Cumbrian Garden Project

PS: About that finger.... I hope you are up to date on your Tetanus jabs!

 

I've now built a composting system in a shady spot behind the wall (all recycled materials), 3 bays each one a little over 2 foot wide, 2 foot deep and 3 foot high. Removable slats at the front for ease of access and top lid opening too for watering and final filling. This should get hot enough at these sizes ( I recently saw a similar slightly smaller version of this on a recent alottment visit, and theirs was steaming)

Posts buried 12 inches into soil. Not connected to wall at all..its esentially freestanding.



Boarding out the bays, each is around 28" wide, 38" high and 30" deep



Now with a lid, front guides and slats installed.



Painted inside and out, I ran out of paint so had to go and buy another pot for its final coat. (I'll get to that when/if it stops raining and dries out.



My plan is to start from the left, and to succesively "turn" from one bay to another. How long do you think I should leave it in each bay before moving the compost into the next, bearing in mind that I suspect it will be a hot heap?

Steve...

 

Steve you need a lot more ventillation in your bins otherwise they will end up soggy,you need lots of oxygen to compost aerobically otherwise with anaerobic decomposition you end up with smells and it wouldn't take long for the wood to rot.

 

Hi walnut, there is ventialation all round where the bin meets the wall, do I need more than that?

I could perhaps drill some holes here and there, what would you suggest and where?

Steve...

 

Hi Steve, Great job on your bins, heres a pic of mine, the side panels have spaces inbetween, about half an inch.. Hope this helps...

 

Steve as Daisy says a half to one inch gap between the boards at the sides and a spacer between the front boards as you build the heap wouldn't go amiss,I don't know how easy it would be for you to deconstruct the sides of the unit to do this.

 

Tails Bob...:D two tails.. and yes I was/I am. I've spent the last few days filling seed trays and all manner of pots and still have lots to do. I'm perhaps a little late with some seeds but it'll be better next year.

Thank you young daisy and walnut for the advice and photo, I'll be making some changes to my heap in the next day or two, the side boards are screwed on so can be off in a min or two and respacing should be easy enough to achieve. Will this extra airflow give me a better chance of a hot heap? The one I saw at a local allottment that I modeled mine one did not have this extra ventilation so I am a little confused. Logic tells me if there are holes/gaps then heat can escape..

Anyway, on with the work this week and a good tidy up is needed this week and sourcing some more materials for the next stage of more stone walling and paving. And lots of tiny jobs to do.

Steve...

 

Ive just zipped through your project and im amazed at how much of a transformation your garden has undertaken in such a short period of time. Its gone from nothing but a patch of grass to a real head turner.
Your greenhouse shelving caught my eye I might give something like that a go myself, atm ive just got one potting table lol.

Im impressed by what you seem to be able to do from stonework to woodwork. I'm quite good at clearing and digging....all the backbreaking stuff but now im wanting to lay paths and do a few more technical things. I guess its all a learning curve and ive got a great Dad and father in law who between them know quite a lot so I should get on fine.

Big pat on the back for you Steve

 

It's coming on love the fact your compost area doesn't look like compost area well disguised

 

I thought I had better update this topic a little bit, its a work in progress still and I apologise for the mess....you can wipe your feet as you leave.

The new raised bed at the side of the house is planted with strawberries and is now a small fruit cage to defeat Mr & Mrs Blackbird.



Greenhouse is now producing as it should do and I have raised from seed quite a few flowers this year, so many in fact I'm giving them away now. I've dismantled some of the staging seen in earlier shots...and placed tomatoes in their place now.





I'm growing edibles for the first time this year, mostly the usual suspects but here's a list.

Potatoes (3 different)
Carrots
Beetroot
Shallots
Radish
Lettuce (3 different)
Tomatoes (3 different cordon and tumbling cherry)
Strawberries (3 different and a tumbler)
Beans (2 different)
Squash
Sorrel
Courgette (Yellow and Green)
Pak Choi (sowing tomorrow)
Peas (sowing tomorrow)

Heres a pci of a relatively untouched area of the garden.



I've now added another veg bed to this area, temporary for this summer. After the growing season this whole area will be raised around 18 inches and some more paving to the left of the new bed here. Beans, courgettes, squash and sorrel. Pak choi to be adden in next day or so.



On the other side of the garden I have a little "edibles" area. Potatoes, carrots, Strawberries, Tomatoes, lettuce.





And another new bed the other side of the patio. Beans, Radish, shallots, Beetroot.





Here's a different view showing the two new veggie beds.



And a pretty shot from a part of the garden planted last year.



I'll post more when everywhere is a little tidier and grown on.

Steve...

 

That's looking great Steve, you can see all the hard work, love and attention you've put into it,

You deserve a rest, sit back, have a cuppa and enjoy

 

I think we have probably all heard Alan Titchmarsh say the following at some time or another "One inch of water goes nine inches down" I use that as a guide when watering in the evening, then i the morning I'll use a finger and insert it into a hole near the bottom, if its dry I'll water it there and then, and adjust accordingly the next evening. Seems to have worked well and on the couple of occasions they have been too dry...its only been overnight.

Steve...

 

Very nice Steve :thumb: Looks like you've made the most of the space you have. BTW, those spuds look tasty
Cheers...freddy.

 

Yup..We are really looking forward to tasting those..:D

Thanks Freddy.

Steve...