Compost help

Hi Everyone,

I'm very new to allotments and so this may seem really stupid, but I need advice about my compost bin please.  I was allocated a plot last week (very exciting!), and there is already a compost bin.  I made a small start clearing my plot and put the grass, leaves etc on top of the compost but now after reading a few pieces of info I'm starting to think I've done the wrong thing.  Am I right in thinking I should remove what I've put on there and start a new heap (and use up the existing compost as I clear the beds as it seems pretty established)?  A step by step guide for dummies should do the trick 

Thanks!

I would just chuck all the weeds from your initial clearing up into a big heap somewhere secluded and forget about them.

Don't get het up about not doing 'something by the book'.  Enjoy your gardening is the first rule.     Cheers,     Tony.

Here are two good, if similar, videos on it:

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The key to composting is layering browns and greens, either equally or more browns than greens. And keep the moisture level even as this is the 'fire' for composting.

At one time, people recommended adding small twigs to the bottom of the pile. But I always found the twigs didn't compost as fast as everything else and got tangled in my good stuff, so now, like the videos, I use old straw. Farmers might have bales of old straw they'd like rid of for free so you can always ask around. Browns also include shredded boxes, paper, even natural fibre clothes (cut into pieces).

Quote from: Trillium on February 06, 2012, 19:30

Browns also include shredded boxes, paper, even natural fibre clothes (cut into pieces).

Last year I buried a very tired but otherwise complete pair of denim jeans in my bean trench which I dug out again about a week ago and found just the zip and a tiny piece of cloth with the two studs attached still remaining! 

You must now have some very well dresed slugs round your way 

Quote from: sunshineband on February 06, 2012, 21:58

Quote from: JayG on February 06, 2012, 19:38

Quote from: Trillium on February 06, 2012, 19:30

Browns also include shredded boxes, paper, even natural fibre clothes (cut into pieces).

Last year I buried a very tired but otherwise complete pair of denim jeans in my bean trench which I dug out again about a week ago and found just the zip and a tiny piece of cloth with the two studs attached still remaining! 

You must now have some very well dresed slugs round your way 

I'll look out for them (probably not enough material to kit out a millipede!) 

 

Thanks everyone, very useful though I won't be putting my jeans on the compost quite yet