How to restart my Hotbin Composter
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- Опубліковано 25 кві 2024
- In this video I begin the process of composting using my hotbin composter. I have been gathering green materials and brown materials from around the garden and collecting them over a couple of days so I have enough material to fill the bin. I collected grass clippings from mowing the lawn as well as rhubarb leaves, beetroot leaves and Swiss chard leaves from a harvest I did the previous weekend.
I combine this garden waste with shredded paper in a 60/40 ratio of greens to paper. The composting period for a hotbin is roughly 3 months and then you can use that compost in the garden. I tend to find that my hotbin produces decent compost between 4-6 months, sometimes even longer.
Other videos that I have produced on using my hotbin composter can be seen here • Hot Bin Composter Update
and here • Weeding and composting
Seeing it steaming after only a number of days was pretty impressive
Thank you, it was doing better than I expected, I think it was the grass that made it steam like that. Take care
Thanks Bethan 👍🌱
Thanks Joe 😊
Great video Bethan 🤗 can’t wait to get back to my compost piles 😂 xx
😂😂😂it's funny isn't it, before gardening you would think people were nuts getting excited over compost and free manure but once you know, you know 😂😂😂
It was lovely to see that compost last year. It's a great little box!
Will be fab again I'm sure 💚💚
Have a great week, getting warmer 😎
Rach x
Thanks Rach, yes it will be nice when it's warmer again, I will be praying for rain then 😂
That hot bin is teally impressive Bethan and seems to work much faster than a compost heap. I had thought of adding wood chip to the compost heap so that was useful info. Maybe Ill try it one day. Lovely job 👍 😂 ❤️ x
Thanks Linda, I wasn't expecting it to steam like that but it's not as warm as that anymore, I need to feed it some more grass clippings. Thanks for stopping by, hope all is good with you ❤️
Hi. Bethan i would be putting in cardboard instead of wood chips, i would moisten the cardboard first though. It dropped lots, great temperature.👍, lots of compost for you soon.👍❤️😁💪🙏👌
Thanks for the tip Nick, I have loads of cardboard I need to use up 😊
@@bethanskitchengarden rip it up too for better decomposition, you did a great job chopping up the materials I am so lazy and just bung most things in the whole 🤣👍👌
@@nickthegardener.1120 I always spend ages cutting up my compost, that's why I wonder where my time has gone and I still have loads of work to do 😂
I'd love one of those!
Do you have room for one? They don't take up much space 😈
@@bethanskitchengarden Most of my home waste goes into my worm bin, Bethan. (But I am thinking of moving that to the plot for the rest of the year)
@@DigwellGreenfingers Sounds like you already have a work around planned 😉 Are you at Beauleau this weekend? I'm there on Saturday
@@bethanskitchengarden No Bethan, Malvern Spring my next outing, Sunday 12th May.
i do cold composting with 2 bins and make enough to do all my garden
That's great, what are your tips?
@@bethanskitchengarden cardboard ripped up small then mix with house hold waste grass and weeds veg all chopped up and anything i can rot down takes a bit long than a hot bin but worms do the job
have u tryed adding pee to your bin helps to get it started quicker
@@paulineellison9047 I have to my 3 bay compost heaps but I've never needed to with the hotbin
The one i use does say to fill half way. then top up every 2/3 days which will keep it hot.
Great, how have you found the compost?
@@bethanskitchengarden usually wet, though I don't think it matters. I do find it a struggle getting it hot all the time especially winter time.
@@stone4173 yes mine is usually wet too. I have a bottle that I can fill with hot water and place in the bin to help with warmth over the winter but usually I just let it rot down over winter and harvest it Jan/Feb time and then restart the bin when I have more greens in the spring.
@@bethanskitchengarden I think it might be common that it's hard to heat winter time. Yes I did wonder if best to fill till October time then let it rot and start in spring again, think I'll do that this year.
Hey Bethan great video i’m still considering purchasing a hot composter. what puts me off is the risk of mice 😖🥴 they freak me out 😅
I think you can get mice with normal composting, if you keep an eye out on marketplace you might be able to get one for free, they are handy if you don't have room for three traditional compost bays 😊 Have you had any photos through of your plants yet?
@@bethanskitchengarden my family were not very good foster plant parents i found some of my tomatoes at death’s door- hubby only watered them the day before i got back 🥲
@@StellasVegetablegardens oh no 😟 I'm sure they will recover though, plants are very resilient. Take care😊
Can you tie a string around the thermometer and attach it somewhere so you don’t fall in 😅 or lose it
Oooh that's a good thought although I think me falling in would be comedy gold 😂
@@bethanskitchengarden getting out would be funnier
Are there any concerns with inks on the paper or waxed paper coating? I’ve not used a hit composter but they are very cool 😅 no pun intended. Have a fantastic weekend, Ali ☔️☔️☔️🇨🇦
No I don't think inks are a problem, I think most inks are made with biodegrading in mind now, I don't really have paper with wax although I do shred the children's school work and use that 😳🥴😂 They are good but you need to work out what recipe works for you. Have a great weekend too 😊
WOW it's crazy how fast that hot bin works. About how long does it take to get finished compost this time of year?
It should take about 3 months but I usually leave mine in for about 6 months just to make sure. I wasn't expecting it to be steaming like that, I think that was the grass clippings. Take care 😊