Compost, Fertilisers & Recycling

Our local Wyevale has a large crate outside for returned pots that are free to take away - lots of people return all the pots from plants that have bought :thumb:

Newbie - whilst I don't have detailed information - I am pretty sure that copper solution is quite safe for us to eat. 99.99% will be washed off by rain and cooking.An alternative metal solution you could use is silver solution. But it would be a bit more expensive. This also has an...

Oddly I don't mind the smell, it isn't that noxious-mind you, it's only fresh yet, maybe give it a week or two lol..

I was there yesterday and bought a couple of shrubs...no discount given..there bags of peat or compost ....the cheapest was £6.75

I think folk have to pay for "brown bin" here too - which is for garden waste, for composting. We compost all our own, so don't need one ...You can check if your local council does subsidised compost bins (usually the Dalek type but some do others too) by putting your postcode in here:

Thanks Kirsten I mment to put in bottom of containters and add topping.

i personally would not use it on anything other than houseplants. but that's just me.

Its the nutrients that the plants need, and they won't be effected by sterilising, normally. I don't think that microwave, or steam-pipes, will de-nature the nutrients.

Don't put food on it Cyril it will attract vermin,don't put your grass on the heap all at once build your heap up in 6" layers using different materials ,too much grass at once will just end up a soggy mess.

Compaction is a condition that needs to be corrected to help your soil become better, quicker. Most of my garden was so compacted, I had to use a pick axe to break it up. I don't think it had been dug for about 20 years. I was amazed at how dry the soil was a little way down, despite the...

Thank you everyone - I can sleep easy tonight !!!!

The presence of ants could indicate the bin is too dry. This can be addressed by considering the materials used for composting. I believe ants can benefit compost by making air tunnels as they burrow, and by processing some of the materials. To deter the ants, I hear spraying with cold water...

Probably doesn't apply to many people here, but I add old compost to the chickens dust bathing areas - they love it. If I have a pot of something that has died or similar (think basil or coriander that's gone past its best) the pot goes into their run and they will spend hours poking through it...

"Am I right in thinking that a predominantly Nitrogen based fertilizer would be best?"Yes, but that's about all I know. Plus "Lawn Sand" to kill the moss, if that troubles you?If your lawn is less than 6 months old you need to be careful of any selective herbicide/weedkiller you use - beware...

I very rarely feed any established shrubs, I'm more likely to be cutting them back hard to stop the place turning into a jungle. Having said that I do sometime scatter a good quantity of chicken pellets around in early spring.Other than that I do feed plants that require different soil...

Sorry. I should have read your post properly. You can get manure. All sorted

Thanks for all your comments. I have had a lot of seeds germinate and grow in it (50% compost and 50% sand for better drainage). But the more I look at it the less I like it. I think it's even a bit smelly (stagnant water smell). Today I have been pricking my seedlings out into another compost...

Compost is "like peat"Top Soil if just soil - but good quality.If you are top dressing around your plants sounds like you are looking for some "humus" to provide water retention and improve the health of you soil, so you are looking for Garden compost, Well rotted manure, Mushroom compost,...

Would just like to add... what I do with my garden waste is - er - put it in the compost bin!! I thought that was what compost bins were for....... The compost bin, BTW, was supplied FREE by the council, but I had to buy a base. (About £6.00)

Aye, it should be OK, but it might come with a bit of resin and be a bit acidic, so I wouldn't put it around anything too delicate, but established shrubs will be fine.