We do have 2 compost bins of our own, which is spread as mulch, for hanging baskets I buy a good quality stuff from local nursery, not cheap stuff from DIY stores, not sure of the name/make have run out!
are we talking about "compost" the growing medium, or "compost" the home made soil conditioner?
My original post was prompted by Monty's liberal use on GW, but I'm more concerned about the growing medium. As it comes to potting on it would be great to be able to keep more seedlings and eventually keep some in containers. I think (and sorry for my ignorance) that the 'stuff' that comes out of the composters at the allotment (kitchen waster, clippings, grass, cardboard, etc) would be more for soil conditioner, though I'm not sure if it's suitable once plants have got to a certain size. Having said that Monty seems to be using highish grade compost for everything - potatoes in sacks, the Boxes he dug out appeared to be in pretty rich compost. I'm finding the compost to be the thing that's limiting the number of seedlings I can move on to the next stage.
Garden compost I make obsessively. I have 80, yes eighty dumpy sacks on the go and 6 big compost bins.
How? What are you putting in them? Unless I sneak out in the middle of the night and start chopping down the neighbours' hedges the only things I can see myself getting over the next few months are grass cuttings and cardboard. There are only so many kitchen scraps one house can make !! All last years crops were composted once harvested but that doesn't seem to go that far once it's rotted down. For those thinking of compost self-sufficiency there's surely a law of declining returns from a plot or garden. In one episode of the Simpsons Lisa invents a perpetual motion engine, to which Homer barks "Lisa, in this house we obey the laws of thermo nuclear dynamics." I think I just need to find a man with a horse!
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
I was prompted to the comment by NewBoy's post about Horse Poo and worms, though I'm perfectly willing to accept that assuming NewBoy is male is extremely sexist.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
I have 3 compost bins on the go which I use to mulch the garden in spring and autumn. One of my sons friends mother has a stable so I also get some free manure. compost in bags I buy whatever is on offer. This weekend I got a bargain by buying the split bags and I will also get a few bags at wilko as their own in on a bank holiday special of 3 bags for £6. I also use coir which I buy for £4 a large block and at the end of the season I will buy up any on sale and store in the shed for future use. I do the same when they are selling off the tomatoe grow bags.
To see a world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower Hold infinity in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour.
Having read these comments I don't feel as bad especially about the amounts I buy even when DH keeps saying "you can't possibly need more compost, what are you doing with it all ? ". I have found though that after years of gardening and trying every compost under the sun, last year I tried a premium compost (grumbling loudly how much it cost and not sure I can name on here) but it actually proved to be worth every penny in terms of composition ie no rubbish and brilliant germination.
I'm with Hosta on the confusion between COMPOST = medium usually bought in bags from the garden centre for seed sowing and filling pots, and COMPOST = garden compost, ie composted green waste. The second one isn't standard in composition, and is a great soil improver and mulch, but pretty useless for seed sowing and raising young plants unless you have facilities for sieving and sterilising it, then adding the right quantities of nutrients, sand etc. Otherwise you get weed seedlings coming up, and may get fungal diseases too, plus small seeds will get lost in the coarse texture.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Kaymay, I agree some bought seed/potting composts are really disappointing. We need a "use by" date on these bags too, so we don't get fobbed off with old stock where the nutrients have degraded.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Hi i buy mine from qvc Richard jacksons which i use for potting and pots.Saves the car journey to garden center which pleases the wife,and is nice to handle i find.
Posts
How? What are you putting in them? Unless I sneak out in the middle of the night and start chopping down the neighbours' hedges the only things I can see myself getting over the next few months are grass cuttings and cardboard. There are only so many kitchen scraps one house can make !! All last years crops were composted once harvested but that doesn't seem to go that far once it's rotted down.
For those thinking of compost self-sufficiency there's surely a law of declining returns from a plot or garden. In one episode of the Simpsons Lisa invents a perpetual motion engine, to which Homer barks "Lisa, in this house we obey the laws of thermo nuclear dynamics."
I think I just need to find a man with a horse!
We’ve got quite a few horse manure sources nearby but it sounds like a lot of hassle.
Ive got two compost heaps going but neither are producing much, and I’ve got lots of new beds to create.
One of my sons friends mother has a stable so I also get some free manure.
compost in bags I buy whatever is on offer. This weekend I got a bargain by buying the split bags and I will also get a few bags at wilko as their own in on a bank holiday special of 3 bags for £6.
I also use coir which I buy for £4 a large block and at the end of the season I will buy up any on sale and store in the shed for future use. I do the same when they are selling off the tomatoe grow bags.
I have found though that after years of gardening and trying every compost under the sun, last year I tried a premium compost (grumbling loudly how much it cost and not sure I can name on here) but it actually proved to be worth every penny in terms of composition ie no rubbish and brilliant germination.