Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Composting

Collapse

This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • #31
    Shredding

    Originally posted by 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
    yorkie2
    For anything woody, like your hedge cuttings will be, the more effort you put into reducing their size now will pay dividends in terms of time taken to compost. If you can put them through a shredder and then compost from there then they shouldn't take too long. The time will depend on whether you "manage" your compost or just let nature take its course. Geordie has a great post on compost and "managing" in this section. If you turn your compost regularly you can get it ready in a lot less time. It also pays to mix contents so that you don't have too much of any one item. The woody hedge cuttings should offset the grass cuttings and stop them turning into a solid black stodge (technical term!) but I'd still be tempted to mix kitchen waste in as well. Can you store the cuttings and add them as a layer when you compost other material over time?

    Last year we put cabbage stalks on the compost in 6 inch sections. I emptied the bin recently and although some decomposition had taken place it wasn't really enough and we sorted threw the contents, ripping any larger items to smaller ones and returned them to the bin. The stuff we had cut to shreds have all broken down and are now on the bed ready for this year.

    We always have a pair of secatuers with us when we compost now so we can cut stuff down to the minimum size. My mother in law let us have the contents of 2 of her bins that had been standing for 3 years and to be honest, as she hadn't cut much stuff up about a third of the contents went back in the bin.

    Good luck. Florists also use the leylandii greenery in floral displays, if you have flowers you could also use a small amount (doesn't really count in the overall scheme of things) to add to your table displays.
    Dave

    Do what you enjoy, or learn to enjoy what you do - life is too short.

    Comment


    • #32
      Nick,Jax,Geordie,
      Thanks for your kind and invaluable help, guys. I've got the picture and-once I get the thing started- I'll report back.
      Berr.

      Comment


      • #33
        Geordie, you seem to be the king of the compost heap so can you tell me where I can use this......

        I have 2 pygmy goats that have been stabled for the winter, for the first time I am trying the 'deep bed' method which is meant to help keep them warm and they are now on about a foot, if not more,of straw, the bottom of which should be rotting down and producing heat to keep them warm but I am not looking forward to the cleaning out, the stable is 12x12, can I use this 'straw' directly in the garden or does it still need to keep on rotting down? If it helps at all I have 8 veggie beds, a small orchard and hedges but all the composters are virtually all full
        www.poultrychat.com

        Comment


        • #34
          Another composting question for Geordie

          In this months GYO magazine,page 68 "In The Kitchen" liver fluke is mentioned again, in relation to watercress, and that it's a parasite spread by sheep and cow droppings. They state that when starting watercress,dig a trench and line with manure but NOT sheep manure for aforementioned reasons. At our allotments they're always have loads of manure dropped off, mainly cow I think but could be sheep as well. Would the liver fluke be killed off by composting? Does the fluke only thrive on watercress or are other vegetables affected. Help! Especially as I've offered to clean out the lambing pens soon so I can have the manure for my plot!

          Comment


          • #35
            Thankyou all for the compost advice its taken me ages to read through it all. i need to come back and inwardly digest it all, not literally.
            Retirement is when you stop living at work and start working at living

            Comment


            • #36
              Poultrychat,

              Depends what type of soil you have.....if it is clay / heavy soil a straw rich manure will help to open it up.

              If it is more straw than manure you may be able to use it as a mulch, but beware excess urine causing an ammonia problem to the plants.

              If need to can be mulch for orchard (see above)

              Worst case scenario just heap it up in a corner and dig in on beds after summer produce removed
              Geordie

              Te audire non possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure


              Comment


              • #37
                Many thanks!

                Have just been reading through all your advice and guidance re: composting! Very useful, especially Geordie - do you have an honours degree in composting? Cant wait to get going! Thanks dexterdog
                Bernie aka DDL

                Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

                Comment

                Latest Topics

                Collapse

                Recent Blog Posts

                Collapse
                Working...
                X