Hi
Ive got an old coal bunker in my garden that Im sure must be useful for
something. Its made of concrete with a lidded opening at the top and a
covered opening at the bottom. Would this work as a compost storer? I
guess it would be anaerobic. I could put stuff in the top and shovel it
out from the bottom.
If not - any other creative ideas?
thankyou

Sarah

SarahH wrote:
Hi
Ive got an old coal bunker in my garden that Im sure must be useful for
something. Its made of concrete with a lidded opening at the top and a
covered opening at the bottom. Would this work as a compost storer? I
guess it would be anaerobic. I could put stuff in the top and shovel it
out from the bottom.
If not - any other creative ideas?
thankyou

Sarah


You could use it for a compost bin. If it has a concrete base though,
you might have problems with drainage. If it gets too wet though, you
could always mix in some shredded newspaper. There's no reason for it to
be anaerobic either, although it could get like this if it gets soggy
and you can't get to the contents to mix them up a bit.

If you could smash the top of it off and maybe make some holes in the
base it would be better, but as it is I'd say it would work, but
wouldn't be ideal and the compost would take longer to make.

If you lined it with carboard, you could use it to store spuds, or if
you blocked off the bottom opening you could make a nice jacuzzi!

SarahH wrote in
:

Hi
Ive got an old coal bunker in my garden that Im sure must be useful
for something. Its made of concrete with a lidded opening at the top
and a covered opening at the bottom. Would this work as a compost
storer? I guess it would be anaerobic. I could put stuff in the top
and shovel it out from the bottom.
If not - any other creative ideas?

I have an old oil tank mounting that is now a pond. Remove sharp things,
insert liner, make a nice timber frame to hold the liner edges down and
improve looks generally: and voila! Formal pond. You do need to be
sure the walls are thick enough to hold the weight of the water though.

I think the problem with using it as a composter would be getting the
compost out. I find compost doesn't like to leave neatly through a
little door at the bottom of a container. It gets stuck. So if you
can't easily shovel it back out of the top, I'd avoid that one.

Tiny shed? (attach hand tools to loops of rope and hang round the edges
for easy retrieval!)

Place to grow mushrooms?

Fill it once to the top with compost materials, remove lid, then when
rotted, make:

- Huge planter for something with invasive roots?

- Raised bed for delicate tinies or herbs?

- Bed for plants that wouldn't otherwise grow in your soil?

Or mix compost ingredients with a hefty dose of manure, and grow
pumpkins or something in the top?


Victoria.

On Fri, 12 Sep 2003 12:24:28 +0100, Victoria Clare
wrote:

SarahH wrote in
:

Hi
Ive got an old coal bunker in my garden that Im sure must be useful
for something. Its made of concrete with a lidded opening at the top
and a covered opening at the bottom. Would this work as a compost
storer? I guess it would be anaerobic. I could put stuff in the top
and shovel it out from the bottom.
If not - any other creative ideas?

I have an old oil tank mounting that is now a pond. Remove sharp things,
insert liner

Titanic or something smaller? :-)
--
Martin

The message
from SarahH contains these words:

- any other creative ideas?

We had one at the last house which I used for storing bags of potting
compost, grit, stacked flowerpots etc. One year I also used it for
stashing planted pots of bulbs in a "cool dark place".

Janet

I use one for the second stage of composting.

First stage is a plastic black dalek composter. When this fairly full, I
lift off the shell and fork the conical mound into the bunker. A few
months later, it's done and can be shovelled out of the large ground
level slot originally intended for extracting coal.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

bigboard wrote:

SarahH wrote:

Hi
Ive got an old coal bunker in my garden that Im sure must be useful
for something. Its made of concrete with a lidded opening at the top
and a covered opening at the bottom. Would this work as a compost
storer? I guess it would be anaerobic. I could put stuff in the top
and shovel it out from the bottom.
If not - any other creative ideas?
thankyou

Sarah


You could use it for a compost bin. If it has a concrete base though,
you might have problems with drainage. If it gets too wet though, you
could always mix in some shredded newspaper. There's no reason for it to
be anaerobic either, although it could get like this if it gets soggy
and you can't get to the contents to mix them up a bit.

snip a little

If you lined it with carboard, you could use it to store spuds, or if
you blocked off the bottom opening you could make a nice jacuzzi!


hmmmmmm..... Jacuzzi - now that would be nice! lol. Im not sure we would
ever have enough potatoes to store.

