Aha, that's the secret, I always added the cardboard pieces bone-dry. Thank all you experts for the very useful advice! I've learnt a lot since I started gardening and am still learning, largely thanks to the knowledgeable people found in this forum
Paper egg cartons are good 'browns'.. and I always line my kitchen compost with newspaper, which gets dumped into the bin with all the kitchen greens. A shovel of garden soil once in a while works as a good activator, full of critters and microbes to help along the process.
As already mentioned egg boxes work well and are easy to break up. I also add loo roll cardboard as works the same; both break up easily with the spade after a week or so. Also as well as coffee grounds I chuck in the dregs from he pot every so often if its looking dry.
Hostafan, it is very humble of you to say that (and I am not joking). Since I started digging the heavy clay soil two years ago, I have come a long way. I have spent a fortune (in real sense), made unwise plant choices, lost or killed some, moved a few, broke a fork handle (reminds me of the two Ronnies!), bought more, regretted some, and am still browsing online plant shops and drooling over catalogues. My little garden has become my pride, joy and an obsession!
So thanks to the advices received here, I stirred the compost and poured some water in the 'cooking' bin and added some torn up newspaper to the current bin yesterday. Also ordered 5 plugs of the perennial wallflowers as three Bowles Mauves decided not to show up again, moved an Anne Folkard to where Salvia Mainacht failed to come back and really really hoping she survives, as I cut some (could be lots) of her roots whilst moving. That's all after breaking my ankle over 3 months ago...
Sammy , you never stop learning and everybody does it a bit different which I think makes it enjoyable , I have always found the site excellent for practical ideas
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I compost cardboard and have never found it takes too long. Thin layers , tear it if you can be bothered and , as has been said, don't add it dry.
Aha, that's the secret, I always added the cardboard pieces bone-dry. Thank all you experts for the very useful advice! I've learnt a lot since I started gardening and am still learning, largely thanks to the knowledgeable people found in this forum
Paper egg cartons are good 'browns'.. and I always line my kitchen compost with newspaper, which gets dumped into the bin with all the kitchen greens. A shovel of garden soil once in a while works as a good activator, full of critters and microbes to help along the process.
Sammy , if the compost is dry a bit of water always works as does soil if I have no used compost
Also reugularly chop the top with a spad
As already mentioned egg boxes work well and are easy to break up. I also add loo roll cardboard as works the same; both break up easily with the spade after a week or so. Also as well as coffee grounds I chuck in the dregs from he pot every so often if its looking dry.
Hello, always save Loo roll for seed planting
Every so often get bags of coffee grinding from coffee shops which go into allotment compost bins
Hostafan, it is very humble of you to say that (and I am not joking). Since I started digging the heavy clay soil two years ago, I have come a long way. I have spent a fortune (in real sense), made unwise plant choices, lost or killed some, moved a few, broke a fork handle (reminds me of the two Ronnies!), bought more, regretted some, and am still browsing online plant shops and drooling over catalogues. My little garden has become my pride, joy and an obsession!
So thanks to the advices received here, I stirred the compost and poured some water in the 'cooking' bin and added some torn up newspaper to the current bin yesterday. Also ordered 5 plugs of the perennial wallflowers as three Bowles Mauves decided not to show up again, moved an Anne Folkard to where Salvia Mainacht failed to come back and really really hoping she survives, as I cut some (could be lots) of her roots
whilst moving. That's all after breaking my ankle over 3 months ago...
Oh, you'll see me posting a lot of questions in this forum, so thanks all in advance for your help!
Sammy , you never stop learning and everybody does it a bit different which I think makes it enjoyable , I have always found the site excellent for practical ideas
looking foreward to see lots posts from you