I think anyone who says they don't have room for a composter should post some pics of their gardens. If you have a garden at all, you have room. There can't be many people who don't have the 2 foot square needed for a compost bin, if you really don't then why did you plan you garden so badly? A compost bin is part of any basic, decent and proper garden. It's like saying 'I can't get in my garden' because you forgot to leave space to walk.
Saying "I don't have space" simply means "I prefer to spend almost £100 per year for bagged compost, manure, topsoil and mulch over sacrificing the space in my garden". The same goes for buying ready meals over cooking or hiring people to do something that I could do myself. Different people do different choices, deal with it. You probably wouldn't want my garden and I wouldn't want yours. It's good that we live in such a time that we have these choices.
Regarding peat-free compost, its water retention properties get significantly better when you mix it with a little bit of manure and bagged topsoil. Not much, something like 80:10:10 is good enough.
Of course everyone is different, some us care about the planet, others don't give a toss and just care about themselves.
I make leaf mould and recycle compost all of the time. But i do have things in pots and windowboxes so tend to buy about 3 bags a year. Ive currently got this in a large plastic bin im adding fruit, veg, dead cut flowers and non weed leaves to. IM using the rest at the very bottom of pots (drainage is superb) and as a mulch on borders, esp around the salvias.
Meanwhile ive bought miracle gro and i think thats peat free too though it doesn't say on the bag. But its had decent reviews and as the magnificent display from @V@VictorMeldrew shows not all peat free is rubbish. Early days but plants seem to be happier (and not dying!). Ive mixed a little organic manure in too.
I dont trust it though so will have to get some kind of system going, a worm farm maybe. I do wish compost bins were smaller though. And easier to use (ie turn). If anyone has any recommendations for smaller ones on wheels that would be great.
I don't trust it though so will have to get some kind of system going, a worm farm maybe. I do wish compost bins were smaller though. And easier to use (ie turn). If anyone has any recommendations for smaller ones on wheels that would be great.
@MikeOxgreen@Mrs_Miggins I have looked at rotating composters, they tend to be a bit expensive £150 to £200 and only appear to make enough compost to fill one 50ltr bag at a time which wouldn't be fast enough for me.
@MikeOxgreen@Mrs_Miggins I have looked at rotating composters, they tend to be a bit expensive £150 to £200 and only appear to make enough compost to fill one 50ltr bag at a time which wouldn't be fast enough for me.
You'll never get away from the price problem unless you find a used one. I've just looked on FB Marketplace though, there are loads for sale. It's like having solar panels, you don't do it for the money as it won't pay back for decades, you do it for other reasons. The Mantis is the Daddy, it holds 335ltrs. It does cost a fair bit though.
I have tried out alfalfa pellets this year, for adding nutrition. The ones I have seem very good for holding on to moisture too - they act like a sponge. It might be worth adding to a soil mix to see what happens.
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I have looked at rotating composters, they tend to be a bit expensive £150 to £200 and only appear to make enough compost to fill one 50ltr bag at a time which wouldn't be fast enough for me.
It's like having solar panels, you don't do it for the money as it won't pay back for decades, you do it for other reasons.
The Mantis is the Daddy, it holds 335ltrs. It does cost a fair bit though.
The list of ingredients should be given on the back somewhere.