The newspaper bit wouldnt be hard. I have 2 guinea pigs, whos cage is
lined with newspaper, hay and sawdust. So would that go well in it?

Sarah

Victoria Clare wrote:

SarahH wrote in
:


Hi
Ive got an old coal bunker in my garden that Im sure must be useful
for something. Its made of concrete with a lidded opening at the top
and a covered opening at the bottom. Would this work as a compost
storer? I guess it would be anaerobic. I could put stuff in the top
and shovel it out from the bottom.
If not - any other creative ideas?


I have an old oil tank mounting that is now a pond. Remove sharp things,
insert liner, make a nice timber frame to hold the liner edges down and
improve looks generally: and voila! Formal pond. You do need to be
sure the walls are thick enough to hold the weight of the water though.

ooh, if it wasnt tucked into a daggy corner by the shed and bins Id
think seriously about that one.

I think the problem with using it as a composter would be getting the
compost out. I find compost doesn't like to leave neatly through a
little door at the bottom of a container. It gets stuck. So if you
can't easily shovel it back out of the top, I'd avoid that one.

Good point!


Tiny shed? (attach hand tools to loops of rope and hang round the edges
for easy retrieval!)

lol!!

Place to grow mushrooms?

not so sure about this one!

Fill it once to the top with compost materials, remove lid, then when
rotted, make:

- Huge planter for something with invasive roots?


- Raised bed for delicate tinies or herbs?

- Bed for plants that wouldn't otherwise grow in your soil?

Or mix compost ingredients with a hefty dose of manure, and grow
pumpkins or something in the top?

ooh, some good ideas here! I might rethink the things around it to make
more of it!

Thankyou!

Sarah

Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message
from SarahH contains these words:

- any other creative ideas?

We had one at the last house which I used for storing bags of potting
compost, grit, stacked flowerpots etc. One year I also used it for
stashing planted pots of bulbs in a "cool dark place".

Janet



Oh, thats a good idea. Im not sure I could get large bags through the
whole but the bulbs would work.

or maybe dhs homemade wine.....

Sarah

Steve Harris wrote:

I use one for the second stage of composting.

First stage is a plastic black dalek composter. When this fairly full, I
lift off the shell and fork the conical mound into the bunker. A few
months later, it's done and can be shovelled out of the large ground
level slot originally intended for extracting coal.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

Do you do the first stage in the dalek to get it hot, or is there
something Im missing - being new to composting :-/ ?

Sarah

Janet Baraclough wrote:

The message
from SarahH contains these words:

- any other creative ideas?

We had one at the last house which I used for storing bags of potting
compost, grit, stacked flowerpots etc. One year I also used it for
stashing planted pots of bulbs in a "cool dark place".

Janet



lol - can you believe that I dont think Ive ever looked in it until just
now - never had the courage.
Its stacked full of pots, small planters and lawn edging.
G Weve been here 6 years.

Sarah

SarahH wrote:

The newspaper bit wouldnt be hard. I have 2 guinea pigs, whos cage is
lined with newspaper, hay and sawdust. So would that go well in it?

Definitely.

bigboard wrote:

SarahH wrote:

The newspaper bit wouldnt be hard. I have 2 guinea pigs, whos cage is
lined with newspaper, hay and sawdust. So would that go well in it?


Definitely.


Cool!
Sarah

In article ,
(SarahH) wrote:

Do you do the first stage in the dalek to get it hot, or is there
something Im missing - being new to composting :-/ ?

Yes it does get hot in the dalek. When I transfer it to the bunker, a
lot of air gets into the compost which probably makes it rot faster.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com