I have never had any problem with the council compost here on the Isle of Wight.As far as I know it is not sterilised.There must be 3 tons of the stuff put on my garden over the last 13 years.My garden had marestail when I arrived but that has been eradicated,I am lucky in that I don't have any pernicious weeds.I had some local topsoil for the garden this year but it only produced annual weeds which were quickly got rid of.We do have JK on some parts of the Island but not heard of it being a problem in compost.
“Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
I can't get on with the dalek type bins (too difficult to get compost out at the bottom) or with the wooden open bins (didn't like the mice nesting in there). I now have these modular compost bins which are excellent.
They are very expensive to buy from here - but I got mine for £15 each via a local authority promotion for home-composting.
They are now about 15 years old and as sturdy as ever. You can remove / open the sides up completely which makes turning the compost and digging it out as easy as with an old fashioned compost heap. If you get the mix right and are prepared to shred / mow material you can make coarse compost in a season (6 months) or finer compost in 9 - 12 months. They take a lot of stuff!
I have a medium sized garden (1/3 rd of an acre) with equal size front and rear gardens and use a total of 4 bins in 2 lots of 2 - two out front - two in the back. They are tucked away in corners. I can usually be using compost from one bin while the other is filling & cooking. When the usable compost bin is empty I turn the 'new' bin into the empty bin and leave it to cook a bit longer.
The bins are no more unattractive than other plastic bins but definitely easier to use. I have never had a problem with vermin in these bins.
I don't use the council produced compost for the same reason as Snoodle.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
I have a friend who swears that the council compost can only be considered soil improver and it is advertised as such, whereas everything you read or see on TV about home-made compost bills it as nutrition rich.
I had a newly built raised bed that the contractor filled with council compost and it did nicely for the first couple of years then I realised that it needed digging out and refreshing. This might be true for all raised beds, I don't know, that was my first one and I've moved now.
What do other people think about the nutritional value of Council Compost, is it really just a soil conditioner? I can't see how it can be.
It is a soil conditioner but still high in nutrients. What they mean is that it is not supposed to be a growing medium in itself. Perhaps because it's too high in nutrients. The company that makes and sells the compost in my area tell you what the composition of it is. I think they say "use as soil conditioner" because in this country you use "compost" to mean what in America they would call "potting soil" as well as the result of composting, which is too rich to use as a growing medium. (Note that Monty Don always mixes garden compost with grit and leaf mould to give it more fiber.) Plants grow best over the long term with actual soil because it needs the minerals as well as the organic matter. All raised beds/containers will need refreshing after a time. Most gardens tend to be be overly fertilised, which can cause water pollution from run-off.
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I have never had any problem with the council compost here on the Isle of Wight.As far as I know it is not sterilised.There must be 3 tons of the stuff put on my garden over the last 13 years.My garden had marestail when I arrived but that has been eradicated,I am lucky in that I don't have any pernicious weeds.I had some local topsoil for the garden this year but it only produced annual weeds which were quickly got rid of.We do have JK on some parts of the Island but not heard of it being a problem in compost.
Have you considered a compost tumbler? Easy to turn, aerobic & virtually no smells.
Sited in full sun and activated with a shovelful of garden soil, they can be quick to work.
I can't get on with the dalek type bins (too difficult to get compost out at the bottom) or with the wooden open bins (didn't like the mice nesting in there). I now have these modular compost bins which are excellent.
http://www.gardeningdelights.com/grow-your-own/compost-bins/thermo-compost-bin-komp-700.html
They are very expensive to buy from here - but I got mine for £15 each via a local authority promotion for home-composting.
They are now about 15 years old and as sturdy as ever. You can remove / open the sides up completely which makes turning the compost and digging it out as easy as with an old fashioned compost heap. If you get the mix right and are prepared to shred / mow material you can make coarse compost in a season (6 months) or finer compost in 9 - 12 months. They take a lot of stuff!
I have a medium sized garden (1/3 rd of an acre) with equal size front and rear gardens and use a total of 4 bins in 2 lots of 2 - two out front - two in the back. They are tucked away in corners. I can usually be using compost from one bin while the other is filling & cooking. When the usable compost bin is empty I turn the 'new' bin into the empty bin and leave it to cook a bit longer.
The bins are no more unattractive than other plastic bins but definitely easier to use. I have never had a problem with vermin in these bins.
I don't use the council produced compost for the same reason as Snoodle.
I have a friend who swears that the council compost can only be considered soil improver and it is advertised as such, whereas everything you read or see on TV about home-made compost bills it as nutrition rich.
I had a newly built raised bed that the contractor filled with council compost and it did nicely for the first couple of years then I realised that it needed digging out and refreshing. This might be true for all raised beds, I don't know, that was my first one and I've moved now.
What do other people think about the nutritional value of Council Compost, is it really just a soil conditioner? I can't see how it can be.
I have always used mine as a soil improver.My garden is heavy clay and I used it to give it a bit of fribility.
Garden compost makes great worm food. It's the worms that turn it into super-rich plant food.
With my Dalek type, just lift the thing off and turn the compost, stick it back in no hard work.
It is a soil conditioner but still high in nutrients. What they mean is that it is not supposed to be a growing medium in itself. Perhaps because it's too high in nutrients. The company that makes and sells the compost in my area tell you what the composition of it is. I think they say "use as soil conditioner" because in this country you use "compost" to mean what in America they would call "potting soil" as well as the result of composting, which is too rich to use as a growing medium. (Note that Monty Don always mixes garden compost with grit and leaf mould to give it more fiber.) Plants grow best over the long term with actual soil because it needs the minerals as well as the organic matter. All raised beds/containers will need refreshing after a time. Most gardens tend to be be overly fertilised, which can cause water pollution from run-off.