Composting

[joddington]

I bought a composter two months ago, it is 3/4 full already, does anyone know how long it takes before I can use the resulting mulch on my garden?

[New Judge]

If you are using it as a mulch you can use it whenever you like. There is no need to put it in your compost bin as it will decompose naturally wherever you put it for mulch.

If you want it fully composted it can take around six months or so in ideal conditions. Make sure that you "turn" it every month or so and that you have a varied mixture of material in it. Don't overload it with grass or you'll just get a soggy mess.

[alavahalf]

It wont be ready until it's ready and that depends on a lot of factors .. what have you put in it, did you create layers of greens and browns. Did you chop it up and is it stood in the sun. Have you turned it over .. is it ventilated .. is it too wet or too dry, I could go on and on, but I wont.
The bins I started this year wont be used until next year when it has fully broken down and resembles soil. Dont worry about it being 3/4 full, if you turn it over with a fork it will soon collapse into a small pile and aid breakdown. Keep adding layers of various waste and I'm sure this speeds things up. Dont let it get too dry and make sure you ventilate it.

[jourdain2]

It can take a while. As NJ says, using it as a mulch is quicker. In France, we could buy an 'accelerator' product - which did what it says!

[Old_Geezer]

Mine has been in the garden for around 10 years now. I'll post again when I seem to have any compost. I had intended to pull it all out this summer, and see if anything has happened, but I'm still waiting for that to start.

[joddington]

Thankyou all for your answers, yes I have garden cuttings and compost layers also bought composting worms that have disappeared into the darkness! I started it to have somewhere to put my garden waste seems a good idea. Thanks

[puzzled54]

I also add shredded paper and cardboard to mine