how do i create a compost heap?

[beckyboo0121]

hello im not sure if this has been asked before,but id like some help in starting my own compost heap,do i need any special equipment?wheres the best place to put it in my garden?anyone with any experience that i could learn from would be very gratley appreciated thanks

[iheartruby]

hi beckyboo,
have a look at the link below - it's a page for compost bins and some local councils will subsidise the purchase cost. i've recently ordered one - they're cheap and the postage cost is low.
The reason I went down this route is, last year I decided to try a compost heap myself by throwing the usual stuff in an old plant pot - banana skins etc etc......however, I found myself with a rat and his family! They must have been able to smell the food and took up residence in the hedges! Eeek!
So, if you try one of these bins, the rotting stuff is contained and you will find yourself with lovely compost some time down the line. The web has a guide of what to put in, how the process works etc. Good luck!
http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/

[amonty1144]

Try and put the bin somewhere sunny as it speeds the process up, also somewhere easily accessible so you can get your stuff in. Don't put huge amounts of one thing in at a time, try and layer it, grass cuttings go extremely mushy. Don't put cooked food in.
If you can buy a compost accelerator, put that in or get a bloke to wee in it (disgusting but it does work)
Hope this helps

[YvonneM]

Compost needs to be 2 years old before it is suitable to use on the garden so you will need 2 compost heaps one that is maturing and one that is in current use

So start one this spring then next spring start another one the following year the first bin should be suitable for using in the garden

[malpal]

We got a great composting bin FREE from our local council. (Gwynedd County Council) I'd ask at your town hall in case they do a similar scheme. Most councils seem to be very keen now on recyclng, composting etc.

The best tip I had for knowing when the compost is ready is when it looks like tea leaves. Good luck.

[lynlizz]

asda are selling good sized compost bins for �10 which can sometimes be cheaper than your local council sells them