The Heap

[Diane]

I'm wondering how many of us cover up the compost heap in the winter or leave it open?

I usually leave mine open...as I invariably find things to add to it all the year round. I don't have room for two heaps. It's contained on three sides by a sort of chain link fence arrangement.

So.....cover .....or not cover....??

[Beryl]

I don't cover mine. I have just had a new delivery of manure which I have layered up with all the green stuff I've been saving. Then a good thick layer of straw on top to keep it warm over winter. My other bins are full in the same way but as they rot down I add any stuff I have over winter on top and it seems to rot down just as well uncovered.

Beryl.

[Kleftiwallah]

I have a large hexagonal compost bin care of the council. I've wrapped the sides in bubble wrap and overwrapped it with black plastic to try and keep the heat in. Now the frosts are here I'll construct a lid to pop over the top.

I do have a comment on a phenomenon enon enon. The lid is hinged along the centreline and one side lifts up to load in 'more stuff', the contents that are under the fixed half lid (to the rear) rot down far quicker than 'the stuff' under the bit raised to load. I keep pushing 'stuff' to the back and down it goes whereas the stuff in the front is still at the same level. Curious. I think I have more of a worm farm than a compost bin. Cheers, Tony.

[solway cropper]

I don't cover my open heap as I'm constantly adding to it. Neither do I cover the leaf mould cages for the same reason. The two daleks have lids but they were full to the brim last time I looked. They will settle over the winter but I have stuff rotting in plastic sacks to add when needed.

My aim is to have a minimum of 1200 litres of usable compost next spring.

[Geoff]

I have six bins of just over a cubic metre each. When a bin is full I cover it with a couple of squares of carpet; uncovering it every now and then to check what is going on, possibly water it and beat some air into the top layers. When they settle enough and I am running out of space I combine them. There is always one that is open. The Winter heap which is often somewhat of a sloppy mess gets covered in the Spring then later put under the Squashes etc. as that is the last bed to be dug.

[Stephen]

How about covering with cardboard? It will help the heat build up, then as it gets wetter, it will fall apart and rot down.
I don't generate enough material for a metre cubed box, but using "daleks" follow the same technique as Geoff.

[JohnN]

I have two adjacent 5 x 5ft compost heaps, each surrounded by corrugated iron. I'm at present in process of digging out heap (which grew marrows this year) and stacking compost on a plastic sheet, and then taking top part of other heap (down to compost that can grow plants next season) and turning it over into excavated part. As I place each "layer" I am mixing barley straw in with it, as recommended by Johnboy /OH. This will then be the heap to receive next year's mowings etc.
Only one problem - a big pile of compost all ready to put somewhere, but where? All my beds are brimming and short of raising them with an extra surround of timber I can't think what to do with it all apart from digging in a few spadefuls.

[alan refail]

I have always assumed that "best practice" is to cover; in winter to keep out the rain and snow which will wash out nutrients, in summer to avoid drying out. Whatever you use as a cover it cannot be too difficult to remove, fold back or whatever to add new material. Having said that, of my four cubic metre bins, one is usually uncovered to take chicken muck and shavings until there is enough to top off the other bins. And the hens love getting in for a scratch - and adding to the heap!

[PLUMPUDDING]

I always keep mine covered, both the ones maturing and the one being added to. It has a bubble wrap plastic sheet laid on the compost for insulation and a piece of double walled perspex resting on the sides held down with a couple of bricks.

The bubble wrap keeps the heat and moisture in and the heap gets extremely hot and sinks very fast so I can keep adding stuff for ages. The double walled perspex also seems to be rat proof and is nice and light to lift off when adding to it. When it is full to bursting I cover it with a layer of hen hut cleanings and put the covers back and leave it to mature, then when an adjacent heap is emptied I turn the maturing one into it and cover it again when it usually heats up nicely once more before it is ready to use.

My heaps are three 1 cu meter squares that I made from those breeze blocks with holes down the middle. They are standing on aviary mesh so no rats can get in from below, but still have good drainage and worms can get in easily. They have a lower front for easy access which is filled in with a piece of scaffolding board cut to fit and with a piece of metal nailed to the edge so the rats can't eat through it. Saying this, the rats seem to have left the garden over the past few months with not one sighting and no tracks or tunnels to be seen. No doubt they'll be back.

[solway cropper]

There's some quite organized compost heaps here.

My open heap is just that, a big open heap about 8 x 4 x 4 feet with wire netting on two sides that make one bottom corner of the garden. Having just received a new flat-pack coal bunker in large cardboard packaging I now have a use for said packaging....cover compost heap.

brilliant!!

[freddy]

Hi folks.

A couple of times in this thread there's been mention of rats. Can anyone tell me the implications of having rats in the heap?

Cheers....Freddy.

[peter]

Wiell's disease risk

[freddy]

Yikes ! Looks nasty Thanks for the info Peter. I intend to build a bin for manure, so I'll probably use chicken wire at the bottom.

Cheers...Freddy.