So I was doing some digging...

[Sonata]

I have absolutely loads to do today, megaloads of work, heaps of housework (I am SO not domesticated), small child to entertain etc etc..so of course, I was out in the garden (to let said small child stretch her legs)..

So I cleared a bit of a patched of mildewed leaf beet (yum) and thought I'd dig in some of the contents of my compost bin and some blood and bone to prep the ground for some 60 day quickie brocolli (raab something) followed by my broadies (which will go in pots, then in that patch once I dig up the quickie raab).

Erm..the thing is. I set up the compost bin at the end of October last year, but it wasn't that well rotted down. Some of it is unrecogniseable (although there is the odd apple in there), but the problem is that it PONGS! Should it smell so awful? There I was hoping to harvest my greenie-ness and I got an awful snozful.

Anyway, I have to get off me botty and DO stuff (I haven't the energy..or the coffee).

[zazen999]

No, if it smells it isn't ready......can you add some shredded or torn up newspaper and give it a good mix. Alternatively, which is what I do with my perennial weeds after I've drowned them in weed soup for a good few weeks; is dig a trench and bury it. Then you can plant over the top of it and the pongy goo gives plenty of moisture to the plants as they grow on. Usually brassicas as that's the time of year the weed soup is ready having had all summer rotting down....

[bobleponge]

Hmmm I've never really noticed a smell coming from my daleks, snakes and rats quite often but never a smell.

Burying it into a trench sounds like a plan though, and will get rid of all the stuff you've collected, ready to start again.

And I so hear you with the no coffee, sister!!

[pdblake]

If it smells it's probably too wet. Put plenty of shredded paper, cardboard or egg boxes in.

[ginger ninger]

If my compost's a bit wet n smelly (which is not all that often now after 4 years of making it), I mix some really fine sawdust in it, it's really good for slurping up all the moisture... we have a saw mill near us, but old loo, kitchen towel rolls are good as well.

[Sonata]

Snakes? Rats? *squeaks* Actually, I'm not too bothered by rats - I've had them as pets, but I'm not sure how keen I'd be on wild ones.

Ah good, I did dig a hole to put the stinky stuff in and covered it over - good old common sense (which is what I've now decided it was) told me to use it anyway and cover it up so the wormies have a chance to break it down for the plants, who will probably appreciate it. After all, there's the bean trench...

You drown weeds Andrea? Do you use the soup for fertiliser?

Bob, you'll be pleased to know that, like you, I now have coffee (despite a brief fright in Tesco when they didn't appear to have my special organic fairtrade grounds)...I also have garlic bread. Mmm. The Mr will be giving me a wide berth tonight.