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Talkback: Christmas compost

Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
in Talkback
I'm a compostaholic and I have been dirty for too many years. The best bit about the mulch spreading is the rich look on the soil without the digging. At the moment it is just too damn cold to go out there and I know the bulbs will be too high by the time I do!! Also my soil is always so hungry it all totally disappears by the spring.

And where do all the worms come from? Our bins were started on totally virgin soil that seems to be the most un worm friendly there is out there but, behold, within a few months of there being compost there are thousands of worms!! Bless 'em!

We now have a worm factory too. It's not so much the compost I'm looking forward too, it's the liquor for feeding. I can almost hear the plants drooling at the thought already.

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  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I have a compost beehive at home and a huge green mesh thing at the allotment. I am looking forward to another great composting year. However I would just like to warn readers that if your council does green waste recycling and sells it back to you, Please check if they sterilise it too - our council doesn't, as I found out last year - ivy seedlings everywhere, tomatoes everywhere, and a friend was unlucky enough to get japanese knotweed from the council compost too (which they then charged her lots to get rid of!!). Thanks folks.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I am looking forward to starting composting. I live in Portugal and thought it was too dry here for Proper Composting, but now I hear that, as long as the bin is sealed to keep in the moisture, it works fine. I have just built raised vegetable beds (to compensate for living on rock)and hope to have my first harvest this summer!
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Two homes, two gardens and seven magical compost heaps!(Well, three Council black compost bins, two wooden compost bins and two heaps to be precise) Great, but still they never seem to be ready when we are - I cannot resist filling them up when they drop down on rotting, so they are perpetual. This really is a compostaholic! My New Year's resolution is going to be "Leave the compost heaps/bins etc to rot down! I will let you know what happens next year.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I would to build a compost bin using old pallets but don't know where to buy them, can anyone help?
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Tommy, I bet if you went to an industrial estate the business would be happy to give you pallets for free-the true spirit of composting/recycling or maybe somewhere like b&q.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I have shredded paper and droppings from someone else's pet gerbils. Wonder if this is safe for putting straight onto garden, or for how long should I leave it in the compost bin, particularly is it safe where vegetables are grown. Similarly for biodegradable cat litter?
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I have a home made wormery and I collect quantities of black liquid in the bottom container which I guess can be used as feed. Does anyone know is this correct and if so what ratio do think it should be mixed with water?
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Morning Ben Gunn. The stuff that leaks from a wormery makes excellent plant food. Dilute at about 1:10 with water.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    Recently our local council has told us to put All food waste in our green bin with garden waste for Recycling. Food waste went in black bin before for deep burial.They said it will cut down on Methane gases at the tip.Surly Methane gas comes from a compost heap anyway. But my point is this, raw meat trimmings, cooked food waste, bread. ect. There compost heap mustbe Ratties Heaven. I don't think I want it in my compost bin. What are your views ? P.S. for Rachel I wonder if they sterilise it.
  • Gardeners' World Web UserGardeners' World Web User Posts: 17,147
    I've started using used TEA BAGS as a compost additive........collect them up....dry them...remove the paper wrappings & into the compost bins. Masses of them in our house!

    It seems so obvious really.......can anyone out there spot potential problems with this?

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