Composting is OH's department. We collect kitchen waste, including crushed but raw egg shells, in a wee bin in the kitchen which then goes to a bigger half way bin in the annex before being tipped onto one of the big bins or piles out in the garden.
In the vegplots, we have 3 wooden cubic metre bins from the local council, 2 bigger bins made from pallets behind the polytunnel and 2 large heaps about 3 metres long and wide out in the main garden but tucked away - large plot so always lots of weeds, prunings, grass cuttings etc. OH turns them when he has time and when we need compost for revitalising veggie beds or any new bed I'm creating.
We do get good compost from them, eventually, but it's not a rapid process as we have such fierce dorughts in summer now. He does pee on them when needs must but my physionomy doesn't suit. I sometimes think that's a major evolutionary flaw.
I drink tisanes in unbleached tea bags. No idea if they have plastic in them as I haven't come across uncomposted bags yet. OH drinks filter coffee or loose leaf tea so lots of compost fodder.
We also have two hens but all their straw and poo gets tipped onto the dahlia and squashes bed, all year round, so it composts down as and when and keeps the dahlia crowns protected from frost over winter. This is the first year I've planted cannas out in the ground so they'll be getting some too now that colder nights have arrived.
We have nettle patches which I use to make nettle tea for leafy plants and I'm working on a comfrey patch for teas and additons to compost heaps and OH collects leaves in autumn for making leaf mould.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
That is very impressive Obelixx, you make good use of your site and materials. With so much space I guess you can let it take longer but the drying out is a nuisance. Have you tried covering the heaps to keep moisture in or would that be a nuisance when adding more stuff?
We found black Visquene (dpm) very good for covering heaps.Not cheap but we bought a roll of it and used it for all sorts. I spread a big piece out under my shredder and it lasts a long time. We used to compost long grass under a sheet and it kept moist, too wet sometimes.
Looking good @Wilderbeast! Still plenty of leaves here yet, beech mainly and hazel, and grass still being cut as I mow them up. Good luck tomorrow, hope it keeps dry for you.
I love reading about other members composting. The dedication to it is amazing. @Wilderbeast do you leave the thermometer in the heap or put it in when you take the temp?
I'm wondering whether or not to use a now redundant old king size duvet to wrap around one of my dalek bins to help keep the warmth in. I already have old fleece and/or bubblewrap tied round them which has been good for encouraging more worms. I realize it would get quite manky quite quickly, it's all polyester not duck down. Would it be worth trying to cover the duvet with plastic stapled to it to waterproof it or is that just a daft idea?
I once put an old feather duvet in the barn with the intention of cutting it open and adding the feathers to the compost, but you know how it is, out of sight.....it was taken over mice. Feathers are supposed to be a good addition to compost, but by the time I'd added them when the mice were finished it was all a bit messy.
@Uff I just stick it in when I go down with the kitchen waste, only 10 seconds to settle at it maximum. This wet weather has boosted the bins as all the wood content was so dried out.
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Bin 1,2,3 all cooking nicely. Leaf collection day tomorrow rain or not
In the vegplots, we have 3 wooden cubic metre bins from the local council, 2 bigger bins made from pallets behind the polytunnel and 2 large heaps about 3 metres long and wide out in the main garden but tucked away - large plot so always lots of weeds, prunings, grass cuttings etc. OH turns them when he has time and when we need compost for revitalising veggie beds or any new bed I'm creating.
We do get good compost from them, eventually, but it's not a rapid process as we have such fierce dorughts in summer now. He does pee on them when needs must but my physionomy doesn't suit. I sometimes think that's a major evolutionary flaw.
I drink tisanes in unbleached tea bags. No idea if they have plastic in them as I haven't come across uncomposted bags yet. OH drinks filter coffee or loose leaf tea so lots of compost fodder.
We also have two hens but all their straw and poo gets tipped onto the dahlia and squashes bed, all year round, so it composts down as and when and keeps the dahlia crowns protected from frost over winter. This is the first year I've planted cannas out in the ground so they'll be getting some too now that colder nights have arrived.
We have nettle patches which I use to make nettle tea for leafy plants and I'm working on a comfrey patch for teas and additons to compost heaps and OH collects leaves in autumn for making leaf mould.
We found black Visquene (dpm) very good for covering heaps.Not cheap but we bought a roll of it and used it for all sorts. I spread a big piece out under my shredder and it lasts a long time. We used to compost long grass under a sheet and it kept moist, too wet sometimes.
Good luck tomorrow, hope it keeps dry for you.
@Wilderbeast do you leave the thermometer in the heap or put it in when you take the temp?
But watch out for lodgers....
I once put an old feather duvet in the barn with the intention of cutting it open and adding the feathers to the compost, but you know how it is, out of sight.....it was taken over mice.
Feathers are supposed to be a good addition to compost, but by the time I'd added them when the mice were finished it was all a bit messy.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.