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Become a Compost Expert
I expect some of you know that I trained to become a Compost Master last year. Garden Organic, the charity, have said in their newsletter that there are vacancies for people to train (it's a two day course) in ;
Warwickshire
Shropshire
Norfolk
Suffolk
Leicestershire
Oxfordshire
Contact [email protected]
In return for the training we are expected to do about 30 hours of voluntary work in the community teaching people about composting. We do not sell anything, just give advice.
It is great fun, I ended up doing 75 hours last year and loved every minute
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Not near me Artjak. Hope someone benefits from your post.
What a shame KEF, it is so useful and they help you with the volunteer work by lending out a gazebo, wormery, leaflets, quizzes for the children etc.
Sadly not near me, I could do with some training
the contacts not working for me ,but have got the info local council and when we can Katenme r going to do it nice one Artjack,
They only have one training weekend per year in each area, so if you are interested, book it now; I had to wait 18 months for my training!
Also the funding for these courses won't be there for ever.
Well I haven't been able to do anything with my stodgy compost but just been out to try and 'fix' it and am very pleased to report that actually at the bottom I had quite a bit of useable compost and lots of red worms that I never even knew were there!!!
It had gone down quite a bit, as a the bin was almost full, so has obviously composted quite a bit more over the last few weeks. Just come in to get some shredded paper to add to it.
Thanks everyone for your tips and help.......it seems I'm not actually as rubbish as I first thought!!
The only problem now is, the dogs are on the border going through the compost, just in case there is any food left!!!!!!
Apologies, I've just realised that in my excitement I've posted the above on the wrong thread, so will copy and paste onto my compost thread if anyone wants to reply - apologies Artjak.
Tracey, it's always good to hear about people making their own compost
So glad it's starting to work.
Thanks artjak, I've put shredded paper, brown paper and coffee grinds on today, will put some kitchen waste on tomorrow.......excited now because I actually think I can do it LOL!!!
artjak, we never get anything like that up here in Scotland. I would love that course. I'm a compost nut. I love collecting for it, adding to it, playing with it, digging it over, you name it!
My freinds all think I'm nuts. If I see any veg peelings, or anything at all that I can use, I pinch it.We've just been given re-cycling bins for food waste. So now my neighbours hand over the contents to me. They give me all the veggie peelings etc, in the wee compostible bags.
When I hear anyone's lawnmower going, I drop them a ton bag over the fence, and they drop it back after. Then I raid the blue bins for the newspapers, and layer it. The best compost ever was last yrs. My friend breeds rats and hamsters, (and I have 3 rats too) and they are bedded on a shredded hemp bedding. So that was added in layers, and I got hotter, quicker heaps this year, with a much finer crumb. And don't worry, they are vegetarian rats, with a home-mixed diet!) Our bin men have little to do in our street, as I am even collecting the 2l plastic bottles this yr for a gh for the school, and a coldframe for me!
Our standing joke is that my partner buys me all the little sundries I need for my garden and can't afford, but he has yet to get me a ton of manure! No red roses for me on Valentine, Where's MY SHIT?!
I was really excited in Autumn, when the school caretaker dropped me off 5 bags full of leaves for my leafmould bin!
The trouble is, when I get a really good batch, I can never decide where best to use it! The perennials don't mind it a bit lumpy, but I've never been brave enough to use the good stuff for potting.
I have found that small amounts of dog hair will compost, but too much makes a thick layer that remains. (I'm a dog groomer) However, it occurs to me that it could make a great mulch. going to try it this yr.And I put the soft fluffy hair in the hedges for the nesting birds, they love it! (I even grade the bloody dog hair, only after bath, fluffy undercoat is good enough for the birds!)
Oh, and, The rat muck from the litter trays, the really smelly stuff, seems to keep the mice from my peas and sweet peas if I scatter it around.
Tracey, where is that other thread you mentioned? Love to read about composting.