Construction :
The dtimber compost box is simple to build; the slats notch together and stack up two to a layer. Each box has four half slats, two for the base and two for the top layer. The top two can be used as the base for a follow on box. It is important to get the first layer level so that the box sits squarely.
More boards can be added for extra height - £2.50 each
Wood :
Locally Grown Larch
Dimensions :
110cm by 110cm / 96cm high
Treatments :
Pressure Treated
Price :
£53.90 including VAT and delivery
Making compost
There are no hard and fast rules for making rich, brown, crumbly compost from your garden waste as every gardener will be using different materials in different conditions. A basic requirement is a sturdy container. The dtimber compost box works well; being made of wood it not only insulates the contents but it is also porous. The locally grown larch is pressure treated at the mill to make the box attractive and durable.
Recent research at the Centre for Alternative Technology found that compost heaps should be built directly on soil to allow worms, slugs and woodlice access to the heap. The dtimber compost box can be filled with a mixture of material from the garden and kitchen waste. Woody prunings do not breakdown easily so should be shredded or chopped small. Perennial weeds such as dock and horsetail should not be put straight into the box but they can be burnt and the ash used. Avoid glossy paper but crumpled newspaper is good to add in - particularly with grass clippings to stop them forming a slimy mess. Vegetable scraps, eggshells, teabags, coffee grounds, bread, etc can be added (not too much citrus peel and avoid adding meat or fish which attracts vermin). While the heap is being built it should be kept moist. A layer of cardboard makes a good cover to shed excess rain or to stop the heap drying out.
Compost takes time to make. The ideal system has three compost heaps. One being built, one composting and the third being used. Two dtimber compost boxes can be used for this. When the heap in the first box is ready to use the top of the heap will have subsided so the top slats can be removed. The box can be gradually dismantled and reassembled as it is being filled with the third heap as the second box is left to make.