Yeah the footprint is pretty much a deal breaker for me. I'd love proper big bays like you have, I think you get much better compost but until I'm a homesteader ... Needs must 😁
I have a compost tumbler and the compost that comes out of it is always wet and clumpy. Until you showed that yours is that way, I thought I was doing something wrong. Now I know what to do about it - THANKS! I'm getting a lot of good information from your videos, plus they're fun to watch.
Ideally it shouldn't be but it can be hard to get the texture right with some of these fancy widgets. Try adding about twice as much brown as you are currently adding. I find that helps.
I love watching your videos! Thanks for answering our questions. You seem like someone I would love to just sit in the garden with a cup of tea and just talk about gardening
I’ve used the hot bin to make compost and it seems to have a slim (from the worms) causing it to clump together I use it mainly for mulching my roses, borders and to mulch veg. Excellent for mulching potato container. The composting worms love it. My quadgrow plants are doing better, I swapped the compost for a growbag and they have perked up. Nowhere near as good as the outdoor crops though.
@@eliandkate probably a mucus (it’s feels slimy) pretty sure it’s from the high number of worms that miraculously appear when the compost starts to cool down. It doesn’t deal with garden cuttings, to be honest, kitchen waste eats it up.
I love my Hotbin, I got it last December not the best time, as difficult to get it hot, used the water bottle a few times. I live in a townhouse so no real garden but terrace/patio, first lot was v wet, but I took it to my allotment, best beans ever this year! Getting better now and dryer, and the last lot I did dry in the sun, but I take it all to allotment, it finishes breaking down there, good courgettes also this year.
Hello, Eli Thank you for taking the time to explain things. I found this video particularly good as I plan on making a hotbin after seeing Niall making his .
Hey Joanna, to be honest, I wouldn't use my videos as reference for Niall's fake hotbin. They really aren't the same and the compost that comes out is very different. You'd be much better asking Niall how you should use and deal with compost from his bin design. Always better to be safe and go to the source for info.
We started cold composting earlier this year and give our compost a wizz around now and then to aerate it. We have 3 x 330ltr bins and add layers of torn cardboard to kitchen waste, then add small layers of grass clippings, then cardboard and so on. We do add water now and then, but do turn it around inside the bins as best we can. It's looking good and breaking down well, so by next year we will get a good amount to add to the beds and for potting on. Like you, there is no smell, as long as you add carbon (cardboard, dry leaves, straw etc) to Nitrogen (green and kitchen waste). There are suggested ratio's to help make the composting better, but we try to get it close to 50% Carbon to 50% Nitrogen and it works for us.
how much in a year..... OH totally rough estimate... and I mean rough, about 800 litres or so It does munch through things fast but it took me a wee bit to get the hang of it
Hi Eli, do you find like me, the bark we have to add to the mix, never composts down and as a result get lots of it in the mix? I only ever add a few handfuls per caddy of food waste.
Hi Eli and Kate, Well I never the compost hokey-cokey, That is the problem I have with my tumbler bins, I have to undo the clumps it produces, take care
I’ve got the new model which has the drainage bit, but to be honest, no matter how many times I empty it, my compost still comes out too wet. The leachate always dribbles down the bin and onto the ground, even though I’ve raised the bin and used trays that fit right to bin but it still makes a mess. However, It does make a clumpy composty mess much quicker than anything else I’ve tried though 😆
Eli Hi. Just been watching your list of composting videos. A question? the July 20 in particular the early shots of compost on the tarp, is that the full bin or just the bottom half, you know equal to the hight of the door, also I noticed that the vent wasn't open very much. I've always sived my compost, even the old way. Mind you I like the big one, is that just some galvanized mesh from the garden centre/B&Q. Waffling makes you human. You're right about keeping at it, one chap I've seen, beanie, he's always giving his hotbin a good old mixing up. Sorry, now who's waffling. The ancient Britton. Regards Geoff Maddison
Hey Geoffrey So in today's video and the one from las year that was just over a quarter. I find usually only the bottom quarter is ready at any one time. But you always get more drops from above, which is a pain in the arse. The bin actually hold quite a lot. I was surprised. The vent is only open the recommended amount, which I admit is way less than I want to open it but I'm guessing there's a reason they say open it that amount. Maybe it's got some fancy system so it lets in more air than you think? It took me a wee while to work out what their recommendation looked like in real life but they eventually did a video to show it. The sieve is indeed just galvanised mesh from bandq nailed to a big frame. Does the job 😁
