
job.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

On 17 Dec, 23:47, "Bob Hobden" wrote:
"Janet Tweedy" wrote ...
, Bob Hobden
writes



"Chris" wrote
Covering a compost heap - is it a good idea?
Or is it better to leave the top open?

Our present large heap is not covered and takes an age to rot down but on
our previous allotment we had a "hot box" type heap, insulated on all
sides
and top with thick polystyrene, which used to produce two lots of compost
per year and often the centre was ash showing how hot it had got. No weed
seeds survived that!

Did you fill it all at once Bob or keep adding to it? I find those that I
make quite quickly do better than those that you keep topping up at
intervals.

I filled it almost in one go, possibly over a couple of weeks, making sure
there was plenty of rough stuff on the bottom with plenty of air in it and
that the heap was damp, by pouring a few cans of water over if I was making
it in summer and anything in there was dryish. Plenty of fresh green waste
helps. There was no ventilation as such, only what was trapped in the heap.

The heap was about 2 cu metres big (has to be over 1 cu m.) made of wood
from an old shed and lined with 2 inch thick polystyrene sheets obtained
from a builders merchant. The heap was made within this and covered with
another sheet of polystyrene held down with anything heavy enough to do the
job.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
17mls W. of London.UK

Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

I think that's probably the only effective way of doing an aerobic
heap. If you're doing a heap in bits and bobs as they occur, then the
old fashioned anearobic heap is fine. It's slower and it doesn't kill
weed seeds but otherwise it's OK. When I was rotavaing I would
rotavate in a lot of spent crops so long as there wasn't too much. Now
I'm on deep beds I'm just adding to an anearobic heap as and when I
get stuff. So one heap rotting - another one being built, taking care
to layer green stuff and brown woody stuff.