Hello Beanie, what a great experiment, thanks for taking the time to do this. When I used to manage a normal compost heap for my Mum I found that if there was only grass it started to get very matted and smelly and I had to mix in other stuff to keep it composting. My mini bin has been running hot since April except when weve been way - if not fed off 4 days the temperature drops a lot. I have discovered that the tiny red/brown insects (size of pinhead) that cluster round the edge of the hotbin vent are compost mites and not harmful at all so I wont be squashing them from now on! Since I emptied some compost at start of May I had plenty of leachate for 4 weeks and this month nothing at all - either ventilation holes at base are blocked or something else going on - I may need to do one of your hotbin MOTs soon.
It is funny that many people on here are saying that they are not getting any leachate. I am also not getting any from my mini so I feel a video this weekend may need to be filmed. I agree even in these almost perfect conditions you still need to feed the hotbin at least once every two to three days to keep the temp up. Well done for finding out what the insects are I will need to look at that when the tennis is finished.
You even have a push mower like I do!😂😎 I have a warm season grass and you probably have a cold season but I found the long grass does what has happened to you but 5-10mm breaks down really well. Great experiment again, thanks for it.Garry.
Thanks for taking the time to do this as I always wondered if I could do this. I see it can add to additional compost but not result by itself into compost. Many thanks Mr. Beanie, you saved me two months of trying this out, Maya
Hi, you are welcome. Better to cut grass as often as possible so you don't get buckets of the stuff in one go. Not possible for everyone but at least you can add it to the hotbin when there are only small amounts, and it breaks down quickly.
I had a feeling ths experiment was doomed from the start. But thanks for the confirmation. Most of my waste is vegetable and fruit from the kitchen plus cuttings and old plants. I mainly use the grass as a mulch for potatoes and strawberries.
Thanks Ken. I did think it would be a bit of a waste too. As you say keep the grass for mulching or cut short and often and put into the hotbin with everything else. That is what I am back doing with great success. Hope all good in your hotbin.
i think the problem was that there was too much paper and carboard which is why it was so dry.....i use mainly grass, with leaves(paper when no leaves available) bulking agent and some kitchen waste but not much, maybe a lot of teabags but only 2 of us in house so not very much to use.....i mix my batches before throwing in, still trying to get the balance right. i sieve the finished product using the remainder as a mulch or using as a bulking agent with next batch....temperatures consistent at 60-65
You are right. I thought the grass would create a lot of moisture but in reality it did not. I think if you are adding other waste even if not that much it would still be easier than just plain grass. I feel you would need to perfect the mixture and mix before putting into the hotbin as you say. Well done for keeping yours at 60 - 65.
@@BeanieComposter my rule is, if its too wet, its needs more brown material(paper, carboard, leaves, bulking agent), ifs its too dry, it needs more green materials(grass, freshly cut items etc)....its can clump, like ya say and i do get some but i try to keep it mixed as best i can to stop the clumping
I made my own hot bin with polystyrene insulation so not a brand hotbin. It’s just me in the house so I rely most on grass to compost. I have a reasonable back lawn and small front lawn. I get about 3 mower loads of grass a week this time of year. I’ve found that grass tends to burn hot and fast. If I get most of it in on Sat, it’s up to temp (~50-60) after about 3 days but once it’s hits that max it plummets pretty quick. By next Sat it’s probably back down to about 35. I agree it tends to clump so about mid week I usually give it a bit of a mix to break some of the clumps and add a bit more card / paper if it needs it. I’ve just started trying to stager the front and back so 1 of the 3 loads goes in mid-week to see if that helps maintain the temp a bit more.
Well done for making one. It really does require a varied diet to keep the temp up. Since the experiment I have been feeding it with all sorts and temp is into the 60's. Using mainly grass must be quite hard as you say. How have the results been with the compost you are producing?
i was just gonhna suggest to stagger the lawn cuts, ive a small back garden and front, so i mow the neighbours and the mothers, steady supply (not so much in winter), i keep topping it up. to keep the temps steady at 60-65. admittedly, i do have to take it out quicker than id like but i let it break down further in a mound, sieving it off every few weeks and reuse as bulikng agent...maybe a mini would help, like Beanie ;)
@@BeanieComposter I’ve only harvested once so far. The very bottom stuff was horrific. It was like a babies nappy and it stank 😂 clearly that was the early days when I didn’t quite know the right balance of things. It got better as it went up. It was a little wet so I’ve had to lay it out on a sunny day to dry it a little but it looks okay - maybe a bit woody where the wood chips I added haven’t quite broken down. Hopefully the next batch will be more consistent.
