The compost bay
Habitat: compost heap
Two pallet collars stacked on bare ground by the fence and filled with the garden's waste. Built 8 Oct 2026, after it became clear that the previous arrangement (the black plastic bin beside it) was producing a lot of waiting and not much compost.
It is here to make compost, but a warm, damp heap full of things to eat is also prime real estate. Worms, beetles and woodlice move in first; frogs, toads, slow worms and hedgehogs follow the food. So it gets turned with care, and checked before a fork goes in.
- Common name
- The compost bay
- Section
- Wildlife & habitats
- Spot
- Garden (by the fence)
- Soil
- Garden waste, browns, spent growbag soil and a little pumice
- From
- Homemade from two pallet collars, Oct 2026
- Age
- New: built 8 Oct 2026
- Next repot
- Never: it gets turned instead
- Edible
- ❌ Not for us. For nearly everything else, yes.
- Garden-centre price
- about £45
Did you know?
A well-built heap can pass 60°C in the middle. Grass snakes lay their eggs in compost heaps for exactly that reason.
Care & updates
- Built
Two pallet collars stacked by the fence. In went the old bin's contents, all the brown waste that had been waiting, the spent soil and fine roots from some old plastic growbags (not to be used again), and some pumice as a starter. Pavers and mulch to follow.
🎮
Set in Dimension X-Crement. Ours aims to smell better.
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