How NOT to make compost!

[john9159]

I am a tenant and also what is termed the site manager at my allotments in Manchester. We have Society status so we run things much to our own ways but the council owns the land on which the allotments stand.

Whilst digging over a plot to make this more appealing to a new tenant I came across some unusual items which had been used as compost material.

This "compost" was made in an unorthodox manner by an old codger on his own plot and incorporated into a former tenants plot, who incidentally had no time to cultivate the plot.

The materials had been buried 12” deep 18 months ago in an area approx. 6ft x 4ft and comprised the following:

Plastic sheet 48” x 10” rolled up
Sweet wrappers
Bottle tops
Crisp packets
Shredded plastic from envelopes with windows
Rubber and plastic coated cables
Angle iron
Wood in various sizes
Various lengths of bamboo canes
Twigs
Shredded polypropylene sacking
Plastic bottles chopped up
Shoe laces
Polystyrene growing trays
and other miscellaneous items
The majority of these materials will never decompose.

I refused to renew this persons tenancy for this year due to persistent interference on other plots and contamination of this, and his own plot.

I will soon be clearing his old plot on which I expect to find most of the above items buried in the soil. The shredded plastic mentioned is in abundance and blows across the site but mainly onto my plot. Additionally there is about 2 tonnes of broken granite reinforced paving slabs used for paths and weighing down membrane; rotted veg. (potatoes, parsnips, sweet corn, beetroot) which was never harvested and a large quantity of roofing timbers.

[Darwin.]

So basically he see the allotments as a landfill site? That's not the sort if fella you want about the place at all.

[Feral007]

I'd be happy with the rotting veg (although ours never gets a chance because we do eat it, but surplus could go back into the ground) the bamboo canes, I might like them too, and you could probably make a hugelbed using the roofing timbers.
But all the plastic and crap? What was he thinking? Sounds like it was landfill, or else he is one of those people who have a hoarding issue and literally can't throw anything out? In which case he needs to be off the site, but can't help wondering what his house is like?

[spanish_gardener]

I am sorry John, but it seems to be people like that in everywhere, they do not give a *** about others or the environment. People like that do not deserve the plot, specially since there are a lot of people waiting for a plot in never-ending lists.

[alldigging]

I do like the idea of the tenancy being renewed every year.

[kathycam]

It's great that you dig over the plots to encourage new people in, as some plots can look offputting. But I was wondering reading this, does your allotment ever hire skips for people to use? Or have any sort of system for dealing with non organic rubbish?

My allotment hires skips at least twice a year, so people are ale to get rid of junk. Though it doesn't stop some people hoarding rubbish or taking other peoples rubbish out of the skip!

[rustylady]

Though it doesn't stop some people hoarding rubbish or taking other peoples rubbish out of the skip!

You have to remember that one man's rubbish is another man's treasure. A lot of stuff that is thrown out is perfectly useable.

[sir david]

I thought the same as Feral
but then I thought a quiet word with Social Services , How is this chap coping at home ?

David

[kathycam]

Actually I've taken stuff out of the skip too, not against that at all. But as I'm newish to the allotment the skip has been very useful to get rid of the junk that was left by previous people, such as solid sacks of concrete and huge amounts of other rubbish burried into the ground.

[sammy_roser]

Sounds like the stuff I keep digging out of my garden, maybe he used to live here!

[Two_Sheds]

I came across some unusual items which had been used as compost material...

... and I get this in the communal compost bin. Drives me batty John, you have my sympathy