So we tried to "fire up" our hotbox composter again after watching this video. Tried to follow your advice... but still stuck at 50 degrees!! Now considering a flame thrower ☄🔥 Do you have any alternative advice? 🤔
50 c is not bad With my hotbin I’ve found that it doesn’t get above 50 until you have it more than half full and they have a tendency to get quite wet, so keep an eye on that
Hi Eli and Kate.👋 I hope you won't mind another question 2 years later Eli🙏. What sort of beasties do you get in your compost? I seived my first ever compost yesterday, and there were several tiny, white 'wormy things' in it. It made me feel icky.🤑
Just all the same stuff I get in the garden, wood lice, slugs, beetles, worms etc White worm things could be beetle grubs or caterpillars? Don’t know anything about your compost but generally you’ll get all the usual stuff you’d get in the garden in there helping to make compost
A few more good reasons to do hot composting: 1) speed 2) it kills weed seeds and everything else.. ground elder, dandelions etc 3) no insects, smell or anything. It's also possible to put meat/fish products in it, given that the temperature is high enough (though I don't)
Hey Craig, there's no reason why you couldn't. Growing medium is growing medium, but in all honesty, it's probably a waste to use it in a quadgrow. With the quadgrows, you are generally feeding the plants using feed in the water reservoir, so you aren't relying on them having compost to gain nutrients from. If you were going to shell out for the living soil kits, you'd better using it in a big bed or something where you'll see the benefits. 😀
Hi Eli. 4 months ago i started my hotbin compost adventure. 3 months later i successfully harvested my first load of compost from the bottom of the bin. When I removed the compost, obviously the stuff above it fell to the bottom of the bin. Seeing as that itself would have been in the process of breaking down, does that mean my next batch should take less that 3 months to be ready? If so, how long should the second batch take? (and successive batches from now on?) Thanks.
Hey cabbageturnips The claim from hotbin is that if you can keep your bin consistently hot (above 40c) and at the right moisture levels then you can have proper compost in 3 months. You can have rougher unfinished compost from 1-3 months. It's all about keeping the bin consistently at temperature. The time is judged from when you put that layer in, it takes 3 months for that to breakdown, so unless you filled your bin in one go, you'll probably be checking every month or so and harvesting what's ready. For me I've found that it usually takes a bit longer to get what I consider finished compost because my bin is always too wet.
@@eliandkate That's great. Thanks for the reply. I built my own based on Niall Gardens one. It has worked well but the main problem is the durability. Some gaps appearing where the sides were glued together. I think i'm going to bite the bullet and buy the hotbin mini.
well I would say before you jump - go watch ALL my videos and have a bit of a google for people's experiences. It isn't quite as easy as they make out. I think in every single video I mention that my compost is wet and sludgy LOL
Mine is the original before the did the different versions so I'm not 100% sure which one it relates to as the details aren't available anymore. But if I was buying one now, I'd get the biggest available (if I had enough garden and kitchen waste to feed it).
Compost hokey-cokey! Love it! 😂
Well it had to be said 😁😁😁😁
Super video Eli! I bet you've introduced loads of people to the concept of hot composting and I love how it fits so discreetly into your garden.
Yeah the footprint is pretty much a deal breaker for me. I'd love proper big bays like you have, I think you get much better compost but until I'm a homesteader ... Needs must 😁
I have a compost tumbler and the compost that comes out of it is always wet and clumpy. Until you showed that yours is that way, I thought I was doing something wrong. Now I know what to do about it - THANKS! I'm getting a lot of good information from your videos, plus they're fun to watch.
Ideally it shouldn't be but it can be hard to get the texture right with some of these fancy widgets.
Try adding about twice as much brown as you are currently adding. I find that helps.
@@eliandkate Thanks for that tip. I'll do that this morning.
I love watching your videos! Thanks for answering our questions. You seem like someone I would love to just sit in the garden with a cup of tea and just talk about gardening
I'd probably drive you nuts 😁
I’ve used the hot bin to make compost and it seems to have a slim (from the worms) causing it to clump together I use it mainly for mulching my roses, borders and to mulch veg. Excellent for mulching potato container. The composting worms love it. My quadgrow plants are doing better, I swapped the compost for a growbag and they have perked up. Nowhere near as good as the outdoor crops though.
A slim?
