composting for small gardens

[hailtryfan]

No, it doesn't. Anaerobic decomposition (landfill) does, but proper composting is aerobic (decomposition).

From Garden Organic: "Composting does not create methane ... If the heap becomes stagnant and anaerobic, then methane may be produced.

You are of course correct. Composting has the potential to be completely aerobic. But I know I'm not the only one who dosen't turn their heap daily.

interesting debate about the issues here

Compost vs Landfill: Does it Really Make a Difference? | Sustainablog

Interestingly as worms give out nitrous oxide (an extremely potent greenhouse gas) wormeries may be particularly "ungreen"!

Wormeries 'may add to greenhouse gases' - Telegraph

I love worms none the less

[Pies]

You could bury some in a bean trench

[buzzingtalk]

You are of course correct. Composting has the potential to be completely aerobic. But I know I'm not the only one who dosen't turn their heap daily.

interesting debate about the issues here

Compost vs Landfill: Does it Really Make a Difference? | Sustainablog

Interestingly as worms give out nitrous oxide (an extremely potent greenhouse gas) wormeries may be particularly "ungreen"!

Wormeries 'may add to greenhouse gases' - Telegraph

I love worms none the less

It is an interesting debate, and one I'd like to know more about. However, I'd be more worried about greenhouse gases from the meat production industry, or car use, than a small garden wormery if I was considering green credentials. I like to think of myself as quite environmentally cautious, however what one person does isn't so important these days when there are so many of us crammed onto our ever shrinking world

I have sent an email to Norwich City Council by the way, inspired by this thread, asking when and if they can provide better recycling facilites down my road. My council tax is rediculously expensive and it seems most of it is spent washing vomit off Prince of Wales Road (if you don't know it, don't get to know it! your missing nothing!) on weekends instead of providing residents with recycling facilities.

[Two_Sheds]

Do you have room for a Dalek?

I'd rather have a Dalek than a black bin. I leave nearly all plastic wrap in the shop, then put anything else in the street bins. On the few occasions we have meat bones/fish to dispose of, I put it in the street bins, which are emptied several times a week.

Of course, probably not possible in a shared house....

You are of course correct. Composting has the potential to be completely aerobic. But I know I'm not the only one who dosen't turn their heap daily.

Nor do you need to. If you incorporate pockets of air in your heap (with egg boxes, or screwed up newspaper etc) then it's already done. The worms and other detritivores open up (ventilate) the heap for you with their tunnels.

In an anaerobic heap (ie, all grass clippings), the result is a sludgy, stinky mess and there won't be any worms in it

... washing vomit off Prince of Wales Road

I know it well, and always tend to use the riverside walk to get to town from the station, the wildlife is much friendlier than on PoW Road

[Bigmallly]

keith - i did consider getting a dalek but i heard they werent suitable for putting on concrete so i decided against it. i am looking into getting one of thse, or a wormery.

I have 2 black plastic daleks, a cubed one which does not have a base which is sat on soil & a cone one which does have a base & that is sat on paving flags. No problem at all with them regarding bad smells. Just have to keep turning them over regularly. Hope this helps.

[Two_Sheds]

No problem at all with ...bad smells. Just have to keep turning them over regularly

My Daleks don't smell either (I have 6). I only "turn" them once a year too. It's v.important that you include "browns" in the heap, as kitchen waste only will turn smelly and anaerobic
Easiest way is to wrap your kitchen scraps in a sheet of newspaper, chip-shop stylee

[womble]

If a compost heap is provided with the right materials as you build it, really it's impossible to include too much paper and cardboard, then it never needs turning, I almost never turn mine now.
And you can site them anywhere, absolutely anywhere, I've had sacks of leaves, 2 or 3 high off the floor and it's been packed with worms.
I wouldn't put it inside, but anywhere outside that has allowance for the run off to go somewhere, will be fine.

[buzzingtalk]

Two Sheds - yes I like the riverside walk too but sadly, I live on PoW so no avoiding it haha! And yes I try to remove as much packaging and crap when I'm in shops, but I live with 5 other people so like you said, it would be hard to expect everyone to do the same.
What did you mean by 'brown waste'? All that will be going into it is fruit/veg peelings and occasional egg shells, old plant matter, some kanckered soil that needs reusuing and card/paper. No meat or fish, or grass shavings.

Womble 0 what do you mean by the 'run off'? The only place I can think for the Dalek to would be over a drain grill thing. Would there be tray you could buy to put them on?:

[womble]

Just the "juice" which will come out of the bottom, basically don't put it next to your back door, which for some strange reason has a concrete plinth running down toward your house.

[Flummery]

I have 4 daleks in the back garden - big garden and mucho chicken poo - and one is on concrete. Its contents break down just as well as the others - and somehow the worms find it.

[Two_Sheds]

What did you mean by 'brown waste'? All that will be going into it is fruit/veg peelings and occasional egg shells, old plant matter, some kanckered soil that needs reusuing and card/paper.

Browns: card, paper, straw, autumn leaves, eggboxes, loo rolls
Greens: kitchen scraps, dead plants, grass clippings

The mix should be about 50/50. Like I said, wrap your kitchen scraps in a sheet or two of newspaper ...

[Two_Sheds]

sadly, I live on PoW so no avoiding it haha!

I didn't realise there were houses on that road - you must be down near the Compleat Angler then?

PoW Rd features in some cyclist's videos on this forum too (not you?)

[buzzingtalk]

I didn't realise there were houses on that road - you must be down near the Compleat Angler then?

PoW Rd features in some cyclist's videos on this forum too (not you?)

Haha you wouldn't catch me going through a red light on my bike, although I am often found cycling around Norwich. That guy is obviously a bit of a twat!

Yeah theres a small road off the side of PoW before the angler, I live just there. You can hear the clubs and people at night, and smell it in the morning!

And as for a 50/50 mix, that sounds good! I was needing a solution to card recylcing as there is no collectiong by the council

[Bigmallly]

My Daleks don't smell either (I have 6). I only "turn" them once a year too. It's v.important that you include "browns" in the heap, as kitchen waste only will turn smelly and anaerobic
Easiest way is to wrap your kitchen scraps in a sheet of newspaper, chip-shop stylee

Thanks for the tip, I turn mine every week so that should save a bit of work.

[planetologist]

Also, if someone could tell us if you can reuse pot plant soil that would solve most of my problem haha!

If you add nutrients (e.g. from the wormery or compost heap) and you practice crop rotation (don't grow the same thing in the soil the next year, and preferably the year after either), then you can reuse pot soil.

Greetings from NR9,
Erik.
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