Fortunately, having a sloping site and a brother who is a biologist and enthusiastic builder here, we're opportunities not to be missed, so Peter built GALACTIC. Acronym for
Gravity Assisted Linear Accelerator for Compost Treatment In Carmarthenshire!
AND IT WORKS really well; here's how...
Raw green stuff is piled up on the uphill side, which gives a chance for soil to be washed or shaken out. (Soil on weeds slows the process down hugely and must be avoided!)
The first compartment (Galactic One, of course) is then loosely filled and the end boards put on! It can be piled as high as you like so long that the lawn mowings do not get compressed too much. If it is getting a bit soggy, add bunched up newspaper, ashes etc, even sawdust is good. If you want an instant activator, a bucket or sprinkle of pee is ideal, an won't make any smell!
Cover with polythene to stop it getting rain soaked.
Then wait
After a week the pile will be heating up nicely and a stick pushed in will come out steaming. (Note: If it gets to over 70 degrees C, all the weed seeds will cook and die)
Now wait another week, until the original pile is greatly lower than before.
Now get in with your fork and lightly move the contents of 1 into 2. It will fluff up a bit as you do it but that is what you want! Once done, 2 will not be overful.
Leave it another week, then refill 1 again.
Repeat these steps with all the summer and spring green waste, until 3 is full too.
Then leave 3 to overwinter after which it will be lovely brown stuff - Ready for use!
When we had any problems, they were due to heavy rain soaking in, hence the curved tin sheets on it now.
Or, too much soil going in.
We found that galactic could take all green stuff throughout the year including lawn clippings, and reduce them all to compost. Admittedly, if there was a surfeit of cut grass, from the ride on, for example, it went into the the bottom pond on the right hand side to make grass snake habitation.
Grown from seed using Welsh un-treated soil & watered with Carmarthenshire spring water. Our Beetroot is carefully selected and cooked to our family recipe.