Yeah it's really clumpy and sticky. They say it's because of the high humus levels
@@eliandkate probably a mucus (it’s feels slimy) pretty sure it’s from the high number of worms that miraculously appear when the compost starts to cool down. It doesn’t deal with garden cuttings, to be honest, kitchen waste eats it up.
Ahhhh yeah I know what you mean.
I love my Hotbin, I got it last December not the best time, as difficult to get it hot, used the water bottle a few times. I live in a townhouse so no real garden but terrace/patio, first lot was v wet, but I took it to my allotment, best beans ever this year! Getting better now and dryer, and the last lot I did dry in the sun, but I take it all to allotment, it finishes breaking down there, good courgettes also this year.
Having your own compost is awesome. I found that word got round the neighbours when everyone struggled to get compost in lockdown 😀
Loved this vid.
😀 glad you enjoyed it. I had fun making it... even with next door having a party while I shoveled &*@&* 😂
Ahhh Eli compost is the engine in our gardens and yours is small but hot….fantastic!….such a good method…….take care Malc
😂😂😂
small but hot….fantastic!
.... no comment!
😂😂😂
Hello, Eli Thank you for taking the time to explain things. I found this video particularly good as I plan on making a hotbin after seeing Niall making his .
Hey Joanna, to be honest, I wouldn't use my videos as reference for Niall's fake hotbin. They really aren't the same and the compost that comes out is very different. You'd be much better asking Niall how you should use and deal with compost from his bin design. Always better to be safe and go to the source for info.
@@eliandkate oh ok i thought they made compost the same way but I will do some more research before i decide if or not to buy one
I think theoretically they do, but I just don't want you gutted if you follow my advice and it all goes horribly wrong 🙂
@@eliandkate Thanks Eli It's ok I get what you are saying !!!
😛
We started cold composting earlier this year and give our compost a wizz around now and then to aerate it. We have 3 x 330ltr bins and add layers of torn cardboard to kitchen waste, then add small layers of grass clippings, then cardboard and so on. We do add water now and then, but do turn it around inside the bins as best we can. It's looking good and breaking down well, so by next year we will get a good amount to add to the beds and for potting on. Like you, there is no smell, as long as you add carbon (cardboard, dry leaves, straw etc) to Nitrogen (green and kitchen waste). There are suggested ratio's to help make the composting better, but we try to get it close to 50% Carbon to 50% Nitrogen and it works for us.
Yeah that's what I found with ratios, the recommended one doesn't quite work for me
Well I made it to this year this year I should be up to date then try out some of your suggested places to check out
I want a hotbin. How many litres of compost do you make a year?
how much in a year..... OH totally rough estimate... and I mean rough, about 800 litres or so
It does munch through things fast but it took me a wee bit to get the hang of it
I also have a rotating sieve!
I've seen those, they look fab
Hi Eli, do you find like me, the bark we have to add to the mix, never composts down and as a result get lots of it in the mix?
I only ever add a few handfuls per caddy of food waste.
Yup.... That's generally what I'm sieving out. Takes about two turns to get it to compost. Same with egg shells
Hi Eli and Kate, Well I never the compost hokey-cokey, That is the problem I have with my tumbler bins, I have to undo the clumps it produces, take care
Yeah it sounds like most of the bin type devices need a bit of work to get the compost "perfect" 😁
Ohh who is that lady in the yellow top. Oh yes it’s me!!! Haha thanks for letting me appear on your video 😃
Thank you so much for joining me on video. Lovely to see your smiley face
Another great little video is there any chance of one where you’re doing the Hokey Cokey ? 😀
I was told not to post any more if the daft videos onto UA-cam.... But there are always vids like that on Instagram 🤣🤣🤣
So who is a composting god then? Who has this down to an art and who is still tweaking and getting it just right?
I’ve got the new model which has the drainage bit, but to be honest, no matter how many times I empty it, my compost still comes out too wet. The leachate always dribbles down the bin and onto the ground, even though I’ve raised the bin and used trays that fit right to bin but it still makes a mess. However, It does make a clumpy composty mess much quicker than anything else I’ve tried though 😆
🤣🤣🤣🤣 so we're both giving a thumbs up for a faster clumpy compost????
