Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Snap Dragon on May 14, 2008, 14:17
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Hubby has just made me a composter out of some pallets and it is ready to be filled... :D
I don't have much to put in it at the moment as my plot is fairly clear. I do have lots of shredded paper, some straw and hubby is out mowing the lawn so I will have fresh grass clippings... oh, and probably some soggy salad from the fridge!
Should I be doing something special like line the bottom with straw or twigs or shall I just chuck everything in! :?
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Main thing is to alternate layers of soft stuff (grass clippings) and 'brown' stuff (paper/card/straw) so you don't get a really thick layer of either.
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Hubby's next job is to wee on it, whenever possible. Best compost starter there is.
Actually, urine has applications in agriculture, building, textiles, it's very useful. When it all goes pear-shaped, us old-timers will be sitting around the campfire saying "D'you remember when we used to flush wee away with 20 litres of good fresh drinking water?"
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good idea to start it off with a layer of twigs apparently. Suppose it's to get a bit of air in the bottom and to keep the worms from drowning :D Don't put cooked food in it and like has already been said, alternate layers of stuff, greens and browns. Dry stuff, like ripped up newspaper and cardboard, bog rolls, bash cabbage stalks and such like before adding it as it can take an eternity to rot down. I bash them with an axe which I recommend you do when in a bad mood :D Nettles and comfrey leaves are good to add but I wouldn't add leaves, keep them separate. Turfs of soil can go in. I add bonfire ash (no plastic or nasties in it though) you could put the contents of the hamster cage, hen droppings etc in there, hoover bag fluff, kitchen scraps (raw only) and peelings, tea bags, old flowers and plants. See, it's full already :D
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Can I take this opportunity to brag that my heap is now HOT following the last lot of mowings going on it along with several inches of rakings.
I've not really followed the layering idea but just chuck on whatever I have. I gave it a good stir and got loads of air into it at the weekend and it is really going great guns.
Listen to these experts Snapdragon. They'll get you going. And I've not even wee'd on it yet. 8)
Rob
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I've already got a dalek in the back garden which is nearly full. It's got a base on it (which I'll take away when I empty it - not that it stopped the worms getting in, there's loads in there!). The compost inside is quite damp so I might try and pull it all out and add some shredded paper to it but I intend to leave it to compost and take all our kitchen waste, grass clippings and shredded paper to the lottie from now on so I wanted to get this heap right.
I found some twigs but decided to keep them for my peas! I've added a layer of straw at the bottom and then mixed more in with the the grass and toilet roll tubes. I'm clearing out the fridge tomorrow so I'm sure I can add some fruit/veg to it.