Hotbin Vs Cold Composter In One Year (
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- This comparison experiment took over one year to make. Check the difference between the Hotbin and cold composter Dalek ( How much compost both produced what was its quality and more). Also find out how Mrs manages her Daleks in the school garden.
Hello Beanie I wondered what you had been doing, a really useful experiment and shows your dedication to getting the facts right. Ive never used a dalek style bin and for me the Hotbin not only produces compost quickly, it eats loads of stuff and does not take up much room - I guess if people have large gardens and space for multiple dalek bins or space and patience to run several cold heaps then this would work for them - I used to help my Mum in her garden and found that having to turn the content of a large compost heap was time consuming and hard work - it is low cost of course. Keep up the good work and I think that you and Mrs B each have your own style of presenting - both enjoyable and informative.
I did think using a cold composter would be easy and productive but I think it takes time and maybe even more effort to turn and moisten the waste. As you say if you don’t have space then a HB is compact and looks nicer than a regular compost bin. It also breaks down waste much quicker but If we had a larger garden I would definitely have both. Hope all is good with your composting adventures.
Excellent video! Having watched this, I then spent the rest of the day watching your previous Hotbin videos and was inspired to order one for myself. I was in two minds between a Hotbin and an Aerobin but your RUclips channel is so comprehensive about all things Hotbin that it made choosing a Hotbin a no brainier. Thank you both for making so many informative videos and doing so many comparisons and experiments it is very much appreciated.
@@markford1646 thank you for watching. I hope you are not disappointed. Any advice please do not hesitate to ask. Welcome to the hot composting addiction.
Hi BC,
I use a combination of the two compost bins. So any material that isn't up to being used as a mulch or compost from the hotbin, I put into the dalek.
I find it works well, as it allows me to start afresh with the hotbin, and also gives the dalek a boost with warm partly composted waste.
I also have a cold Composter with leaf mould in plastic bags, which can be removed quickly and be replaced with my turned cold compost.
It's a good system, which provides me with plenty of mulch and compost all year round.
Can I just mention, that over the past couple of years, it's been my own experience that hotbin compost just doesn't compare with shop bought or even cold bin garden compost.
It just doesn't bring plants on as well, so I tend to either just use it as a mulch, or mix it 50 /50 with store bought or cold composted garden compost.
Maybe it could be an experiment for you to try in the spring to compare all three with bedding plants etc?
Take care for now buddy.
@@paullea7862 hi Paul. I do wonder if you are right. I have begun to wonder if the HB compost is sometimes too strong for some plants. I wonder if it needs longer to break down mature etc. unfortunately here we only really have space for the HB. I would love to have more space for some different types of composters. I do have leaf mould which I am trying some cuttings in as the HB compost sometimes is just too rich and as you said that would be a great experiment to try out next year. Thanks for all your information.
Question for a new user do you dilute the liquid from the composter if so what sort of ratios and has anyone done an analysis of the N-P-K ratios or does it depend on the type of waste put into the Hot bin
Thanks for your videos... they are helping me to get started with mine after I was given a mark 1 hot bin composter from freegle ..my first which is a dream 🙂 so I am binge watching hot bin composter videos on here 🙂
@@TheVeganicGardener thank you for watching and keep us posted on how you get on with it.
I have 2 - 55 gallon Hotbins and made over 1,000 pounds of beautiful compost last year just adding plant matter from my garden, food scraps from my kitchen, shredded amazon boxes and junk mail and chicken waste from 3 chickens. I live on a quarter acre suburban lot so my compost resources are small. This thing is a BEAST!!!!
@@aphillips5376 yes it just keeps eating and eating. That is some going to produce that amount of compost. Well done.
Hotbin will always win on speed & amount
Cold bin takes forever 18 months at best
Good video thanks
The last few minutes were definitely the best
@@behornet100 Yes HB is quick but I would like to have both. Trying to get Mrs B in more videos.
I love my Hotbin, started it around Christmas time last year and it’s only gone cold twice, both when I was away for a week or more. I don’t cold compost any more except for my composting worm set up. I’ve harvested my Hotbin around four times and store what I’ve taken out in my two tumblers for around 6-8 weeks to finish curing. I’ve discovered if I keep back the top third that drops down after taking out the bottom when harvesting and return it to the bin, mixing in the new feed it takes it back up to the fill mark and within that day the Hotbin is up to heat again. The only problem I’m encountering is the leachate is not coming out of the tap but oozing out of the bottom side, despite me hosing everything out clean at harvest, and no holes are blocked. 🤷♀️ I’m amazed at the amount of waste this thing processes and how much compost I’m getting. Hopefully I won’t need to buy any compost next year . Thanks for all your advice and tips.