Eli Hi. Just been watching your list of composting videos. A question? the July 20 in particular the early shots of compost on the tarp, is that the full bin or just the bottom half, you know equal to the hight of the door, also I noticed that the vent wasn't open very much. I've always sived my compost, even the old way. Mind you I like the big one, is that just some galvanized mesh from the garden centre/B&Q. Waffling makes you human. You're right about keeping at it, one chap I've seen, beanie, he's always giving his hotbin a good old mixing up. Sorry, now who's waffling. The ancient Britton. Regards Geoff Maddison
Hey Geoffrey
So in today's video and the one from las year that was just over a quarter. I find usually only the bottom quarter is ready at any one time. But you always get more drops from above, which is a pain in the arse. The bin actually hold quite a lot. I was surprised.
The vent is only open the recommended amount, which I admit is way less than I want to open it but I'm guessing there's a reason they say open it that amount.
Maybe it's got some fancy system so it lets in more air than you think? It took me a wee while to work out what their recommendation looked like in real life but they eventually did a video to show it.
The sieve is indeed just galvanised mesh from bandq nailed to a big frame. Does the job 😁
So we tried to "fire up" our hotbox composter again after watching this video. Tried to follow your advice... but still stuck at 50 degrees!! Now considering a flame thrower ☄🔥 Do you have any alternative advice? 🤔
50 c is not bad
With my hotbin I’ve found that it doesn’t get above 50 until you have it more than half full and they have a tendency to get quite wet, so keep an eye on that
@@eliandkate we've emailed you this morning, some exciting developments!! ;-)
Hi Eli and Kate.👋 I hope you won't mind another question 2 years later Eli🙏. What sort of beasties do you get in your compost? I seived my first ever compost yesterday, and there were several tiny, white 'wormy things' in it. It made me feel icky.🤑
Just all the same stuff I get in the garden, wood lice, slugs, beetles, worms etc
White worm things could be beetle grubs or caterpillars? Don’t know anything about your compost but generally you’ll get all the usual stuff you’d get in the garden in there helping to make compost
A few more good reasons to do hot composting:
1) speed
2) it kills weed seeds and everything else.. ground elder, dandelions etc
3) no insects, smell or anything.
It's also possible to put meat/fish products in it, given that the temperature is high enough (though I don't)
Absolutely 🤗
Hi just recently watched your video on living soil and just wanted to ask if it was possible to use this soil in collaboration with a quadgrow?
Hey Craig,
there's no reason why you couldn't. Growing medium is growing medium, but in all honesty, it's probably a waste to use it in a quadgrow. With the quadgrows, you are generally feeding the plants using feed in the water reservoir, so you aren't relying on them having compost to gain nutrients from.
If you were going to shell out for the living soil kits, you'd better using it in a big bed or something where you'll see the benefits. 😀
Hi Eli. 4 months ago i started my hotbin compost adventure. 3 months later i successfully harvested my first load of compost from the bottom of the bin. When I removed the compost, obviously the stuff above it fell to the bottom of the bin. Seeing as that itself would have been in the process of breaking down, does that mean my next batch should take less that 3 months to be ready? If so, how long should the second batch take? (and successive batches from now on?) Thanks.
Hey cabbageturnips
The claim from hotbin is that if you can keep your bin consistently hot (above 40c) and at the right moisture levels then you can have proper compost in 3 months. You can have rougher unfinished compost from 1-3 months. It's all about keeping the bin consistently at temperature. The time is judged from when you put that layer in, it takes 3 months for that to breakdown, so unless you filled your bin in one go, you'll probably be checking every month or so and harvesting what's ready.
For me I've found that it usually takes a bit longer to get what I consider finished compost because my bin is always too wet.
@@eliandkate That's great. Thanks for the reply. I built my own based on Niall Gardens one. It has worked well but the main problem is the durability. Some gaps appearing where the sides were glued together. I think i'm going to bite the bullet and buy the hotbin mini.
Yeah durability was where Niall's failed him too. That and the compost was really dry.
Thinking about getting one.... soo much cooking and paper waste.... could be bloody composting it!!
well I would say before you jump - go watch ALL my videos and have a bit of a google for people's experiences. It isn't quite as easy as they make out. I think in every single video I mention that my compost is wet and sludgy LOL
@@eliandkate 😆😆😆🙈 yum clarty compost...sure the plants would still love it but I shall do just that. Did you get the 200ltr one or the 100ltr one?
Mine is the original before the did the different versions so I'm not 100% sure which one it relates to as the details aren't available anymore. But if I was buying one now, I'd get the biggest available (if I had enough garden and kitchen waste to feed it).
@@eliandkate i guess that's the thing... do I generate enough waste to feed the larger one? More research needed
I get kitchen waste from the neighbours lol