[mikespeartree]

i've only recently been bitten by the veggie growing bug and so i'm planning now to start growing my first lot of vegetables next spring.  we have heavy clay soil here in Bridgend and i've read in John Harrison's book that it's best to dig it over and get it ready now before the winter.  all fine so far.

my problem is that i don't have any ready made compost and it is stunningly expensive from garden centres.

so i'm after advice.

(a) is there any way of getting hold of cheap compost in large quantity?
(b) is it worth digging raised beds over now without compost and adding that in the spring (if we've been able to get any ready by then)?  or best to wait and do it all in Spring?
(c) any other ideas?

thanks,

Mike

[Rampant_Weasel]

always best to dig now compost or not.reason being that u have heavy soil ( like me) so u want it roughly dug so the frost breaks it up, then in the spring when u dig it again it will be like ash from the frost action, makes life so much easier.
see if u can find some manure to put on it, most stables will say take as much as u want.start off ur own compost as soon as u can for next year.
in my first year i converted my garden grass to veg growing and never used any compost, the crops grew fine so dont worry too much for now.

[lincspoacher]

always best to dig now compost or not.reason being that u have heavy soil ( like me) so u want it roughly dug so the frost breaks it up, then in the spring when u dig it again it will be like ash from the frost action, makes life so much easier.
see if u can find some manure to put on it, most stables will say take as much as u want.start off ur own compost as soon as u can for next year.
in my first year i converted my garden grass to veg growing and never used any compost, the crops grew fine so dont worry too much for now.

yea, find a supply of horse poo, then find someone who keeps chickens and is desperate to get rid of the sawdust and chicken poo, nail 4 pallets together, line it with black plastic, fill it up with layers of  poo and sawdust, cover with black plastic.

Wait till next spring, dig it in. Ive got three bins going since July, it the spring it'll amount to a tonne and a half of black gold. I gave the lady £10 for the horse poo for delivering it, and nothing for the pallets, plastic or chicken waste.  Thats how you do compost.

[Rampant_Weasel]

thanks mr poacher sir! alot better at explaining things than i am
ive got some horse on the go to but i wanted to explain it without being to technical and ended up doing neither....

[mikespeartree]

gentlemen,  thank you for your tips.  i didn't realise i could turn round a compost heap quite that quickly.  i shall go on the hunt for poo immediately!

thanks,  Mike.

[mikespeartree]

actually - why the plastic lining?  i thought composts were supposed to 'breathe' / need lots of air circulating.

[Minty]

actually - why the plastic lining?  i thought composts were supposed to 'breathe' / need lots of air circulating.

We've composted with lining and without and the one in the compost bin without the lining is breaking down a hell of a lot quicker that the one that's lined.We just cover the top over to keep and weed seed's that are on the wind out.
My wife breed's and show's guinea pigs and it's their cleaning's that we compost and we have about 6 bin bags full a week so it might be worth looking around for a local breeder as most of them end up having to take it to the tip.

[noshed]

Yes - your compost must breathe, or it will go slimy and stinky.
Try ringing the council to see if they supply compost - we can get big lorry loads free to our allotment site, as well as the police horse manure.

[mikespeartree]

thanks again for all the tips.  i've contacted two local stables to see if i can get the recommended horse manure and the compost bin is under construction.  boy, i'm glad i joined the forum!