Grow Your Own Magazine

Hi there,

We have inherited a larde amount of conifers in our new garden and an ivy & bramble choked, solid clay 100 by 6ft border.

My idea is to remove as much of the ivy as possible and dig over, when it's a little drier. Use the tonnes of grass clippings from the garden and our conifer shreddings (probably about a 2cm layer of these) and the waste from my three buns + weed control fabric to in effect make a 600 sq foot compost heap/wormery which I hope, by the time we finish gutting the house as well in a year or two's time will be ready for planting.

My question is how acidic/alkaline is bunny waste (given that the wood shavings are acid but bunny wee is alkaline...about ph 8). If I add this to the conifers am I heading towards only being able to grow blueberrys?

Hi and welcome Ecudc!

I must admit I have no idea about what the pH will be at the end of your 'compost heap'.
My only suggestion is to do what you've suggested, make the soil as nice as possible, then get a pH kit and test it. At least if you put all the stuff in it it should be useable (for something) in 2 years - whereas now it sounds like a bit of a nightmare!

Good Luck, Vicky

From what you have said in your post, I really wouldn't be concerned about the pH of your compost, so long as it is well rotted and broken up before you incorporate it, to avoid large lumps that may well be either acid or alkali.

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Blog updated Wednesday November 13th

many thanks.......let the compost piling begin.

* goes off to buy a tonne of weed control fabric on ebay *

I have no idea how acidic bunny waste is but I composted them with it's bedding plus the Cavy waste too.

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