Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Advice re composting please

Collapse

X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Advice re composting please

    I've just got a compost bin and have popped my first few bits in - veg peelings, egg shells, tea bags and some dead flowers from a vase and I realise that it'll take around 6 months or so before I can actually start using the compost from it, but I just wondered if chucking in a couple of bags of manure would speed up the process. The manure I can lay my hands on (literally ) is fresh rather than well rotted, what do you think?

  • #2
    Manure is brill to add to the compost bin as it gets it nice and hot and makes everything happen a bit quicker.
    Happy Gardening,
    Shirley

    Comment


    • #3
      just the job, go for it!
      Imagination is everything, it is a preview of what is to become.

      Comment


      • #4
        Just make sure you get a good mix. Add shredded newspaper, lawn mowings, all veg waste and peelings, teabags, coffee grounds etc. Don't build solid layers of any one thing, keep it all well mixed

        Comment


        • #5
          I still find that it takes me a year to get usable compost. I have 3 bins so I just move from one to another and let the full one 'cook' - when it's done it's dropped to about half the height in the bin but it's all good stuff!
          Whoever plants a garden believes in the future.

          www.vegheaven.blogspot.com Updated March 9th - Spring

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks for all your advice. Very much appreciated

            Comment


            • #7
              Comfrey leaves, urine, nettles will all help speed up the process.
              You know you're a hard nosed gardener when you pull the weeds from others plots!

              Comment


              • #8
                Whenever I can, I cut up my composting ingredients into smaller peices obviously not necessary with potato peel as that's the size I try to achieve for anything else. Believe me, they do break down faster this way. Also it's a good idea to give the compost a good mix from time to time using a garden fork/spade so that the black decomposed bits towards the botton can 'rot off' newer addtions around the top thus accelerating the composting process. I'm not sure that even 6 months will be enough to get your compost ready for using, at least a year.
                Last edited by veg4681; 20-03-2008, 05:22 PM.
                Food for Free

                Comment


                • #9
                  A little tip is to get an old compost bag or similar and cover the compost this helps keep the heat in i know there is a lid on your bin but this will help as others have said chuck as much in the bin as you can at any one time as well this helps with the cooking jacob
                  What lies behind us,And what lies before us,Are tiny matters compared to what lies Within us ...
                  Ralph Waide Emmerson

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Egg shells?

                    I hope you crushed them.
                    My experience is they take years to break down.. so I crush them, keep in an old fertiliser plastic tub and use as slug deterrent/ soil conditioner.
                    Last edited by Madasafish; 20-03-2008, 05:47 PM.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Good luck, I always get my hubby to pee on our composting heaps, helps a lot, the local stables provide us with good manure, that help speed up the process.
                      Dont worry about tomorrow, live for today

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        About egg shells, You need to make sure that you crush them before you put them in the bin.

                        For two reasons:

                        1. Most importantly Witches will go to sea in them if you do not crush them and sink ships.
                        2. Less importantly if you dont crush them the resual egg ferments in the shell and when you dig out the compost it stinks like hell.
                        My phone has more Processing power than the Computers NASA used to fake the Moon Landings

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          This made me smile

                          Originally posted by NOG View Post
                          About egg shells, You need to make sure that you crush them before you put them in the bin.

                          For two reasons:

                          1. Most importantly Witches will go to sea in them if you do not crush them and sink ships.
                          2. Less importantly if you dont crush them the resual egg ferments in the shell and when you dig out the compost it stinks like hell.
                          Dont worry about tomorrow, live for today

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            How interesting! That will explain why Ive got an intact egg shell at the bottom of my compost bin! Bernie
                            Bernie aka DDL

                            Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              a word of warning when you turn your compost heap with forks make sure you dont spear a frog or toad or other wildlife cause they are often 'camping' in there
                              The love of gardening is a seed once sown never dies ...

                              Comment

                              Latest Topics

                              Collapse

                              Recent Blog Posts

                              Collapse
                              Working...
                              X