@@davidjohnscully93 Well done. You will normally still have wood chips and as I have said you could sift the compost and reuse them. It does take time to get the balance right but it seems you have got the hang of things now.
Interesting! I find grass leads to an initial spike in temp and then big reduction. I tend to add a handful or two and put the rest into my darlek which just has garden waste and grass and is left for a year. Compost from that is good after a year - I have two on rotation. I don’t add much else or even turn that. What I want to find for my hotbin is a longer stiring stick. I feel I need to get down lower in the bin when stiring. I see some made for compost stiring but haven’t bought as a bit concerned about causing damage to the bin.
Hi Kate. You defiantly have the best idea with the grass. As I have often said too much grass in one go in the hotbin can cause you problems. Most people will want to cut their grass in one go hence you cannot put it in the hotbin in one go so your method wins in both aspects. Quicker disposal and better results. The hotbin company say no stirring is required but I am with you the stirring sticks are not up to it at times imagine what it would be like if you get the MEGA hotbin. Video to come on my thoughts with that one.
Hey, great video. I'm a new hotbin owner, and I don't get so much kitchen waste, but I do get an absolutely enormous amount of leaves from trees next to my house. Is it possible to do a video like this one, but swap out the grass for leaves?
Hi Luke We did do a video on leaves in the hotbin. With the hotbin the more varied waste you can feed it the better. I would say just putting leaves in could lead to airflow problems so be aware of that. Adding grass and other garden waste will certainly help yo achieve higher temps. I may do a video in the future on leaves only but at the moment we don't have so many. Hope this helps you out.
Wish mine was that dry. I mainly use grass as have huge garden ( Could fill my 200L hotbin plus 3 large sacks) with abit of house waste and shredded cardboard. I was in the green for a while say 3 weeks then its dropped over the last few weeks. Maybe im not putting in enough bulking agent and too much cardboard ?
These things are hard to work out. I think you probably have restricted the air flow so maybe adding more bulking agent and giving it a good stir may kick it back into life. The grass experiment was too dry. You need some moisture there. Seem like you are doing things well it just is hard to maintain the green temp which is why so many get frustrated with them. Maybe you need a Hotbin mega?
Well done to you for trying that experiment 👏 👏👏. You seemed to want to to work that much that you ended up with more bulking agent and paper than grass🤣. Fair play to you, I love your enthusiasm👍. It's funny coz as somebody who is new to composting let alone hot composting, I for 1 was somebody who at 1 time thought you could make compost with just grass.
It was good to do and see the results. Yes I got carried away with the paper. I thought the grass would end up being wetter. Certainly a good way to keep your paper and bulking agent dry. Ha ha. As I said maybe a waste of time but always good to try new things out.
@@BeanieComposter I'm learning as I'm going along. That's something that I've learnt though, the ratio of paper to grass doesn't need to be as high as I first thought. I'm a chef by trade and its all a bit like cooking, and getting the balance right, I brought home salad and veg trimmings...now they do hold a lot of water especially lettuce leaves!!
@@al9353 Yes like most things in life the more experience you have of something the more you know. Veg & fruit tend to have more water than garden trimmings so depends what you are putting into the hotbin. Also weather makes a difference. Less paper in summer than winter.
@@BeanieComposter I didn't realise the weather was a factor too. Is that simply because the cuttings are more likely to be wet or damp? Also because I've not long had my hotbin, can I ask, is it practically impossible to keep it hot in winter?👍
@@al9353 It is possible to keep bin hot in Winter with a good mix of material and feeding at least every third day, there will be times when the temperature drops for no obvious reason - in the Winter if it drops a lot then you are more likely to need to use the hot water bottle to get it going again.
Thanks for the tips! As Paul Daniels the magician used to say "Not a lot". I do not think one more month would have made much more of a difference plus you are wasting valuable time where you could be composting other stuff.
Ive found this video to be very helpful. Im new to gardening (only a few years) and i am interested in making my own compost for mulching and general use. I have a small to medium sized garden and live with my partner therefore not generating a huge amount of waste. This is one of my concerns that is stopping me from buying one. I think the outcome from this experiment has made my mind up that i should probably leave buying a composter until i sell up and move to a larger house.
