Compost help
Hogroast2
Posts: 55
As a fairly new gardener, I left my garden for a year so that I could see what was planted in it.
What took me quite a long time to get the hang of is how to compost, and for over a year I have been throwing uncooked kitchen waste on the heap along with almost everything I cut out of the garden, ie no "brown" waste, and the heap has never as far as I know got hot, or 'cooked'.
The result of the leave-it-and-see gambit was that I experienced an absolute infestation of dandelions and what I now know to be green alkanets, all of which have gone on the heap.
Apart from being in need of a good source of failsafe advice on how to compost, my question is: can I use what I have got? It's all rotted down and so on but is it now too rich for my plants? And will it not just increase my supply of green alkanets? I definitely have more than enough of those.
If I have just created an unusable heap, is there anything I can do to it to make it usable?
Posts
I think you've made the mistake many first time composters do. The error is to try to compost perennial weeds ie dandelions and alkanet, plus quite a few more..
I did it and so have the majority of people when they first start so it's no big deal.
If you have a good dark, non smelly heap then you can use it. It may have some seeds in especially if it hasn't been hot enough, as heat generated kills the weed seeds.
It may be worth sieving the compost to remove any perennial roots which may still be there, but if you keep an eye on what you are spreading you can usually see any weeds still in the compost. Keeping on top of what you have spread will be tiresome but essential.
There's always something left after composting even some seeds, and unless you are hot composting you will have to make do for the moment.
In future don't compost the perennials weeds, burn them, and try to remove any weeds before they set seed, dandelions being one of the worst culprits.
Not many people garden by just raising and planting plants, garden maintenance is a large part, weeding, bug problems, feeding etc, mistakes we learn from and we all make the them.
I know you won't make the same mistake again, lesson well learned.
There is another thread on here about composting, but I can't find it, but others will point you too it.
If you have grass to mow, you could mix the entire contents of the heap with an equal quantity of grass and let it heat up and "cook" again. My kitchen waste never composts well over winter, and I always do this with the first cut of grass. I did it last weekend and the entire heap is now cooking nicely.
As Dave says. Dont put perennial weed roots (dandelion, docks, ) or seed heads(dandelion) in.
I don't put and food waste as in dinner left overs in the bin as this attracts vermin .I drown my by putting them in a bucket of water and making a feed .(the seeds and roots destroyed)for the flowers along with my seaweed and comfrey brew.
Thank you very much for all of this. Back to the drawing board for me. Fitgetbones, I don't have any grass to mow but I do have a heap of dead sedge grass which is quite straw-like. Is that any use?
Hmmm...it's OK Hogroast, but it won't activate the heap, which is what you want. The principle is to mix brown stuff like your dead sedge, cardboard, paper (all high in carbon) etc. with green stuff like grass cuttings which are high in nitrogen. Non-persistent weeds and smallish quantities of (uncooked) kitchen waste can also be added. The right mixture will heat up and rot quickly.
So, if you have no grass, maybe you could find someone who has, and doesn't bother to make compost. They're often to be found at the council tip on sunny Saturday afternoons with bin bags full of the stuff. Failing that you'd need some manure to mix in. Fresh or (I suppose) pelleted/dried stuff that you'll have to pay for
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Thank you Steve!
Just a thought: When I put grass cuttings in the compost bin I usually mix it with some shredded paper to avoid a sludgy lump. Answers please to a ' discussion' between myself and gardening son - should you bake eggshells before putting in the bin? I don't but he does. Ta
I just sling 'em in Midgetnan!
I have a halfway house for my kitchen fruit and veg peelings etc. It's a green plastic bin with a lid (about 2' high and about 1' width and depth) which the council used to provide for that very purpose. (We can now put kitchen waste in the brown bin with grass and garden clippings) I put mine into that and once it's full, it all goes in the compost bin. By that time it's all rotting away nicely
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It might be an idea to crush eggshells before composting as it'll help them break down. Or crush them very coarsely and use as a slug deterrent instead. No need to bake them but I do let them dry first to avoid possible nastiness.
I made the mistake of chucking a load of potatoes on my compost heap when they didn't get used, I now seem to have potato plants growing out the side of my heap... Its a minefield the whole composting thing I tell you.. Good luck