I have had my bin for 2+ years now and have the problems many listed above. Wet compost. I have found adding shredded corrugated cardboard from Amazon boxes etc is great for absorbing excess moisture. The corrugated material has lots of air which helps speed up composting. We also have a large tree in the garden and across the road so I have a garden shredder and shred the dead windfalls and add these regularly. We compost 2-3 kitchen waste buckets a week in winter. Similar in summer but I also add 2-3 handfuls of grass cuttings plus dead leaves and garden material. I also open the drain every time I add to the bin. I pour into a watering can. My temperature is never below 40 degrees and has been up to 70 degree. When I am emptying though NO-WAY mine stays up when I remove the bottom. I’ve tried a few methods thou never tried laying box on its. And will try that on. 🙏. Best method has been to remove the uncomposted material into 2-3 garden buckets temporarily. This means I lose heat and I need to restart box. btw - if I do get the box bit soggy I mix loads of corrugated paper mixing it BUT also use a broom handle and make holes to the bottom 4-5 to help air flow. ALSO - I use sticks at the bases but have found a sheet of black membrane stops the drainage holes filling with soil and compost. Hope that helps. I get 4-6 full loads a year and the quality is brilliant. Better than any bought compost. Vegetables and raised beds love it. I’ve made my own HotBox out of 4 pallets and some insulation foam boards on four sides with 4 pieces I place on top with bubble wrap. In summer this composts all our grass and other larger material leaves, etc and I use same principles lots of corrugated cardboard and broom handle holes and mixing
Oh to have compost as dry as in the video, mine is always very wet. I also have problems with the top layer collapsing so like ArfordSalar I lay mine down but on its side rather than back so I can just remove it with a spade. It then goes into a dalek style compost bin to 'mature' at which point it dries out and the brandling worms finish it off into lovely compost.
I have to cover my composter in a large rubble sack as it's been badly attacked by magpies and crows in the past. I've had to mend the roof after one attack where the birds pulled the vent cover and temperature gauge out of the lid. They were found discarded on the floor. I wish that my bin could be left uncovered like yours. The first compost harvest will happen later this year.
I have never been able to get compost out without the top layer collapsing halfway through. The only solution is to lay the bin on its back and dig out through the hatch downwards. No more landslides! If you have the space, this is surprisingly easy as well composted material is quite light.
I usually get 3/4 of the way through before the compost is making its way down towards me, then it's a mad dash to get it closed up before a tsunami of compost makes a break for it.
@@kateg730 mine is close, but waaay wetter. I use a lot of shredded cardboard in my compost, I find it works better for me than shredded paper, and there are always packages of some sort arriving at the house. I love how it holds temperature throughout the winter
@@andrewbell3926 that’s interesting yes mines much wetter too. I’ve been adding quite a bit of paper and cardboard but will try extra cardboard and see if that helps!
The chap in the video has hardly any material in the top half of his hot bin and what he had didn't look 'fresh'. No weight above no collapse... but that doesn't make sense unless you have multiple bins and it would appear that one had not had any recent material added. I typically remove one side of compost then a few months later scratch my head trying to remember which side I removed...
Why didn’t he add the sticks on the base like it recommends for the first time? Is that the only time to put that layer on and from now on its harvest the compost and close it up? He didn’t even fill it to the line like is recommended for the first time. Thanks
I usually turn the finished product into another rubbish bin to air out and dry out for a month or so. The Hotbin earth can get compacted and smelly. Yes, the top always collapses in when I dig out the bottom, but it's not too much of a problem. It's easiest to have four various types of bins - finish the whole of one bin, turn the whole lot into another bin and start from scratch.
I have just received our 200l Hot compost, I have been saving last weeks household waste to start and today is the coldest day of the year so far. I guess unitl the compost is half way through ther is no point in add the hot water sitck start bottle, is there? Where exactly do we put the hot water jjust in the middle of the waste or buried?
Yes that's right, you need the critical mass of a half full bin prior to adding the bottle. If you have a couple of dry, windy days that dry the lawn, you could fill a mower box and through that in with some shredded paper to give it a boost and build mass. If you do need to add the bottle going forward just dig a small hole in the middle of the heap and cover with thin layer of waste. Hook the bottle out with the rake after 24hrs and you should see a significant improvement in bacterial activity and temperature!
Mine is never dry as that, the top always collapses The temperature is up in the 30’s today , hottest day of the year snd it’s still went in there, I haven’t added any fluids either
this video has convinced me that continuous flow through isn't for me. the material i produce is so much better looking than that and it generally happens in 3 months, 4 tops.
I have had my bin for 2+ years now and have the problems many listed above.
Wet compost. I have found adding shredded corrugated cardboard from Amazon boxes etc is great for absorbing excess moisture. The corrugated material has lots of air which helps speed up composting. We also have a large tree in the garden and across the road so I have a garden shredder and shred the dead windfalls and add these regularly.
We compost 2-3 kitchen waste buckets a week in winter. Similar in summer but I also add 2-3 handfuls of grass cuttings plus dead leaves and garden material.
