[Christine]

Lack of rain so the weeds aren't growing, neither is the grass nor the hedges. Sure makes basic staples of the compost heap a bit thin.

You need something besides cardboard, newspaper, veg peelings, worn out cotton items ...

Don't you?

[pairofacres]

Got any spare space?

I planted some mustard as green manure on one spot and left it to grow so I can get more seeds from it. They're now about 4ft high. You could sow some, improve the ground and cut off the top growth for composting if you've got the space.

[binner]

we have horses so no problem there

[solway cropper]

Christine, I know Northumberland's a big county but if you are anywhere near the coast you could gather up dead seaweed after high tides and bung that in. As far as I'm concerned seaweed is the magic ingredient and allows me to grow some excellent crops on what was a fairly heavy clay soil.

[compostqueen]

I've got loads of weeds despite having a mammoth weeding session just over a week ago.   I've got plenty of kitchen waste and have completely filled up one bin, plonked some brown mowings in and topped with chicken muck and a bit of bedding.  Added some rainwater and  off we go. Hopefully it will be cooked fast 

In my other full bin I've got a squash Sunburst growing out the top, fed by the lovely stuff under it

[sunshineband]

Somehow I have managed to fill a cubic metre bin since the beginning of April, despite it constantly settling, I just seem to add more and more and it's back to the top again today 

Time to decant into one of the daleks soon I think to let it be and cook until the autumn 

and carry on filling the wooden one up again 

[Zippy]

Ne' mind Christine - we'll all be harvesting soon and they'll be plenty of turnip leaves, spent peas, finished squash leaves etc etc to pile up. Then there's Starbucks coffee grounds to make a great compost activator.

Solwaycropper - do you drain your seaweed of salt before throwing into the compost? I am by the coast but have yet to use seaweed in any volume.

[compostqueen]

I water mine on a hot day and it soon slumps quite a bit so you can get more in  

[Christine]

I think that Zippy has it right and that things just haven't been harvested yet.

Unfortunately I'm well inland from the sea Solwaycropper so can't go with the seaweed which is very sad indeed.

And no pairofacres - absolutely no spare space at all anywhere on the plot for adding a green manure. Suppose I could add one late on if I have a space whilst things are still growing.

Last year people gave me a lot of garden waste that they didn't want to pay to get rid of - well it was the first year of having to pay to have their garden waste bins emptied and there was a revolt as it had been a free service. This year that revolt seems to be over. Maybe that's possibly why I'm feeling that it's a bad year for compost heaps.  

Oh well, just have to accept that I'm only going to have one compost heap this year not two. How sad is that.

[compostqueen]

yes but one bin is still good news and you can tend it with loving care  The stuff you get out of it will be better than if you bought it from Harrods  :happy:

[Christine]

Sure thing but that one bin won't do both my strawberry beds and my raspberry canes even if it's better stuff than bought in the posh shops

Sometimes there's quantity required. Oh well. Such is life.

[compostqueen]

I'm told that the ashes from my bonfire (plant material and wood only) can be used to top dress my strawberry bed.  I have put some ash on my strawbs at home which were doing beautifully til the dog scrumped them