Making our own compost
Peat-based compost is being phased out and generally frowned upon now because its environmental damage (see Alison’s blog post about this), so many of us are thinking harder about making our own. Some of our members are enthusiastic composters and their compost bins are shown below. If you have a tried and tested method to share with other Marden gardeners, we would love to know about it. Just email a photograph and a short description to jane.y.c@icloud.com .
These are mine, nothing special but they do work - lovely compost at the bottom of the container. When you take the lids off little voles look out at you.
Liz Simmons
The advantages of my beehive compost container are threefold. Firstly they look attractive, much nicer than the black plastic daleks. Secondly, when you need to turn the compost, you can stack them in reverse order (I do it on one of those black plastic cement mixing trays) and fill them with the uncomposted material till I get down to the lower levels where it has composted and can be bagged up. You can then refill the compost container in its original position or a new one if required. Thirdly, the lid provides an agreeable sunbathing platform for my cat. Surprisingly, any unpleasant odors do not escape. I can't think of any disadvantages.
Alison Simpson
I’ve tried Dalek bins & a hot bin, but the 3 bin system is just right for my garden & veg patch. Garden & kitchen waste goes into bin 1. After a year the contents are turned over into bin 2 & covered with old carpet. The next year the contents of bin 2 are turned over into bin 3 which is covered & left for a year. Then the finished compost is sieved into the dust bin ready for use. Any remaining big lumps are put back into bin 1 to join the new waste starting its cycle. It makes lovely compost, though there is quite a lot of shovelling involved.
Jane Cunningham
I had to dismantle my compost to repair the fence so used large garden bins with handles. Size of a small dustbin. Made holes in the sides and bottom and it has worked really well. You can put bags in different parts of the garden and they rot down really quickly. Loads of squiggly worms.
Jill Nicols