Hi this was just putting grass in the hotbin. You can compost almost anything in a hotbin including cooked / raw food. If you have a small garden and just two of you then for sure you would be able to create enough waste to get some good compost. Do not be put off a mini would be a good investment not just in terms of money but it is a great start to get into composting. You would soon find yourself getting addicted to hot composting.
That's exactly what I was like, I was in two mind's as well, but I'm glad I bought a hotbin and as beanie said (about being addicted) I'm obsessed with my hotbin🙂.
@@BeanieComposter thank you for your thoughts. I'm going to give it a go I think. Might buy a kitchen caddy and see how much food waste I generate in a week. No issues with shredded paper as I can take some from work. Thanks!
Thanks for the video. I have recently purchased the hotbin mk 2. . It has reached the hot composting temperture after 5 days . How often can I feed my bin to maintain this
Hi Linda We do have a couple of video's on this how much can you feed your hotbin and feeding your hotbin is essential. The hotbin company recommends with a mini you feed it 5 litres per week minimum and can feed it 5 litres every other day. For the 200 litre hotbin it is double that so 10 litres per week minimum and 10 litres every other day. I feel you need a minimum of two feeds per week to keep things ticking in the higher green temps. This time of year you can get plenty of waste so the more you feed it the better. Hope this helps.
Hi James I have had a quick look need to do some research. Doesn't look like there for the average person. Will look in more detail and do a video on my thoughts. Thank you.
Hello Beanie, what a great experiment, thanks for taking the time to do this. When I used to manage a normal compost heap for my Mum I found that if there was only grass it started to get very matted and smelly and I had to mix in other stuff to keep it composting. My mini bin has been running hot since April except when weve been way - if not fed off 4 days the temperature drops a lot. I have discovered that the tiny red/brown insects (size of pinhead) that cluster round the edge of the hotbin vent are compost mites and not harmful at all so I wont be squashing them from now on! Since I emptied some compost at start of May I had plenty of leachate for 4 weeks and this month nothing at all - either ventilation holes at base are blocked or something else going on - I may need to do one of your hotbin MOTs soon.
It is funny that many people on here are saying that they are not getting any leachate. I am also not getting any from my mini so I feel a video this weekend may need to be filmed. I agree even in these almost perfect conditions you still need to feed the hotbin at least once every two to three days to keep the temp up. Well done for finding out what the insects are I will need to look at that when the tennis is finished.
You even have a push mower like I do!😂😎
I have a warm season grass and you probably have a cold season but I found the long grass does what has happened to you but 5-10mm breaks down really well. Great experiment again, thanks for it.Garry.
Thanks for taking the time to do this as I always wondered if I could do this.
I see it can add to additional compost but not result by itself into compost. Many thanks Mr. Beanie, you saved me two months of trying this out, Maya
Hi, you are welcome. Better to cut grass as often as possible so you don't get buckets of the stuff in one go. Not possible for everyone but at least you can add it to the hotbin when there are only small amounts, and it breaks down quickly.
I had a feeling ths experiment was doomed from the start. But thanks for the confirmation. Most of my waste is vegetable and fruit from the kitchen plus cuttings and old plants. I mainly use the grass as a mulch for potatoes and strawberries.
Thanks Ken. I did think it would be a bit of a waste too. As you say keep the grass for mulching or cut short and often and put into the hotbin with everything else. That is what I am back doing with great success. Hope all good in your hotbin.
i think the problem was that there was too much paper and carboard which is why it was so dry.....i use mainly grass, with leaves(paper when no leaves available) bulking agent and some kitchen waste but not much, maybe a lot of teabags but only 2 of us in house so not very much to use.....i mix my batches before throwing in, still trying to get the balance right. i sieve the finished product using the remainder as a mulch or using as a bulking agent with next batch....temperatures consistent at 60-65
You are right. I thought the grass would create a lot of moisture but in reality it did not. I think if you are adding other waste even if not that much it would still be easier than just plain grass. I feel you would need to perfect the mixture and mix before putting into the hotbin as you say. Well done for keeping yours at 60 - 65.
@@BeanieComposter my rule is, if its too wet, its needs more brown material(paper, carboard, leaves, bulking agent), ifs its too dry, it needs more green materials(grass, freshly cut items etc)....its can clump, like ya say and i do get some but i try to keep it mixed as best i can to stop the clumping
@@HenryJGondorff Yes spot on.
