Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Compost bin

emma688emma688 Posts: 22
in Fruit & veg
Hi, I inherited a compost heap when I bought my house, as far as I can see it is full of grass and leaves that have well rotted. Does anyone know if this will be ok to use in my veg beds or will it be too rich / acidic? 

Many thanks

Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    If it's fully composted you won't be able to tell what it was, and in particular you won't be able to see grass clippings, just brown crumbly stuff possibly with twiggy bits and some thicker leaves still recognisable. Fine for mulch or soil improvement, or you could sieve it first if there are lots of coarse twigs etc.
     If there are grass clippings still visible from last summer it's probably too dry and not done yet. You could turn it out, mix it up and chuck it back in, adding water as needed to make sure it's moist, and leave it a few more months to see what happens.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • emma688emma688 Posts: 22
    Hi, thanks for the response. 

    Went and got photos, it’s really quite wet and there is an obvious grass texture to it. It’s quite obviously just been the dumping ground for grass clippings and leaves and I was tempted to dump it all and start again, but then wondered if it was usable. 


  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,847
    Dig off the top grassy part and use the stuff in the middle it looks well rotted you may want to sieve it to remove any sticks or stones I doubt that its acidic so dig it out and see what it looks like.
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    edited April 2023
    Yes, it looks like the top layer (and maybe some at the outsides) is dry and not rotted down, but the middle looks fine so you can use that on your veg bed. Bear in mind that  it won't be sterile (small domestic heaps don't usually get hot enough particularly if not turned frequently) so you might get seedlings popping up, but probably no more than you'd get from your garden soil.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    emma688  If you'd like to get rid of what you've got there to e.g. free up the space for something else,  I'd spread it on the next piece of ground you want to use and let nature do its thing, digging it in if necessary.  I only do veg but, if something like peas or beans don't seem to be thriving too well, I sprinkle a few grains of granulated lime around them to improve the alkalinity.  Invariably that does the trick.
  • M33R4M33R4 Posts: 291
    Also inherited a compost bin 16 years ago when I moved in. It was packed full of insects and ants. I didn't bother using the compost around the garden so planted directly in the bin instead.

    I prefer an open air compost bin instead of the plastic barrel I inherited.
    I wish I could garden all year round!
  • emma688emma688 Posts: 22
    Thanks for your help everyone, it’s been a great help!!

    It’s a traditional compost bin (wooden three sides, front and top open). We’re reinstating the veg beds that were already there (although massively grown over with weeds and samplings) and moving the compost bin to a different position.

    As we’ll be going to raised beds would there be any harm in mixing everything that’s there with the soil we have? (We’re gonna need a lot of new soil so I’m thinking in terms of bulking out!)

    Thanks for the tip for the Peas and beans! They will definitely be going in! We’re pretty high in the Staffordshire dales, so it’s going to be a trial and error year to see what grows! 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    You may want to add some insulation to it @emma688 as it'll probably take longer to break down in your site.   :)
    Mine is slow here, even with extra layers etc, and cold compost is considered to be better anyway, but it would be nice to have it a little quicker! It also helps if you can empty and mix it now and again, which avoids having to separate it, like you'll need to do with what you have.   
    It was interesting hearing Adam Frost mention, a while ago, the length of time his compost took - not much quicker than it is here. It comes down to location/climate and the amount of material you have to make it with. 
    It does depend on how much you can add to it. If you can make/put in another bin, that always helps, especially if you have enough material to put in it. It means one bin is breaking down while you fill another one, otherwise it takes longer. The amount of space you have will be a factor though  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    I'd advise AGAINST putting peas and beans in raised beds.  Irrigation is difficult enough on normal ground?
Sign In or Register to comment.