Composting

[Nicos]

Compost accelerators

I have just joined this forum and having enjoyed the advice on composting, thought that you may like some more info on organic accelerators. I grow copious quantites of both Comfrey and Yarrow in an area next to my compost bin, and every time I add new material (whether it be kichem waste or trimmings from crops) I add a generous amount of both these herbs, and find they cause the whole decomposition process to take hold quickly, cheaply and importantly, without chemicals. Both herbs grow madly and are very hardy.

[Lottie]

Geordie, thanks for the info re horse manure. I am now getting it free (since last year) and I also buy pig muck which is mixed with straw from the farmer.

The 'neat' horse muck was a bit of a worry as there is so much of it and I thought I would have to keep it years!

Someone mentioned that it is the worse stuff to use as you get alls sorts of seeds and weeds and grass growing out of it after you spread it.

They also told me pig muck is the best. But not why!

Free manure is too good to refuse methinks.

I had the idea of putting lots of green stuff on the horse muck between deliveries. I have made big compost bin enclosures with metal courrugated iron.

D'you think that adding bought worms to neat horse manure would hinder, help or kill the poor worms!

Just a short yes, no or maybe will do once you have recovered for a day or two. I am snowed in by blizzards so no rush

[Clarea1]

My compost heap is doing very little. it is not too wet or too dry, it is a vermin proof compost bin from the council (80 litre - £7!) covered with a waterproof light proof rubber mat. I think it may be because of the cold having read Geordies detailed guide. Would adding some horse manure help? If so, fresh or rotted? I would think fresh would kick it off again - i stand to be corrected though?

[Geordie]

Ok, first off Lottie,

Neat horse manure has very high levels of ammonia, (because of the high urine content), and if used around plants will probably scorch them. I would imagine this and the relativly high temperatures a new manure heap can generate, (ever seen it steaming!), will kill any worms you add to it in the beginning. It is possible for seeds to germinate in manure heaps....after all horses eat grass etc. For these 3 reasons manure is left to 'age' for want of a better word....3 months is ok...6 months is better...12 months is ideal.

How you age this is not important; you can spread some to cover bare soil in october or november.....by the time you plant out in April the manure will be fine. You can pile it up on its own or combine it with other material to form a general compost heap.

As for which type of manure is best.....heres my guide..you choose!

<LI>Pig manure is rich in potash, and when well humified, is best applied to root crops, especially potassium-hungry leeks, celeriac and potatoes. Pigs are primarily rooting animals, feeding on roots they dig up.
Horse manure is light and will lighten heavy clay soils. Horses feed primarily on foliage and grass; consequently, their manure aids leaf and foliage development. Horse manure, which is rich in ammonia, will heat steadily for a long time. This makes it ideal for use in hot beds for raising seedlings in the spring. For a home garden, or even a larger garden where no greenhouse is available, this is a good way to start plants.
Cow manure is best for composting purposes, as the nutrients have been stabilised in the long digestive process of the animal.
Rabbit manure, rich in nitrogen, is good for foliage, stem and shrubbery development.
Chicken, pigeon, and other bird manure is good for seeds, flowers and fruits, because their manure is rich in phosphorus. Chicken manure, which is sticky, wet, and odorous, is hard to compost. It is best made into a liquid compost by mixing it into ten parts water and letting it ferment in a barrel (stir regularly for 6-8 weeks).
<LI>Sheep and goat manure are excellent for increasing the quality and aroma of fruits and the oil content of herbs.
As for Clarea1 it is the cold temperatures that have slowed or even stopped your compost bin from working! Toward the spring add some 'Russian Tea'. Simply put some manure in a plastic bag, tie the handles to stop it escaping, pierce several holes in the bag, drop it in a barrel of water and leave for a couple of weeks. Water this over the compost heap a couple of times and should act as a kickstart. Untill the spring just keep adding the best balance of raw materials you can.

In the real world a compost bin that starts to work around April will have more than finished its work by October....unless you want to go to extreme lengths to help it through the winter, eg bringing it inside the house, possibly a spare bedroom next to a radiator! (joke)

Happy Decomposing

[Jaxom]

Geordie ... I crown thee.... King of Compost and all that decays.

