This topic contains 9 replies, has 7 voices, and was last updated by DeborahS 9 years, 4 months ago.
-
Posts
-
Good idea Deborah. I have fence posts knocked into the soil at the four corners and tie pallets to these, front or sides can then be easily removed to turn or empty the heaps.
For hotbeds the depth of a pallet (say 1 metre) is a bit high, apart from that they work well to contain the sides, maybe find some thinner pallets.
I have inherited some of these and whilst they work fine I would seriously consider having drop in slats down the front for ease of loading. If you have a pallet tied in it is quite high to fill over.
Mr Flowerdew recommends positioning pallets with inside facing slats in a vertical plane; apparently the compost will slide down them more easily. Can’t imagine it keeping you up at night, but might be worth considering.
I used large cable ties bought at the local B&Q, to link the pallets together – quick and easy to apply and strong; another option. Good luck with it.
I have made many of these bays now, and agree that the height of the front pallet is quite high, so now I seek out smaller ones. There are often ones about 2/3rds the height of standard pallet and builder’s merchants always happy to give away if they have too many – otherwise they pay to remove. These are an easy height to throw compost over, I’ve even got the wheelbarrow lip onto the top of the pallet and over it all goes in one!
I have always had the slats horizontal to hold in the compost better and never needed to pack them with anything. Interesting that someone thinks vertical is better, I thought maybe compost would fall out but it probably won’t….
I’ve also screwed the pallet to the fence post to make it easy to remove but found that screws snap off quite easily so tying is probably best. The whole structure does reinforce itself as the compost builds up. However, I also just jump into the bay itself to turn so often don’t bother taking the front off anyway.
Have fun!Using pallet you can give your container a new look and also can give a fence protection to your plants through pallet.http://www.affordablefencesdenver.com/affordablefencesdenvercom-specialize-commercial-and-residential-fence-installation-and-repair/
I love pallets and have been experimenting with them for years. As some will know, I rely heavily on home compost and substantial quantities of green manure. My current method is to set the bins on a course of bricks, this has 2 advantages, it helps to preserve the bottom of the pallet that is in contact with the ground and deters rats from burrowing in. I like to give a one off treatment of preservative. Its most practical to have the slats on the inside and depending on the type of pallet I make them as solid as possible, filling in the gaps by nailing pieces of wood in between the slats. This improves temperature and speed of composting and if I turn the stuff once I can have it ready in about 3 to 6 months, depending on the time of year. Old carpet completely covering the compost is a must in my opinion, usually held down by wooden boards. I would also recommend a piece of old heavy duty carpet in the bottom of the bin, this stops the compost mingling with the soil, deters vermin and makes it easier to get the stuff out because you have a base to work off. The best pallets are the small ones that are sometimes used to transport brick setts. These are close boarded so need little work and they provide a nice compact bin. My bins are 2 pallets square (ie 8 pallets), but a 4 pallet sq would be ok. Like “stringfellow” I have started using tye wraps and the bins hold together fine. I find the outer side of the bin is useful for storing all sorts of bits and pieces.
Finally don`t forget that a good mix of materials is important. I use plenty of comfrey as an accellerator.
Hi Pete and thanks for these thoughts and ideas. I’m following in your footsteps as built a simple brick foundation for my bins which should mean they are easy to clear and replace every few years or so; simply cut through the cable ties/ wire that holds them together and remove. I also built them as a unit of three, the idea to make turning from one to the next easier. Packing the gaps in the pallets with scrunched up newspaper creates a kind of cavity insulation alround the bins but it’s too early for me to know if this is really a good use of time – I hope so. Green manures are growing well here following your recs and a fellow allotmenteer is donating some bocking 14 to me some time over the next few weeks! Making compost is almost as much fun as growing the veg…..
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.