About Compost Bins
Compost Bins
Compost bins come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Finding the one that suits you will be mostly dictated by the size of your garden and the amount of home and garden waste produced by your household. A static compost bin measuring less than 1.2m square (4 square feet) is more than adequate for most small to medium sized gardens. A large heap or wooden composting system is better if you have a larger amount of kitchen and garden waste to process. Composting methods will vary slightly with different types of compost bin. Closed plastic units, for example, have less air circulation so require a drier, more careful mix whereas an open timber structure allows you to be a bit more free with your ingredients. Turning and mixing the compost will also vary, for example the compost in a rotating compost bin can be mixed by turning it, while compost in a heap or static composter will have to be turned manually.
Homemade garden compost can be made over a period of 2 to 12 months and is rich in nutrients and friendly bacteria. Garden compost is made by adding organic material like garden and kitchen waste to a heap or compost bin and allowing it to rot down into a dark and crumbly soil like substance. Adding homemade compost to your garden will improve soil structure by mixing organic matter through your soil. It also releases nutrients which will help feed your plants. Garden compost is an environment friendly gardening practice as it re-cycles green waste and uses it to grow new plants; it is a home version of the same cycle which built all the soils covering the Earth.
Hotbin Composters
Hotbin composters are insulated compost bins that take up the same space as a regular wheelie bin. They are available in 2 sizes; 100L, and 200L capacity. They are well insulated and contain any foul odours caused by the composting process within, this means they won't attract pests and rodents. Hotbins work all year round and will compost all of your food and garden waste even in the winter months when traditional composters stop working. They achieve this by working much faster at breaking down waste by heating it up to 60°c. This extra heat enables you to compost 32 times faster than a regular composter. The compost then created is very rich and ready to be used between 30 to 90 days. It works so fast and thoroughly that even turning or mixing the compost is not required.
The Garden Tower Composter & Planter
A unique composter/planter, the composting takes place in the centre shoot and plants are grown around it while simultaneously being fed with completed compost. The Garden Tower is a high performance urban gardening system that brings container gardening to a whole new level, it offers no weeding, no nutrient loss, and low maintenance. It is simple to set up and can be used in any garden, patio, or balcony where there is limited space. One tower composter can grow up to 50 plants.
Joraform Insulated Rotating Composters
Joraform composters have insulated tumblers that recycle home and garden waste much faster than other compost bins. They are a premium product that take up little room and emit no odours, the composter can be left free-standing or bolted to the side of a house, shed, or fence using the included fixings. Because these bins are fully enclosed systems, they are pest and rodent resistant, and no odours waft out during the composting process. Joraform compost tumblers are also called digesters as they work like a mechanical stomach that quickly digests the organic matter fed into it. There are three sizes of these composters available; the JK125 or 'Little Pig', the JK270 or 'Big Pig', and the JK400.
The JK125 measures 95cm x 83cm and can recycle up to 1.5kg of waste into compost per day.
The JK270 measures 116cm x 88.6cm and can recycle up to 2.5kg of waste into compost per day.
The JK400 measures 140cm x 81cm and has a capacity of 14.2 cubic feet.
Plastic Rotating Compost Bin
The rotating composter bin comes already assembled and ready to go. It is very easy to use, the compost tumbler sits on the base where the integral caster wheels sit neatly into the grooved track on the drum. This makes it very easy to simply turn the compost. The rotating composter breakss down materials much faster and speeds up the mouldering process. The lid fixes tightly to the drum and keeps any odours in. This compost bin is also pest and rodent free, as the tight lid will keep them away from your compost heap.
Hungry Bin Worm Composters
The Hungry Bin is a worm composter designed and made in New Zealand. It is a fast and convenient way to compost food scraps with an innovative and highly efficient design that and can process up to 2kg of waste per day. The unique design creates an ideal living environment for compost worms who convert organic waste into worm castings and a nutrient-rich liquid. Both the castings and the liquid can then be used as a very high quality fertiliser.
The Hungry Bin has a tapered shape that compresses the worm castings and makes the worms move to the surface layer to find food and the liquid fertiliser also drains freely from the bin and into a tray placed below it. Compressed castings are easier to handle and largely free of worms and it is a simple process to collect both the castings and liquid produced by the hungry bin and transfer it to the garden where it will work its magic.
Wooden Compost Bins
The standard wooden compost bin is probably the most common composter on the market, they can be seen in gardens and allotments all over the world. Wooden composters can be made in all shapes and sizes and are available with or without lids. Our wooden compost bin has a slatted timber design, the advantage of this design is that the gaps between the slats allow air to circulate through the compost pile. This speeds up the composting process. The main drawback many gardeners have with this type of compost bin is that they are not odour free like many of the other varieties we stock.
Plastic Composters
Plastic composters like the above mentioned rotating compost bin, tend to be a closed composting system that retain odours and as a result don't attract pests. The most common plastic composters are tower shaped bins with a lid on top and a door at the base of the unit for accessing the compost. Plastic bins can be moved easily and positioned anywhere in the garden. These compost bins perform best with a slightly drier mix than usual, so be sure to add plenty of brown leaves, cardboard, and paper.
Kitchen Composting Bins
These are like mini compost bins or buckets with lids that act more as a temporary storage solution for kitchen waste before it is brought out and added to the main compost heap or bin. A good rich compost can be made in kitchen composters if you get the balance of brown and green materials correct, but this will be in quite a small volume compared to an 'outside' compost bin. Most kitchen composters are small enough to be placed under the sink or in some out of the way place, and many have an ornate or stylish design.