[Clarea1]

Many thanks Georgie, much appreciated!

[Patsy]

Compost bins

Several years ago I bought a tumbler bin and of all the types of composters I have at home and at the allotment this has to be the best. It's sited on concrete because of the weight and needs to be stable for when you turn it. but nevertheless the worms have definitely "magically " appeared. You add materials as and when you have them, turn bin three times to incorporate new stuff, leave three days to heat up and then turn daily till compost is ready. Unfortunately the councils don't seem to do these sorts of composters and I've had it so long I can't remember how much it cost but I don't think it was cheap. It also makes a very good exercise machine as if you get too enthusiastic and put too much in it takes a bit of arm wrestling to turn!

[fruit&vegvirgin]

ah, so having read this, the fact that my bin started in Nov or thereabouts is doing nothing is not really a prob - I just wait for the sun to shine? its got a nice mix of veggie waste and twiggy bits and the odd bit of torn up egg box etc

[yorkie2]

Thank you for the advice on composting. Any sugestions on how to make best use of copious amounts of grass cuttings, and cuttings from a 50Ft long X 15Ft tall Leylandii hedge

[Jaxom]

Thank you for the advice on composting. Any sugestions on how to make best use of copious amounts of grass cuttings, and cuttings from a 50Ft long X 15Ft tall Leylandii hedge

Collect large cardboard boxes from the supermarket. Use the cardboard like large slices of bread to make giant grass sandwiches. Each layer of grass should be no thicker than 6 inches before you add a layer of cardboard. Keep on going through the summer and you will end up with a multi-storey pile that will turn into a form of peat.
This year I am thinking of trying it with the large melon boxes that supermarkets put to one side for people to put their shopping in. these boxes stack and are about 5 inches deep so would lend themselves to this type of composting.
Jax

[Berr]

Geordie, I hope this isn't an unreasonable- or downright stupid- question:

Could you give me an estimate of how many bins I'd need to provide plenty of compost for my polytunnel raised beds. Details as follows:
Bins to be 4'x4'x4'. Tunnel beds: 10 of at 16'x 4'. Compost will consist of hay, grass clippings and horse manure. I've got more or less unlimited quantities of these, and so could make up heaps in virtually one go. So, maybe I could make it in batches? Even a rough guide would be a great help as I set things up.

[Lesley Jay]

When I took the lid off one of our compost bins clouds of white flies came pouring out. I thought the cold weather would kill them off but they are still there presumably because of the warmth in the bin. Question - how am I going to get rid of them? I don't want to be spreading white fly eggs over the allotment and I don't want them flying out of the bin each time I take off the lid and landing on the vegetables. So what is the best thing to do?

[nick the grief]

I would build as many as you can Berr, Especially as you have free supply. In any case you need at least 2, 1 fermenting & 1 filling. These will give you about 1.5 cu metres of compost each if they are full to the top wich should give you a covering of 1" across all of your beds per bin. hope my maths holds up

[Jaxom]

When you compost the finished product is half the mass it was at the start. So if the bin at the start is 4' square then you will end up with 2' square. This means it would fill a bed 4'x2'x1' or 4'x4'x6".
This advice is based on reading copious books on composting and not personal experience as I take a bit of finished compost out of the bottom of my bin as and when I need it.
Jax

[Geordie]

Berr,

Both Jaxom & NTG are about right. I reckon if you filled each bin in spring and left it to compost untill the autumn, then one bin would provide a 2" layer for one bed. As you have 10 beds you would need 10 bins....or if a greater layer of compost was needed then more or bigger bins would be needed.
Do you need to add what will be essentially manure to each bed?
You can use hay / grass clippings (slowly) as a mulch directly onto the beds.
Horse manure will probably reduce by a third as it composts.
This may be a little late if your beds are up and running.....but i would have a 6" layer of manure and hay (80:20) with a 6" layer of topsoil on top. I would then dress the beds with manure in the autumn to provide a thin covering...letting the worms do the work of digging it in.


Lesley,
These are only fruit flies, harmless but annoying. It may be that the compost is too damp....try covering the bin contents with a 1" or so layer of soil.