Firstly, there's a beehive composter inside the greenhouse which keeps it warmer, other overspill amounts are in recycling bins with lids outside at later stages, being added to.
For 'browns'... I go into the woods and collect large bags of DUFF (this is the wonderful spongey leafmould under the leaves and above the earth, sifted on site then again through a smaller sieve before adding to the pile. Then there's meadow hay dust which is fine sieved from the chicken coop hay (takes a few weeks to build up)..
For 'greens'...Bladderwrack seaweed, washed, shreaded and then mulched in the food proccessor. Also Gutweed (fine hair-like seaweed) pulped. Vegetables and fruit liquidised in the F.P. Daily chicken poo dried and crumbled to dust. All high in nutrients.
Horticultural grit is added for drainage and aeriation (no larger than 3mm to save space but do the job. Included in Spring.
From 12 till 2am I sit and hand crumble in the greenhouse (listening to World service for company). This removes anything alien.
Constant turning is done. The beehive acts as a wormery at the bottom and a composter nearer the top.
Lyn: I do use Tomorite. However, regarding buying seaweed extract and chicken manure pellets etc. from the garden centre. There's something theraputic about doing things the hard way (going to the beach and owning hens).
We could buy tomatoes from the supermarket for little cost but we choose to nurture don't we.
Oldcompost- Wow what a lot of work you put in but it sounds as though the results make it worth it.
The Duff (leaf mould) you mention is marvellous stuff on its own for woody shrub young plants. According to Chris Beardshaw on Beechgrove it is best at promoting strong root growth.
I had to pick so many tomatoes early this year due to blight. I've had lots of them but not many that were all that tasty due to having picked them before they were ripe. July was simply too wet.
I always grow some in our greenhouse. I replaced all the soil earlier this year and I think I didn't blend in quite enough compost- I used some leftover topsoil that apparent has compost in it, but I realise now, very little- so they've been well below-average.
Definitely time to put more effort into turning the compost over and using it! The effort being made by a few on this thread is just amazing.
Richard168: Green tomato marmalade sounds good, also try chutney next time if it happens. This year I found a little off-the-beaten-track garden centre who sold me a variety called 'F1 Big Green' They did grow large and beefy but last week turned red. I think they must have mixed up the seeds as this type does exist (I Googled them).
Iain R: I find this duff is best when it's around fine hair roots, especially below a ground cover resembling ivy. When you rub it through your fingers they stay clean as there is no mud/earth.
Posts
I suppose they must have a few seeds, somewhere or they wouldn't reproduce, but if they have, they are very few. This is my photo.
Bridgey2016: OK this is it...
Firstly, there's a beehive composter inside the greenhouse which keeps it warmer, other overspill amounts are in recycling bins with lids outside at later stages, being added to.
For 'browns'... I go into the woods and collect large bags of DUFF (this is the wonderful spongey leafmould under the leaves and above the earth, sifted on site then again through a smaller sieve before adding to the pile. Then there's meadow hay dust which is fine sieved from the chicken coop hay (takes a few weeks to build up)..
For 'greens'...Bladderwrack seaweed, washed, shreaded and then mulched in the food proccessor. Also Gutweed (fine hair-like seaweed) pulped. Vegetables and fruit liquidised in the F.P. Daily chicken poo dried and crumbled to dust. All high in nutrients.
Horticultural grit is added for drainage and aeriation (no larger than 3mm to save space but do the job. Included in Spring.
From 12 till 2am I sit and hand crumble in the greenhouse (listening to World service for company). This removes anything alien.
Constant turning is done. The beehive acts as a wormery at the bottom and a composter nearer the top.
Is that enough information?
All I can say is no one can say that you are not dedicated to your work and hhobb
keep well
bridgey
Old compost, that all sounds perfect for the average gardener?
Failing that you can water them using a bottle of Tomorite or similar with added seaweed extract.
Lyn: I do use Tomorite. However, regarding buying seaweed extract and chicken manure pellets etc. from the garden centre. There's something theraputic about doing things the hard way (going to the beach and owning hens).
We could buy tomatoes from the supermarket for little cost but we choose to nurture don't we.
Oldcompost- Wow what a lot of work you put in but it sounds as though the results make it worth it.
The Duff (leaf mould) you mention is marvellous stuff on its own for woody shrub young plants. According to Chris Beardshaw on Beechgrove it is best at promoting strong root growth.
I had to pick so many tomatoes early this year due to blight. I've had lots of them but not many that were all that tasty due to having picked them before they were ripe. July was simply too wet.
I always grow some in our greenhouse. I replaced all the soil earlier this year and I think I didn't blend in quite enough compost- I used some leftover topsoil that apparent has compost in it, but I realise now, very little- so they've been well below-average.
Definitely time to put more effort into turning the compost over and using it! The effort being made by a few on this thread is just amazing.
Blight
Dug them all up but managed a fair amount of green toms for green tomato marmalade
Blight took mine this year, same as last year. I rescued some that were ripening but didn't get much in the end.
Will have to try GH growing next year as I'm not prepared to change all the soil in the raised beds :-(
Richard168: Green tomato marmalade sounds good, also try chutney next time if it happens. This year I found a little off-the-beaten-track garden centre who sold me a variety called 'F1 Big Green' They did grow large and beefy but last week turned red. I think they must have mixed up the seeds as this type does exist (I Googled them).
Iain R: I find this duff is best when it's around fine hair roots, especially below a ground cover resembling ivy. When you rub it through your fingers they stay clean as there is no mud/earth.