Can someone recommend a good outdoor compost bin, please?

Yup, that's exactly when they started burrowing into my Biostacks. I never thought of planting peppermint around my bins but it's not a bad idea during the growing months. . . I could keep some pots around. . .

Toss the trim waste in the pile for even better results.

CapeCodGardener - I know this is completely off topic - but how does one get that "quote box?"

HoneybeeNC,

How to: http://davesgarden.com/faq/forums/#172

Note the quote statements must be lowercase.

Quinx - thanks for the link.

Easy enough (giggle)

The thing about peppermint PLANTS is keeping them in bounds! keep an eye on so you can pull the runners

There was a peppermint plant for sale at Trader Joes yesterday. I nibbled on a leaf and decided I didn't really like peppermint. Will regular mint deter varmints from digging into the compost bin?

Honeybee, I googled "mint and mice" and found several sites with info about repelling mice with mint. In terms of using plants and leaves, most info just specified "mint." In terms of using extracts, most specified peppermint, perhaps because that is a commonly available extract.
I can attest that mice hate this scent because last year I sprinkled a box of Altoids under the rear seat of an automobile that we store in a barn over the winter, and no mice took up housekeeping there (in contrast to previous years!)

Thanks, CapeCodGardener - I'm going to find some mint seeds. I love minted peas. The other day I added dried mint to a steamed pea/soybean combo and the taste was very pleasing.

I made my own compost turner out of a 55 gal drum. We placed 2 posts in concrete, cut a piece of fencing pipe we had and ran it threw the barrel about half way down (we bolted wood squares to the sides of the barrel to prevent the pipe from ripping through the barrel, compost gets heavy) we mounted the pipe to the tops of the posts with brackets and now I get fresh compost about every three weeks. I turn it every day. I is real easy to turn. We started our air holes about 3 inches up so I can add water, remove the plug from the lid, turn it and get compost tea. We bought the barrel for 30 bucks from a local container company. We spray painted it black. I love it. I feed the compost to my worm bins and they break it down even more! Love it! Try to make your posts tall enough so you can empty it right into your wheelbarrow. Landscape timbers are great for this. I am 4'11" and it is easy enough for even me to handle!

Oh, and I do not add new stuff once I have it loaded. I freeze foodstuffs in an extra freezer I have in my basement until the next round, in the meantime, I have a place I put clippings to dry out and then add it with fresh clippings and shredded leaves to the next batch. This way I have no vermin and I always have compost to add to my garden or to my worm bins. My plants love the tea I make from my bins.

This message was edited May 18, 2009 12:50 PM

Trish, would you please post a picture of your tumbler?

PuddlePirate: I have just recently started using this lap-top soooo, I haven't loaded my digital camera software yet, but I will try to get a pix posted tomorrow...I hope I can remember where the link cable is...lol. :) Oh thats right this thing has a web cam...I may not even need to load the software for my camera to get a picture, it is dark now but I will certainly give it a go in the morning, sometimes I actually miss my tabletop computer, I new how to use it.

This message was edited May 18, 2009 11:01 PM

I had the same question three months ago and read this thread for ideas. Based on what I read, I purchased the Bio Stack from Smith and Hawkens and I'm very happy with it. It comes with good instructions, it's easy to set up and use and it's about as attractive as a compost bin can be (in the photo, it's the black box behind the bed). You aerate the contents by re-stacking the bins just to the side and shoveling (or pitch-forking) the contents into a new stack. Ideal situation is a sunny spot 4' deep x 7' wide. You could leave the 3' x 3' Stack in place and turn the contents inside, but that would require some extra strength if your compost pile grows higher than one of the three levels that come with it.

It arrived in 3 days and soon after Smith and Hawkens emailed a 20% discount for my next purchase. I splurged on a stainless steel kitchen bucket with a carbon filter in the lid, and even after I forgot my little stash of egg shells, banana peels and veggie trimmings for more than a week, there was no detectable smell (until I took the lid off ... argh). I'm happy with this purchase as well. It saves me from running outside every time I have kitchen scraps to add to the pile.

Contents so far: pine needles, a $1.98 bag of top soil, a bag of grass clippings, coffee grounds (including two XL free bags from Starbucks), veggie trimmings, fruit rinds & peels, pansies and Siberian Husky fur. When I open the lid, it smells like coffee and grass - and it's still in the rotting stage.

Trish, can we see the tumbler please?

I'm happy with my Biostack purchase, too. The first one finished compost in four weeks, and this weekend I'm hoping a second load will be ready. The second one was started a month after the first one, so it will be another couple of weeks before the contents of that one are ready. I turn the contents every weekend, weather permitting.

I'm another biostack fan. I find them the most convenient and after lots of testing for our compost demo site in Brooklyn, this was one of the favorites. I would not recommend putting pine needles into compost for two reasons, they break down very slowly (that's why they are a great mucling material) and they add acidity to the finished compost that may not be good for your plants, unless they are azaleas, rhodos or hydrangeas. Oak leaves are not good for the same reason (they break down too slowly).

Thanks for reminding me about Starbucks free grounds. That's a great source and you are keeping all that waste out of the landfill.

Happy composting...I have a little bit of info on my blog www.kirbyplant.blogspot.com

Is Smith and Hawken closing its business? I tried to access them on line and their online store is unavailable and it appears that they are closing their retail stores?? we don't have any close to us... well - the nearest one is about 6 hrs away.

Genna

gen2026 - yes, S&H are closing their doors. Wish I had known sooner as I wanted to purchase two more Biostacks - but by time I got around to doing it - they were gone :(

Now I'm on the hunt for another good compost bin.

Biostack MUST be available somewhere else==?
I will be haunting the cheapo reselling stores next spring to hunt for that leftover Smith and Hawken stuff tho.

If you have a Smith and Hawkin anywhere near you, they are selling out their entire online inventory there for 20% to 40% off. At my local store the guy told me they expect to be open through November.

Karen

Nearest one appears to be in Dallas - approximately 6 hrs away. No way can I go this weekend.... probably not next weekend either. Maybe I should try to call their store.......

Genna

PS Can anyone tell me what one of the bins cost?? Thanks!

This message was edited Aug 12, 2009 10:32 PM

Genna, I couldn't swear to it, but I think they were around $125. When I was last in the store they were selling for 20% off original price. The discount might be more by now.

Karen

Thank you!