Compost mix

Morning chaps an chapessess

Anyone have any ideas about how to create a good mix for composting.

 

50% cardboard and 50% leafy greens/veg ... you can also add things like manure etc, but if using horse manure, make sure that the horses were not given antibiotics etc

 

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicgardening/compost_pf.php
I use a shredder to cut up all my prunings for 'brown' additions, and lawn mowings for 'green'. In Autumn I rake all the fallen leaves onto the lawn and the mower chops it all up nicely. I live in an area where comfrey grows abundantly and I keep it down by adding clumps to the compost.
My daughter has a small courtyard garden but she makes compost for the allotment using all her shredded paper for 'brown' additions and all her food scraps [she can use cooked food as well as she has a 'Green Johanna'] for the 'green'. Sometimes she runs out of paper and has to use a bit of sawdust. This mix makes beautiful compost, whereas mine always has to be sieved as I have much more twiggy stuff.
Wiltshire had a special offer of 'Green Johannas' for £20 which was very good value as they cost much more.

 

I wouldn't say there's a 'magic formula' to compost, just put everything in, (peelings, egg shells, grass, tea bags, coffee grounds, dead plants, weeds, fine prunings, kitchen waste).

Do not put in .....

perennial weeds eg bindweed
diseased plants
citrus fruit/peel (unless you particularly want acid compost)
meat, fish or dairy

• cooked food
• glossy paper
• coal ash
• cat and dog litter

Site it in a sunny spot (if you've got one); never put more than about a 4" layer of any one thing at the time: try to alternate layers of dry (known as 'browns' - paper, dead vegetation, etc) with layers of damper stuff (known as 'greens' - peelings, grass clippings, general weeds etc): use a garden fork or long stout pole to give it a 'stir' periodically to keep it aerated and give it the occasional watering if it's a bit too dry.

My 'top tip' would be, make, build or acquire something whereby you can put your 'raw' materials in the top and dig out the compost from the bottom, that way (once you've got your first lot of compost) you can just keep the cycle going.

Depending on where you put your bin/heap, and what you put in it, if you start now, you should have some useable compost perhaps by early Spring.

 

I would recommend having two if you have space, one to add to the year and one to mature from last. and if you have 'open' heaps rather than daleks etc. turning and compacting with fork and boots. I've never had such good compost since I can't dig any more.

 

go to your local pub and ask them for all the veg peels etc .... you will fill a large dalek in less than 1 month ...

I get a large box of veg scraps daily .... the chef leaves it in a box outside the kitchen ...

the cardboard boxes are also compostable, so I score 2 ways

 

Can't use food scraps lastime I did it brought in the rats

 

I don't use cooked food scraps either ... I use vegetable peelings and cardboard

I think if you use foodscraps (cooked foods) , you need to use the hot composting method (such as Bokashi)

 

I'm gonna use a tumbler

 

i

I'd rather get some wormeries instead of splashing out on a tumbler ... the quality and nutrient value of vermicompost/worm humus is a lot better than any other compost