Change of heart regarding peat - a trial

[taff]

I haven't got access to enough stuff to make compost with, otherwise I'd be making a lot more of it. Two households kitchen waste, plus mowing whats left of the lawn, plus cardboard and leaves in autumn only make enough to spread one inch thick over three beds a year, it soon goes.

[mrpaulbradley]

I haven't got access to enough stuff to make compost with, otherwise I'd be making a lot more of it. Two households kitchen waste, plus mowing whats left of the lawn, plus cardboard and leaves in autumn only make enough to spread one inch thick over three beds a year, it soon goes.

You'll be amazed at what you can source. I collect tea bags and coffee grounds from work and organic waste from other sources, local trout fishery for example. I've also made friends with various horsey folk for manure. Why not ask neighbours for their grass cuttings? Youll be looked at strangely at first but the offer of a few fresh salad leaves or veg soon brings folk round. Its worth the effort!
In saying all that.... There's never enough right? Hence my own need for a few bags of bought stuff from time to time, and growbags are so convenient to lay around theplace

[salome2001]

The simple answer for gardeners is to make your own. There's really no excuse for not having compost heaps and leaf mould cages. I currently have over 100 assorted containers filled with healthy veggies and the bulk of the compost is home-made with a few cheap grow-bags chucked in. It does take a few years to get it all organized but it's worth it for the cost benefit alone.

I don't think most of us would argue, but not all of us have room for ten compost heaps, neither do many of us have the luxury of a few years to have got it all organised... I moved house 5 months ago and the moving fellas had enough trouble coping with my container veg, let alone a well-rotting dalek

[Two_Sheds]

not all of us have room for ten compost heaps

You don't need ten, one will be a good start. I only have one at home and it takes all the guinea pig bedding & shrub prunings, weeds.
It doesn't take years to get usable compost either: I can get half a dalek of usable stuff in about 6 months. It would be even quicker if I concentrated a bit more effort on it

[Two_Sheds]

I haven't got access to enough stuff to make compost with

Where there's a will....
There're only 2 of us in my house, and half of them live on Pot Noodles My lotty has 6 daleks, back garden has one, and I have 2 at school.
I collect autumn leaves Oct-Jan, keep them in black sacks: I can get one sack on my bike, so that's potentially 2 sacks a day collected. There are roughly 30 at the lotty behind the shed, 12 at school on the unused beds, and about 30 at home behind the wheely bins.

I could ask for peelings from the market or local grocers; I do get coffee grinds from cafes; I could beg grass clippings from the neighbours.