Compost, Fertilisers & Recycling

I saw a gardening program on TV recently where the conucil bods rocked up at the allotments with a truck load of their composted-compost. All for free for allotment holders. I like the sound of that!

Time to view your junk mail in a different way !!I save most of mine and rip out the see through windows of envelopes, any staples and discard the highgloss leeaflets, keeping the matt varnish ones. All go through the shredder into the compost bin along with kitchen scraps/teabags and grass...

Yes, I'm happy at that price. But if I could get a pallet-load cheaper it would probably be worth it, I seem to get through quite a pile of them!

Sounds like your heap has made a good start. One bucket of water isn't going to do any harm if you've got enough heat to generate steam! And don't worry about insects of any type. A compost heap is just an accelerated form of natural decomposition. All manner of insects will get in there and...

Most bowling green keepers...have a bucket which they urinate in, seem to recall it was a 20 to 1 mixture, but I could be wrong.Never lick your fingers when playing outdoor bowls.Forgot to mention, glad I read the tips regarding the rotating composter. That would work for me having...

I believe they do but I guess it would be a dalek type thing which would not be easy to turn into a rotating composter.. It woud be worth ringing to check through...

Yes it does take time, and I will point out here that I have only been composting for around 4 years so still a relative noobie at it.BUT..Your own compost is far better than any shop bought general purpose compost and I noticed a difference in growing rates between the two, the home...

Some slugs only eat decaying and rotting down material, so are invaluable in the compost heap. they won't be tempted by your greenery outside the bin.

Correct! they are also known as Daikon or Japanese radish, we first had them at Yo Sushi, they make them into spirals with some contraption and use them for decoration, they have all sorts of uses though this is what wikipedia has to say on them: Daikon are an important part of Japanese...

Just to let you know, I did purchase a tumbler. My first batch I made up of Grass clippings, chicken poo, kitchen waste from the bokashi bin, and the quite dorment contents of my static compost bin.. And within 6 weeks, I have very useable compost. .. my only draw back is its very moist,...

Must remember to turn it, keep forgetting that bit!!

The borders used to be plastic sheeting with gravel on top so I have removed them and dug the soil over.I mentioned manure to a guy at the garden centre and he said this was too strong to use but mentioned a pre-bagged product to mix in with the soil that contained 25% fertilizer.So I...

My answer to the weed problem is to sieve it through a 10mm sieve, bag it, let the compost sit for 3-4 weeks in a warm place (greenhouse) to germinate any seeds then run it through a sieve again before using it. You'll kill off 90% of the weeds without destroying any of the 'essentials' in the...

Thanks for the comments. Seems to be quite economical too. I'll get some and give it a try.

Is there an ideal size/shape/design of compost bin? I've plenty of room for 3 good sized ones.I was thinking of building them as one unit from croncrete blocks with airgaps between each block. Then using a slatted timber front on each. They could be as big as 4ft square each.

As usual, some good advice on the web e.g.Legionella is common in water and soil and most of the time, doesn't hurt anybody. This poor chap had the misfortune to get infected by a rare strain. The key health warnings seem to be 1) avoid breathing dust from bagged compost and 2) wash your...

Thanks for the advice folks

OH works in the family business and they make wet wipes, the drums are what they get the fluid in

thankyou will do that, neighbour also told me to stick some onions in there to, will see if that helps

:thumb: I use the organic chicke poo pellets on most of my garden, easily available at garden centres.. Easy to apply & dissolve very quickly.. I even dissolve some in a bucket & add the liquid to my watering can for some pots & plants.. It is suitable for most plants.. I do however use an...