Thanks for persevering with the experiment - at least we all know now. 👍
I guess not many people would just do grass only but at least we know it is harder than normal hot composting and the results pretty poor. Thanks Del.
I made my own hot bin with polystyrene insulation so not a brand hotbin. It’s just me in the house so I rely most on grass to compost. I have a reasonable back lawn and small front lawn. I get about 3 mower loads of grass a week this time of year. I’ve found that grass tends to burn hot and fast. If I get most of it in on Sat, it’s up to temp (~50-60) after about 3 days but once it’s hits that max it plummets pretty quick. By next Sat it’s probably back down to about 35. I agree it tends to clump so about mid week I usually give it a bit of a mix to break some of the clumps and add a bit more card / paper if it needs it. I’ve just started trying to stager the front and back so 1 of the 3 loads goes in mid-week to see if that helps maintain the temp a bit more.
Well done for making one. It really does require a varied diet to keep the temp up. Since the experiment I have been feeding it with all sorts and temp is into the 60's. Using mainly grass must be quite hard as you say. How have the results been with the compost you are producing?
i was just gonhna suggest to stagger the lawn cuts, ive a small back garden and front, so i mow the neighbours and the mothers, steady supply (not so much in winter), i keep topping it up. to keep the temps steady at 60-65. admittedly, i do have to take it out quicker than id like but i let it break down further in a mound, sieving it off every few weeks and reuse as bulikng agent...maybe a mini would help, like Beanie ;)
@@BeanieComposter I’ve only harvested once so far. The very bottom stuff was horrific. It was like a babies nappy and it stank 😂 clearly that was the early days when I didn’t quite know the right balance of things. It got better as it went up. It was a little wet so I’ve had to lay it out on a sunny day to dry it a little but it looks okay - maybe a bit woody where the wood chips I added haven’t quite broken down. Hopefully the next batch will be more consistent.
@@davidjohnscully93 Well done. You will normally still have wood chips and as I have said you could sift the compost and reuse them. It does take time to get the balance right but it seems you have got the hang of things now.
Interesting! I find grass leads to an initial spike in temp and then big reduction. I tend to add a handful or two and put the rest into my darlek which just has garden waste and grass and is left for a year. Compost from that is good after a year - I have two on rotation. I don’t add much else or even turn that. What I want to find for my hotbin is a longer stiring stick. I feel I need to get down lower in the bin when stiring. I see some made for compost stiring but haven’t bought as a bit concerned about causing damage to the bin.
Hi Kate. You defiantly have the best idea with the grass. As I have often said too much grass in one go in the hotbin can cause you problems. Most people will want to cut their grass in one go hence you cannot put it in the hotbin in one go so your method wins in both aspects. Quicker disposal and better results. The hotbin company say no stirring is required but I am with you the stirring sticks are not up to it at times imagine what it would be like if you get the MEGA hotbin. Video to come on my thoughts with that one.
No, you could've used a squirt bottle to moisten it when you added the grass. That was your error.
Thank you.
Good try I was surprised how dry it was.
Have you tried all garden waste in one bin
Household waste in the other ?
I have some experiments I have in mind. May not have enough household waste to keep it hot but that is a good idea. Thanks.
Hey, great video. I'm a new hotbin owner, and I don't get so much kitchen waste, but I do get an absolutely enormous amount of leaves from trees next to my house.
Is it possible to do a video like this one, but swap out the grass for leaves?
Ah, just found your video on this already 👍 UA-cam search is rubbish
Hi Luke
We did do a video on leaves in the hotbin. With the hotbin the more varied waste you can feed it the better. I would say just putting leaves in could lead to airflow problems so be aware of that. Adding grass and other garden waste will certainly help yo achieve higher temps.
I may do a video in the future on leaves only but at the moment we don't have so many. Hope this helps you out.
Wish mine was that dry. I mainly use grass as have huge garden ( Could fill my 200L hotbin plus 3 large sacks) with abit of house waste and shredded cardboard. I was in the green for a while say 3 weeks then its dropped over the last few weeks. Maybe im not putting in enough bulking agent and too much cardboard ?
These things are hard to work out. I think you probably have restricted the air flow so maybe adding more bulking agent and giving it a good stir may kick it back into life. The grass experiment was too dry. You need some moisture there. Seem like you are doing things well it just is hard to maintain the green temp which is why so many get frustrated with them. Maybe you need a Hotbin mega?
