What is a Dalek Bin?
Dalek Bin compost bins are compost bins which are made out of recycled plastic. Its distinctive design—which indeed reminds one of the infamous Daleks from the Dr Who series—makes it a unique addition to any garden’s composting area. They come in a range of sizes between 200 and 300 litres.
The Dalek bins are convenient and lightweight, making them easy to transport from place to place. For those looking to harvest their own compost, these bins offer a great solution. It allows you to easily access your compost through a bottom hatch with the help of a spade.
How to use Dalek Bin properly for efficient composting.
Achieving good compost in a Dalek bin requires careful attention to the process. Here are a few points more things that you should take care while composting in a Dalek Bin :
- PUT THE BIN IN THE RIGHT PLACE : Make sure that the bin receives proper sunlight as heat speeds up the process of composting.
- ADD GREENS & BROWNS INTO THE COMPOST: Even though they do not get hot very quickly, if you add the proper combination of greens and browns, you will have fresh compost in no time.
- KEEP THE COMPOST MOIST: Because the bin is made of plastic, the compost doesn’t have any inlet of water and moisture making the compost dry out. So keep adding water into the compost from time to time
- AERATE THE COMPOST: Due to the hard nature of plastic of the bin, it’s hard for oxygen to reach the compost and we know that oxygen is one of the most important element for composting, to get rid of this problem, keep mixing the compost in every 2-3 weeks.
You can also add cardboard pieces into the compost as it helps in creating gaps for air flow and helps in reducing the time for composting. - CONTROL PESTS: Failure to follow standard composting practices can lead to pest infestations, which can contaminate your compost and be difficult to remove. Proper composting measures should be followed in order to avoid introducing unwanted pests into the mix.
Perfect materials for composting in a Dalek Bin
Add Greens and Browns in equal ratios into the Dalek Bin for best composting experience.
- Greens like : Weeds, Grass, Manure, Plant Materials, Vegetables and Fruits, Egg Shells and farm animal manure.
- Browns like: cardboard, fallen leaves, bush prunings, straws and paper.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Dalek Bin
Dalek Bin Advantages
- Dalek Bin is cheap and affordable.
- The bin is not heavy, it’s very easy to move it from one place to another when it’s empty.
- It’s made out of recycled plastic which helps in saving environment to some extent.
- It’s very easy to use, just put it wherever you feel is the best place for your composting journey and use it.
- A Dalek bin can be used for Composting on Concrete too.
Dalek Bin Disadvantages
- Dalek Bin slows down the composting if not used properly. It can take upto 2-3 years for composting if you don’t use the Dalek Bin properly.
- Difficult to keep the organic matter inside Dalek bin heat properly for composting.
- Can produce compost upto 300L, that too in a lot more time, which is not enough for a heavy Gardner.
- Difficult to mix the compost inside Dalek Bin once it starts to fill up.
- Doesn’t allow required amount of heat, oxygen and moisture get inside for composting.
