[Shamps]

Hi folks,

Apart from the obvious; plastics, glass, cat litter etc etc... is there anything in the not so obvious category that are an absolute no-no for compost heaps?

thanks
total allotment/composting newbie..

[mumofstig]

no perennial weed roots

[Etherelda]

wee wee- yes yes

[Yorkie]

Many people don't put potato skins in the compost bin as they may well re-grow  :blink:

Deffo no perennial weeds

No diseased crops, don't want to incubate your blight spores or clubroot

You really want to aim for a good mix of brown (drier) and green (sappy) material with an appropriate amount of wet.

[Shamps]

So, I have just been taking all the householdy unused bits (peelings, mouldy bits etc) down to the plot, is this right?

[Shamps]

I say that because we dont compost at home (live in a flat with no means to compost)

[sawnee]

Should be fine, what sort of composter have you got?
I put peelings in my "green darlek" and have never had anything growing in it. Everything else goes in the "pallet sided composter"

[mumofstig]

peelings yes i personally don't use mouldy bits...just in case. Add any leaves you strip off your veg before they go to the kitchen, rhubarb leaves, whole plants of peas and beans after harvest finished. That sort of thing...you get the picture
Any cardboard..toilet roll tubes, cereal boxes, etc, shredded paper these are good for making a layer between wet, or green stuff.
Put in a sprinkling of soil now and again and any other good stuff, eg pet bedding, old compost.....that comes to hand. and if it gets dry don't forget the pee......it's a good compost activator

[Shamps]

thanks for this everyone, it certainly is a learning process for us.

At the minute we just have a pile of 'stuff' on the plot until my uncle can drop off some pallets he has left over then my OH will fashion something up- any recommendations on a good pallet composter layout etc?

[Lee G]

Re the pee pee, have I read somewhere (probably here somewhere) that it's men only, something in ladies wee wee that not good (so much for them being made of sugar and spice and all things nice  )

[shaun]

Re the pee pee, have I read somewhere (probably here somewhere) that it's men only, something in ladies wee wee that not good (so much for them being made of sugar and spice and all things nice  )

what if you are a bit of both ? 

[rideandy]

Is citrus fruit ok to compost?

[Rubellite]

Re the pee pee, have I read somewhere (probably here somewhere) that it's men only, something in ladies wee wee that not good (so much for them being made of sugar and spice and all things nice  )

It's to do with the hormones...............

[paintedlady]

I think pee from both men and women work just the same in the compost - we all excrete the same kind of urea    If you don't want foxes or deer to invade your plot however, then get the men to pee round the boundaries and mark your territory 

I've been told not to use citrus fruit peelings, but eggshells, teabags and most other vegetable matter are fine.  Avoid putting brassica roots (all other parts are fine) into the composter even if they appear healthy - one may be diseased that you can't see (clubroot) which you really don't want to spread over the plot.

Now & again I'll add a bit of manure onto the composter pile - I suppose it works just the same as urine because it really accelerates the composting process.  Magic!

[senrab_nhoj]

peelings yes i personally don't use mouldy bits...just in case.

Can I ask why?