You even have a push mower like I do!😂😎
Must be cousins
Well done to you for trying that experiment 👏 👏👏. You seemed to want to to work that much that you ended up with more bulking agent and paper than grass🤣. Fair play to you, I love your enthusiasm👍. It's funny coz as somebody who is new to composting let alone hot composting, I for 1 was somebody who at 1 time thought you could make compost with just grass.
It was good to do and see the results. Yes I got carried away with the paper. I thought the grass would end up being wetter. Certainly a good way to keep your paper and bulking agent dry. Ha ha. As I said maybe a waste of time but always good to try new things out.
@@BeanieComposter I'm learning as I'm going along. That's something that I've learnt though, the ratio of paper to grass doesn't need to be as high as I first thought. I'm a chef by trade and its all a bit like cooking, and getting the balance right, I brought home salad and veg trimmings...now they do hold a lot of water especially lettuce leaves!!
@@al9353 Yes like most things in life the more experience you have of something the more you know. Veg & fruit tend to have more water than garden trimmings so depends what you are putting into the hotbin. Also weather makes a difference. Less paper in summer than winter.
@@BeanieComposter I didn't realise the weather was a factor too. Is that simply because the cuttings are more likely to be wet or damp? Also because I've not long had my hotbin, can I ask, is it practically impossible to keep it hot in winter?👍
@@al9353 It is possible to keep bin hot in Winter with a good mix of material and feeding at least every third day, there will be times when the temperature drops for no obvious reason - in the Winter if it drops a lot then you are more likely to need to use the hot water bottle to get it going again.
"Bulking agent" is just woodchip. I wouldn't fixate so much on temps. Just put grass, woodcip and paper, mix it and see what you get in three months.
Thanks for the tips! As Paul Daniels the magician used to say "Not a lot". I do not think one more month would have made much more of a difference plus you are wasting valuable time where you could be composting other stuff.
@@BeanieComposter I dunno. A lot of people with large gardens, they have an abundance of grass and woodchip and it can generate a lot of good compost.
Ive found this video to be very helpful. Im new to gardening (only a few years) and i am interested in making my own compost for mulching and general use. I have a small to medium sized garden and live with my partner therefore not generating a huge amount of waste. This is one of my concerns that is stopping me from buying one. I think the outcome from this experiment has made my mind up that i should probably leave buying a composter until i sell up and move to a larger house.
Hi this was just putting grass in the hotbin. You can compost almost anything in a hotbin including cooked / raw food. If you have a small garden and just two of you then for sure you would be able to create enough waste to get some good compost. Do not be put off a mini would be a good investment not just in terms of money but it is a great start to get into composting. You would soon find yourself getting addicted to hot composting.
That's exactly what I was like, I was in two mind's as well, but I'm glad I bought a hotbin and as beanie said (about being addicted) I'm obsessed with my hotbin🙂.
@@BeanieComposter thank you for your thoughts. I'm going to give it a go I think. Might buy a kitchen caddy and see how much food waste I generate in a week. No issues with shredded paper as I can take some from work. Thanks!
@@al9353 thank you! Going to give it a try
@@AC-ip8dp Yes can always buy second hand if if is not working out you can sell it get your money back and maybe more.
Thanks for the video. I have recently purchased the hotbin mk 2. . It has reached the hot composting temperture after 5 days . How often can I feed my bin to maintain this
Hi Linda
We do have a couple of video's on this how much can you feed your hotbin and feeding your hotbin is essential. The hotbin company recommends with a mini you feed it 5 litres per week minimum and can feed it 5 litres every other day. For the 200 litre hotbin it is double that so 10 litres per week minimum and 10 litres every other day. I feel you need a minimum of two feeds per week to keep things ticking in the higher green temps. This time of year you can get plenty of waste so the more you feed it the better. Hope this helps.
Beanie, have you seen the new 450 and 700 mega Hotbins on their website! Madness
Hi James I have had a quick look need to do some research. Doesn't look like there for the average person. Will look in more detail and do a video on my thoughts. Thank you.
One sould technically be able to make good compost with 50/50 grass and paper. (Not worrying about temps). That would be the next experiment.
Yes as I said I think you would get better results with just putting your grass in a normal compost bin. Less hassle.