@@lindaaustin9126 you are welcome. Thank you for sharing your HB experience. Regarding the leachate. Is the HB level as I have only had the leachate coming out of the bottom air vent when it gets too full. Are there any cracks holes in the HB where the leachate is coming from.
Not as far as I can see, no cracks. It seems level, but I’ve now ordered a plinth to see if that makes any difference. I’ve tipped it back a little meanwhile and it appears to have stoped the leakage. When I first had it at the beginning of the year all was fine and I was collecting a fair amount of leachate. I don’t see what I’ve done any difference as it’s in the same spot on the patio. 🤷🏼♀️
It’s leaking at the bottom right hand side where the door goes back on. There’s no damage as I checked as cleaned it all out. It’s a strange one.
Hi Beanie! I purchased an Aerobin Composter and I’ve been using it for about a year. It came with little information on how to compost.
I found your videos earlier this year and I’ve been using it in a similar manner as you recommend for the hotbin. Thanks to all your videos I was able to successfully produce beautiful compost. Are you familiar with the Aerobin?
Hi I have done a bit of research on the aerobin. It seems to follow the same principles as the HB but it doesn’t have a filter and is not completely sealed if I am correct. It also has a tube in the middle with holes for airflow. I don’t know where you are but I don’t think they are as popular here. I would like to give one a go so need to start looking for a second hand one. Great that the videos have helped you out.
I purchased mine from Costco in the USA. I believe it’s an Australian company.
@@ximenapedrosa3963 I do believe they are more popular in Australia.
Nice experiment, my hotbin mini in its first year and been emptied 3 times so far, my dalek just about half full with any excess and still looks half composted, still take another 6 months for that. And leachate from the hotbin probably a cups worth every day.
Oh and more MRs B please :)
@@radiotowers1159 yes less of me and more of her. I do keep telling her. Maybe we should just compost me in the HB then you will only be left with Mrs B.
I’ve sold all my scones, fruit loaf, chocolate brownies and Victoria Sandwich cake. What would you suggest for a hot or cold bin?
Well done Charlotte. Sounds like the tea room is really taking off. You don’t need a HB you need an assistant so you can make more. Hope all is good.
Offerings most welcome
We have a Hotbin and a dalek. I get two big loads of compost per year from the Beast and one dalek every two years. My Hotbin compost is always on the wet side of moist. I get about 2/3 pint of leachate every couple of days. I am careful to add lots of cross shredded paper and card. I never add food scraps even when we are at 60 degrees. We have a rat who travels through our garden and mice and I don’t want to encourage them. You are right. Hotbin wins 100%. Thanks for the video.
@@helenneal2609 the HB really is a class above. You really need to invest a lot of time with a cold compost bin whereas the HB can produce compost within a month. I saw a mouse in the garden this week and as you say it’s not something you want to encourage. I still add everything including bones in the HB. No issues to date. Famous last words.
Ive always wondered about that, how exactly do you polish a turd...? 😂
@@user-km4jo2gw7j let it dry then get your duster and Mr Sheen out. Alternatively just put the turd in the HB but make sure you are in the green zone.
Varnish it first
Ah, mr sheen is a varnish, i suppose. I will get right on it...
I have to honest here and say the output from that hotbin is just rubbish, it looks like mud with sticks in it. How can you even call it compost when it's not decomposed? Come on here.
@@Polyhive I totally get what you’re saying. The HB requires a lot of work to get quality compost. Such as sieving and leaving to mature. But there is no getting away with the fact that it does break waste down quickly and within a month you can put it on the garden as a mulch. At this stage I have to agree with you and it is only a mulch which contains lots of sticks.
Ive had a Hotbin for 3 years now. The material that went into the Hotbin was food and garden waste, plus sticks etc as bulking agent, the fact that it 'looks like mud' shows that the green waste, food etc has indeed decomposed, which is why it is brown. As with every type of composting process it is the woody material that takes longest to break down - even in Kew Gardens the compost they use is full of large and small sticks and chunks of wood. If you use a 'no dig' approach then the compost goes straight on the top of the soil and get broken down naturally - if you have a Hotbin you can always remove larger sticks and re-use them in the bin as bulking agent.