Hot composter

[womanofdulwich]

I have been reading about hot composters, which are not cheap, but sound like a quick way of processing our compost. Has anyone used/ bought one? I wonder if they are as good as they sound?

[SpringTime]

We're about to start with one of these. Looks fairly vermin proof - squirrels, foxes and rats being likely contenders for open composting. I really hate wasting food but occasionally some animal fat, old bread, unusable leftovers remain, and it seems like a pointless exercise giving it to the council/contractors for disposal and composting elsewhere.

The idea that pretty much all organic waste goes in is very good. Previously many months' of careful composting have gone belly up after a clumsy addition of inedible meat;

rinds and fat.

I've a feeling our household just consumes too much, our garden isn't large enough and shan't have the capacity to take in the mulch, and so will end up hot composting AND sending food waste away via the brown bin.

Should it compost nice and quick (hopefully no more waiting 18 months) I'll be very happy, and if there's spare mulch I'm sure it'll go to a good home.

[malumbu]

Our compost heap works fine and we will have a few bags come spring, I'd happily take green waste from neighbours. Its just a standard plastic one, don't put anything in to activate it. Add a bit of paper, egg boxes and the like. Red worms do the job, and at other times of the year fruit flies and the odd slug.

Wormeries are fun, particularly if you have kids, where you get concentrated liquid fertiliser.

The grey food bins we have just over the border in Lewisham seem to encourage us to waste less food. Some goes to the birds (and bally squirrels)

[womanofdulwich]

Since WFH and all meals and food waste is at home, our compost heap has grown quickly. Especially as so many containers and packaging say compostable. I need to empty the compost onto the raised beds asap. Our cone/cylindrical shaped compost bin does not lend itself to being easily insulated. I'd be interested to see how others are getting on.

[Nigello]

How does the council manage to compost such a wide variety of foodstuffs, I have wondered. We can put fish, meant, bones, skin, etc. in with teabags, fruit peelings, etc. Does it go into a massive hot composter?

[malumbu]

Yes, very hot composter

[womanofdulwich]

After some research , I think my big mistake was putting the compost in a discrete shady corner of the garden. Thats why it takes so long to breakdown, its too cold. There is a gap in the market for a beautiful compost heap container that we can seal and put in the sun.And will not get stolen/ vandalized. ............

[Sue]

You can buy compost activator, womanofdulwich, which may help.

Also, I don't know about hot composters (too expensive for me and anyway I don't have much food waste which won't go into my dalek bins) but with my daleks you need to turn the compost to make sure air gets in. I have a special spiral tool to do it.

Daleks aren't particularly beautiful, but you could disguise them or paint them? They do make very good compost!

The council used to sell them at a good discount, don't know if they still do.