Has anyone ever successfully completed on patio?

Dinnerplatedahlias🌸

Unfortunately the only area we have on top of soil to compost it right next to our neighbours seating area so don’t want to put a compost bin there for obvious reasons. 

Our only other option is a concreted area of monoblock at the side of our house but know how this would work with liquids leaking from the composter or the fact worms couldn’t get at it. 

Any suggestions welcome 🙂

Lizzie27

A plastic dalek type of compost bin would work fine on your block paving at the side of the house if that's the only suitable place. Don't worry about the worms, they seem to just arrive in the compost somehow. I wouldn't worry too much about oozing liquid either, just try not to get the compost too wet, alternate with brown, chopped up cardboard, paper or twiggy stuff, and the green waste, such as annual weeds, and kitchen vegetable waste.

Topbird

The bins will be absolutely fine on concrete.

My compost bins are on concrete slabs laid on 8" of hardcore to stop rodents burrowing into the bins. The bins are full of little red worms and other things. Worms lay eggs in soil and I think worm eggs must transfer into the bins in soil attached to plant roots.

I only have a problem with oozing liquid when I water the bins (have to do that here - very dry area) but, if you're worried about it, put a couple of flattened cardboard boxes in the bottom. They'll rot down into the compost eventually but, in the meantime, they'll help to absorb excess moisture.

Dinnerplatedahlias🌸

Thank you all so much for your kind advice @Topbird @philippa smith2 @Lizzie27
I’ve just ordered a compost bin online. Going to pop it on the patio and pop some cardboard at the bottom ✌️ I’ll post back to let you know how I get on.
Thanks again 😊

wild edges

If you're composting kitchen scraps then keeping the bins away from seating areas and windows/doors is always a good plan. I've had all kinds of insect outbreaks at various times including a swarm of fruit flies which you really don't want getting in the house. Good composting practices can avoid this most of the time but why risk it?

Dinnerplatedahlias🌸

@wild edges absolutely. I think the side of the house is best for me and neighbours. 

I don’t have huge garden so a large portion of it will be raw veg/ fruit scraps but I’ll do my best follow the advice on composting to avoid any problems 😊

Dinnerplatedahlias🌸

@philippa smith2 what a great suggestion to bulk up beds/ trugs 😃 
I’m excited to get started 🙂 still relatively new to all this gardening stuff but it’s a great way to take your mind off everything. 

Fingers crossed my compost bin doesn’t take long to arrive although I suppose there are more essential things to be delivered.

GemmaJF

On concrete could be good. It will help stop leaching of the nutrients and you can buy some compost worms to drop in from the top. They are a different variety to those that live in the soil normally. It is often helpful to have concrete in front of composters, else it gets to be a bit of a muddy patch when constantly filling and later turning.