Composting question

Hi there Folks,

We have a caravan in Wales (site is just 12 vans around 3 sides of a field), and a patio and length of fairly natural "hedge" (actually a bank that used to be a hedge until the field changed hands some years ago), so 3 years ago we decided to get composter "Dalek".

Last summer it was moved so the landowner could remove a hawthorn tree that had loosened the previous year and was leaning on next door's shed. But the compost was bagged up in black bin bags and left under our caravan, so I was able to use some of it, and the stuff that hadn't rotted down sufficiently we tossed back into the bin and left it to rot along with the summer's new weeds, potato peelings etc.

We had hoped to go for first visit of the year last weekend, but I wasn't well enough to manage (I have ME/CFS as well as back problems, so the 3-4 hour journey - depending on traffic - was the main thing that put me off. John (husband) made a fleeting visit on Sunday though, to check everything was OK and he took a load of photos for me to see what had survived the winter.

He found that since we were there last (mid October) our next door neighbours have moved our compost bin, which is now empty. John didn't think to check under the van to see if it was bagged up there.

They have built a kind of "platform" with log wood edge that has a weed suppressant membrane, covered in some sort of gravel and plonked our composter on top of that. :-(

I have a feeling that this is not going to be a suitable base for our composter? We don't have a plastic base for it (we are getting one for the composter we've ordered for home as we only have tiled yard so we can't put it on earth). Plus I suspect the compost will make a mess of the gravel (though I tend to feel serve them right!).

So will I need to move the composter onto soil?

I am not at all happy about the situation, as I had intended to dig (actually that should read "get husband to dig!) some of the compost in where it stood (used to stand that is), stick unrotted stuff back into composter in new position, and plant either beans or maybe courgettes in the compost.

I'm beginning to feel the composter will biodegrade before we get a year's un-interrupted use from it!

Maggie
South Liverpool and sometimes Wales
Who still hasn't done an intro post, might get to it soon!
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