This is the place to discuss not just allotments but all general gardening problems and queries which don't fit into the specific categories below.
(formerly allotments and tips, hints and problems)
Sorry I haven't been around for a few weeks but I've been a bit unwell. In fact, I had to spend a couple of days in hospital (don't ask, but it was painful ) and then just as I was recovering I got hit with mega-flu over easter. Natyrally, now that I've recovered it's back to work. Such is life.
Anyway, a couple of rather basic composting questions. I've been trying to make compost for a couple of years without much success. During the winter all activity just stops and I end up with a sludgy mess that I take to the local garden rubbish recycling dump. What are the secrets to compost making in a cold climate? Should the bins be in a sunny or shady location? Is it worth investing in insulated bins? Feel free to answer any question I haven't yet thought of
I think that you probably need to compost quickly, so keep your carbon to nitrogen ration right (20:1 I think) So mix high nitrogen wet stuff like veggie scraps with straw or hay and a bit of insulation in cold weather wouldn't hurt either. The other way is to have your compost be a minimum of a metre cube so that it insulates itself and heats up.
My compost also tends towards sludgy - it's done in one of those "green daleks", a truncated plastic cone about 60cm diameter at the base (and about 50cm at the top) and without any ventilation in the side.
However, there are still a fair amount of worms in there, suggesting it's not a dead loss. What I do several time during the season is work the bin off the top and put it in the neighbouring space and turn the compost back into the bin in the new location. What has been sitting at the bottom tends to be fairly well done if a bit wet and I take that and put it on a patch of bare earth to "season" until I need it. It does smell a bit while this is being done (and for a few days after) but the resulting compost works pretty well.
Mind you, if I had the space, I'd look at a larger volume compost pile, for greater insulation, thus quicker composting (and greater internal heat to kill off weed seeds) and easier access for turning.
I have several of those big green compost bins as well as some made from recycled pallets and they all make decent compost. i put in all veggie waste, urine ( when taken short on the lottie), grass cuttings in small quantities, weeds, pigeon muck and anything else I can get hold of...I water it, turn it and leave it in a warm place in the sun with a lid on. Aftyer about 12 months or so it is fine. It is not like potting compost but is fine for spreading on the veg plots. It would be even better if I left it longer but I am too impatient
I'm getting rather impatient with ours. I can't believe after 8 months the horse manure is only halfway there and our 'normal' compost is going very slowly.
I'm starting to wonder whether the sawdust in the normal compost is hampering progress - it has everything in it like organic compost accelerator, loads of chook poo, etc. Normally we make great compost in half the time it's taking now. Despite the warmth of the last week the compost is stone cold and I can't see any worms. It was turned a week ago. Surely it should be steaming warm inside the bin by now?
We're definitely in a cold climate - down to -15C here and manage to make a lot of compost.
1. Good carbon to nitrogen ration: between 25 and 35 parts carbon to one part nitrogen. There are formulas for calculating this - a google search should throw a few up.
2. Good air flow, unless you want anaerobic compost (which is another kettle of fish).
3. Good intermingling of wet and dry materials - no thick layers of one or the other.
4. You don't need a cover and if you have a very dry mix, then the rain can be a big help.
5. But, a black cover or tarpaulin can be a big help in cold climates as it absorbs heat from the sun.
6. Insulate - putting a a ring of straw around the outside of your compost as you fill helps keep the heat in (ie between the main compost and the side of the composter). There's also a plastic composter called the Johanna that can be bought with insulation (from the same company that goes the Green Cone).
7. Keep woody materials and leaves in a separate compost heap - they take a lot longer to break down, but they are very good if you wait long enough. However, a good shredder can help break woody material down enough that it composts faster.
8. Fresh manure helps get the heat up and hold it up in winter - we're lucky enough to have pigs and chickens but if you're in the city you might have to buy pelletised manure.
9. Regular turning is a big help. You can either turn the whole heap over with a fork, or buy or make a compost stirrer. A stirrer is a long pole with folding blades at the bottom - it easily pushes into the pile but when you pull up the blades fold out and you agitate the mix.
10. If your compost is wet, spread it out in the sun to dry and mature.
11. Work with the seasons and accept the winter slowdown. We try to get our compost freshly turned, topped up with manure and ready to go for early spring, then cover it with either dark earth, black plastic or something similar to get the heat going. But, make sure you remove these as the weather gets warmer or you'll cook your compost. This should give you good compost by September/October.
Thanks for the advice everybody. I'm going to move the bins to a sunnier spot and change the mix a bit to have more carbon (or less nitrogen). I've also got an air-flow problem so I might justr make some new bins anyway. I'll keep you posted on progress.
) and then just as I was recovering I got hit with mega-flu over easter. Natyrally, now that I've recovered it's back to work. Such is life. 
