A Gardeners Forum Forums Members History Forum Life 2005 small compost bin that is outside

My question is...sould it be brought inside for the winter?
Will it benefit at all from being left out in the cold,freezing winter months?

Hi Pheonix..
What kind of box is it???

I personally would never even consider bringing
in my compost bins.. too big and they are open bottomed one's, if I picked them up, all the stuff would come out..

Mine freeze over winter, I do add to it, the kitchen scraps.. come spring it starts to thaw...
I add some brown and stir when I can....

Why do you want to bring it in????

And hoooooooooooowwww the heck are you???

Hello there my friend.
I am well. How are you?
The type of box I'm using, and don't laugh, is a plastic catlitter bucket/bin. (I cleaned it first)
It's one of those buckets with the metal handle.

It's not so much that I want to bring it in, I just wasn't sure if freezing would be harmful to it.

I was wondering the same about freezing as you know Weezie I JUST started mine this last week and wouldn't you know it we had a hard freeze 2 days later!! what do you think about this? He's in KS and does this every winter as well as adding hay, and chicken droppings, but he swears by the sheep manure to promote 'heating'>>> ever heard of that??

Sheep and chicken manure are very hot..
And if you have that stuff at your disposal...
use it and be happy, happy, happy..
*Cause I don't get any of that wonderful stuff...
Waaaaaaaaaaa*

Soooooooooooo, I am not versed on adding a hot item like that, fresh out of the barn/animal so to speak... ***I know our horse manure was always covered in the winter with snow... and we never had any use for it.. just added to the top or side if too much snow and couldn't get by it..

Anyhow...

***Pheonix...
Do you really need to bring it inside???
Or do you feel it should be???

The freezing process does not harm the composting
process... it does still process, just at a very, very very slow rate.. and will go into high gear come spring time..

If you don't have to bring it in.. I'd leave it..

Start a couple of them, mark them 1, 2, 3, etc...
then come spring, use them as you numbered them..

Pheonix,
Check up at the top in the Google Search..
Ther'es one that pops' up and says
"Indoor Composting" it's a little machine
and you can put in 5lb's a DAY, and change the
bucket once every 2 weeks..

It looks like a great little deal..
but semi pricey..
but I'd have one in a heart beat if someone gave it to me...

Thank you Weezie
I don't need to I just wasn't sure if I should.
Knowing if it freezes won't hurt it is good enough for me. Thanks again dahl

Any time...
Are you going to start a bunch of them????
That would be neat!!!!

Well I do have another bucket and they are a perfect size for what I "throw away"

no compost in the house.

I can't wait for Mr. Bill to see your signature line lol. This is going to be fun.

Hey Phoenix do you want to be an honorary lady?

Angelblossom I have a compost tumbler as well I compost on the ground with all my leaves and all. Have had no problem with the winters as you know I am right next to you here in Irving. If you find some cheap sheep or chicken manure please let me know what I have been able to find I can't afford.
Jimmy

JV Thanks for letting me know ... I started my compost in a metal trash can ;hubby cut a "door out of the side and added hinges and use rubber car stripping on edges on cut edges so i dont cut my self and screwed a handle on to it set it up on 'blocks and drilled hole all the way around in increments of 6 inchs. After a little over a week it started heating up... I went to Callaways nursery to get the last bag of sheep manure but it got sold before I got there. ARRRGH! The cashier suggest I use candian peat moss 2in thick when I add a good layering of green then moisten and add brown layer, so that what I've been doing and It's still heating!! they also suggested calling a feed and grain store for manure.. I have a very small back yard that's why I went with a trashcan but now my can it getting fuller and am looking and deciding for a corner I can start another pile