Nettles & Leaves

[veg4681]

My compost bin isn't filling up fast enough (a quarter filled since April) but anything I put in are shrinking fast since I give the compost a real good mix with the garden fork everytime I add in more kitchen waste. Also the compost is a bit on the wet side since adding chicken **** with sprinkling of water.

Would I be better off adding nettles and leaves as they're so readily available from field and park nearby? I don't mind chopping up the nettles finely (coz I'm paranoid) but should I avoid putting in the nettle stems? Anything that takes too long to break down, I'm not too keen on putting them in the compost.

[Alice]

Helo Veg4681, at this time of year you could add some leaves to your compost. I have them by the barrow load but if you are short I'm sure you could get a few shovel loads from somewhere. Don't forget you can add your tea bags, coffee grounds, kitchen paper, shreded newspaper and wet card board to your compost - and off course the weeds, grass clippings, shrub prunings, rubbish clay soil and all the worms you can find. I don't know any reason why you can't put your nettles in - but maybe somebody else does. Watch out for potato peelings. If they're not completely composted you'll have the volunteers everywhere. Good luck with the compost. Great stuff.

[carlseawolf]

nettles , comfry and seaweed are compost activators and wonderful stuff for your bin , leaves on the other hand take a long time to break down so best put them into a wire mesh bin to turn into leaf mould.
i personally put them into my compost bin but i'm not in a hurry to empty them because i've got big bins and 3 of them ( each bin takes equiverlant to 10 wheelie bins each ) so it can be in there for a year.

[scarey55]

Almost on the same thread. I have 2 buckets of nettle water (euwgh the smell) should I put it on my compost or just dilute it and water in?

thanks,
Clare

[roitelet]

Just throw it on Scary 55. The compost needs to be nice and damp but not too wet.

I cover mine with a waterproof sheet in the winter topped off with old carpet and it keeps it just about right.

[scarey55]

Thanks for that Roitelet,

Glad I don't have to decant it, smells somethin' awful

Thanks again,
Clare

[veg4681]

Don't forget you can add your tea bags, coffee grounds, kitchen paper, shreded newspaper and wet card board to your compost - and off course the weeds, grass clippings, shrub prunings, rubbish clay soil and all the worms you can find.

Thanks Alice, I'm using most of the above except for coffee grounds (mostly instant coffee drunk here) and newspaper (OH strongly against it, to do with ink and besides the paper bank needs it ).

nettles, comfry and seaweed are compost activators and wonderful stuff for your bin, leaves on the other hand take a long time to break down so best put them into a wire mesh bin to turn into leaf mould.

I personally put them into my compost bin but i'm not in a hurry to empty them because i've got big bins and 3 of them ( each bin takes equiverlant to 10 wheelie bins each ) so it can be in there for a year.

Thanks Carlseawolf, a year isn't that long for leaves to break down, think I can spare that. Having just read a book on composting, it appears that my compost is already too rich with nitrogent! (yet have more access to seaweed, nettles, manure readily), hardly much carbon to show for with brown waste.

[Two_Sheds]

[QUOTE=veg4681;140632]Thanks Alice, I'm using most of the above except for ...newspaper (OH strongly against it, to do with ink and besides the paper bank needs it ).

newspaper is printed with "safe" ink these days. Shredded, its great for the compost heap (we use ours for bunny bedding first), and composting it saves the petrol used for driving newspaper from paper bank to processing plant ...

[rustylady]

Shredded newspaper is also great for lining bean trenches and holes dug where marrows or courgettes are to grow next year. Holds onto moisture and breaks down slowly into humus.