I also open the drain every time I add to the bin. I pour into a watering can.
My temperature is never below 40 degrees and has been up to 70 degree.
When I am emptying though NO-WAY mine stays up when I remove the bottom. I’ve tried a few methods thou never tried laying box on its. And will try that on. 🙏. Best method has been to remove the uncomposted material into 2-3 garden buckets temporarily. This means I lose heat and I need to restart box.
btw - if I do get the box bit soggy I mix loads of corrugated paper mixing it BUT also use a broom handle and make holes to the bottom 4-5 to help air flow.
ALSO - I use sticks at the bases but have found a sheet of black membrane stops the drainage holes filling with soil and compost.
Hope that helps.
I get 4-6 full loads a year and the quality is brilliant. Better than any bought compost. Vegetables and raised beds love it.
I’ve made my own HotBox out of 4 pallets and some insulation foam boards on four sides with 4 pieces I place on top with bubble wrap. In summer this composts all our grass and other larger material leaves, etc and I use same principles lots of corrugated cardboard and broom handle holes and mixing
Oh to have compost as dry as in the video, mine is always very wet. I also have problems with the top layer collapsing so like ArfordSalar I lay mine down but on its side rather than back so I can just remove it with a spade. It then goes into a dalek style compost bin to 'mature' at which point it dries out and the brandling worms finish it off into lovely compost.
I have to cover my composter in a large rubble sack as it's been badly attacked by magpies and crows in the past. I've had to mend the roof after one attack where the birds pulled the vent cover and temperature gauge out of the lid. They were found discarded on the floor. I wish that my bin could be left uncovered like yours. The first compost harvest will happen later this year.
I have never been able to get compost out without the top layer collapsing halfway through. The only solution is to lay the bin on its back and dig out through the hatch downwards. No more landslides! If you have the space, this is surprisingly easy as well composted material is quite light.
Now there's a tip to make me think, I have clearly been doing it all wrong! Thanks for sharing that.
After u empty it do u put twigs back in at the bottom?
Just so good to be able to listen to this without the heavy electric guitar 'music' that usually accompanies our cousins' YT videos. Thank you.
how long did you leave your bin without adding new material before emptying? as others mentioned it looked very dry
I usually get 3/4 of the way through before the compost is making its way down towards me, then it's a mad dash to get it closed up before a tsunami of compost makes a break for it.
Me too and mine is never as well composted as that…..
@@kateg730 mine is close, but waaay wetter. I use a lot of shredded cardboard in my compost, I find it works better for me than shredded paper, and there are always packages of some sort arriving at the house. I love how it holds temperature throughout the winter
@@andrewbell3926 that’s interesting yes mines much wetter too. I’ve been adding quite a bit of paper and cardboard but will try extra cardboard and see if that helps!
@@kateg730 yes agree!
The chap in the video has hardly any material in the top half of his hot bin and what he had didn't look 'fresh'. No weight above no collapse... but that doesn't make sense unless you have multiple bins and it would appear that one had not had any recent material added.
I typically remove one side of compost then a few months later scratch my head trying to remember which side I removed...
Why didn’t he add the sticks on the base like it recommends for the first time? Is that the only time to put that layer on and from now on its harvest the compost and close it up? He didn’t even fill it to the line like is recommended for the first time. Thanks
I usually turn the finished product into another rubbish bin to air out and dry out for a month or so. The Hotbin earth can get compacted and smelly. Yes, the top always collapses in when I dig out the bottom, but it's not too much of a problem. It's easiest to have four various types of bins - finish the whole of one bin, turn the whole lot into another bin and start from scratch.
Will hope ours looks that good in a month or twos time. I notice you didn't add a few twigs/sticks at the base after emptying, was that on purpose?
Yes I notice that to, I usually put a few more twigs in the bottom after part emptying.
Are we able to purchase these in the United States?
I have just received our 200l Hot compost, I have been saving last weeks household waste to start and today is the coldest day of the year so far. I guess unitl the compost is half way through ther is no point in add the hot water sitck start bottle, is there? Where exactly do we put the hot water jjust in the middle of the waste or buried?
Yes that's right, you need the critical mass of a half full bin prior to adding the bottle. If you have a couple of dry, windy days that dry the lawn, you could fill a mower box and through that in with some shredded paper to give it a boost and build mass.
If you do need to add the bottle going forward just dig a small hole in the middle of the heap and cover with thin layer of waste. Hook the bottle out with the rake after 24hrs and you should see a significant improvement in bacterial activity and temperature!
I have nine hotbins and have used then for several years and the top compost always collapses!
Wow nine??!! How do you keep them all fed?
@@amyjones583 It compost all food waste for my neighbourhood! Plus my garden waste :)
Mine is never dry as that, the top always collapses
The temperature is up in the 30’s today , hottest day of the year snd it’s still went in there, I haven’t added any fluids either
Mine doesn’t look as lovely and dry as yours 😩
this video has convinced me that continuous flow through isn't for me. the material i produce is so much better looking than that and it generally happens in 3 months, 4 tops.