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Post by Geranium on Feb 6, 2015 6:45:31 GMT
OH has had to repair our bins. It's lucky he's so practical! We try to get manure from anyone who has horses, but the last one moved away and I'm not too sure if the manure heap is still accessible, although the new owner said we can help ourselves. |
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Post by Dutchy on Feb 6, 2015 9:10:35 GMT
Chuckles, no need to be as we have the work and you don't  Fruit only would be a smelly thing. Citrussy things are not the best for a compost heap. I now take all the spent coffee and tea bags to the heap. All the permaculture guys and girls say that it is good bulk for the heap so I am giving it a go. It does mean having an extra bin ( small barrel with airtight lid ) inside. The things I do to feed the soil  |
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Post by Ladygardener on Feb 6, 2015 14:54:58 GMT
I went through a phase of putting my coffee grounds down as a slug barrier, it did work but I think I had too much and it went mouldy. Not that all mould is bad I know but it kind of put me off. Since then I've been reading and there are loads of different ways to use coffee grounds. Now I'm saving them for the plants that like a little bit of acidity, lilies in pots they say, benifit too.
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Post by Dutchy on Feb 7, 2015 10:39:35 GMT
Lilies in pots, I'll try it this year, ah and with luck it deters those blasted red lily beetles as it does smell of coffee and maybe not as much of tasty lily. That would be nice.
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Post by Chuckles on Feb 10, 2015 19:16:16 GMT
We try to get manure from anyone who has horses I remember when we first set up our raised beds we went up next doors fields to thier horse muck heap and loaded bags on OH's work trailer to fill the beds, amazing stuff it was Chuckles, no need to be as we have the work and you don't  I just think they look wonderful and I don't mind the work  To be honest the dalek bins can be hard going, getting stuff out the hatch bit at the bottom is a pain in he bum sometimes. Ok you can lift the whole thing off but that can be hard going if you fill them. |
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Post by Dutchy on Feb 11, 2015 7:26:13 GMT
Which is why I have a home made Dalek that looks like the beehive bin Geoff Hamilton made in one of his program.
It comes apart per board so you lift all off and then can shovel things out easily without hurting your back. Mind you it is a lot more work but I do not mind that.
I have free horse manure. A lady from training even offered me well rotted manure for free. All I need to do is go and get it in my car... erm. Still thinking on how to do that without creating a mess.
Bin liners tend to tear...
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Post by Ladygardener on Feb 11, 2015 9:39:13 GMT
Dutchy you can buy special hard wearing black or green covers/sheets for transporting plants etc in the car. Here they're found in B&Q, it would be worth looking in a hardware dept to see if you could get some. Other than that then the compost bags themselves that you buy are really strong too. You're so lucky to get the free manure. 
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Post by Dutchy on Feb 12, 2015 8:44:37 GMT
I know but I have a flat loading floor and things tend to roll about.
I'll find a way that suits me and yes I am lucky.
Free Muck isn't bad.
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Post by Dutchy on May 6, 2015 6:48:49 GMT
I have been reading J. Milner on organic gardening. He says urine is the best one can get and it can go diluted one to one with water by the cabbage and the courgettes and family but also diluted on the compost heap. Especially when you also put paper shreddings on the heap. Urine will give you the needed extra nitrogen. Has anyone tried these two ways of using urine? I use mine ( no real toilet at our lotties ) on the compost but direct use with plants?  ? The compost works fine, I was afraid of stench but that never happened. But I have no way of seeing if it has extra effect. ( I always used it ) |
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Post by Ladygardener on May 7, 2015 5:52:55 GMT
One of the 1st things I learned about composting is that urine is a good activator. I've never used it for anything else 'tho Dutchy. |
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Post by Dutchy on May 7, 2015 8:00:26 GMT
Wel I now use the "up for destruction paper snips" as a liner for my wee bucket and then empty out on the compo heap. I hope this speeds up the destruction of the paper as it is brown material that is slow to disintegrate Ladygardener. I think I will try it on the cabbage and the ever hungry pumpkins to start them off. Good thing I am not on medication  at least I can use it. |
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Post by Barbara on May 7, 2015 8:28:31 GMT
Wee is great forr rotting the compost quicker, but weeing on my food.  |
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Post by Chuckles on May 8, 2015 9:36:27 GMT
I remember way back on here discussing adding wee to the compost bin to help the rotting process. If I recall mens is better than womens. I have a bucket in the shed for when I'm taken short  |
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Post by Ladygardener on May 8, 2015 12:51:34 GMT
Yes in any of the articles I've seen on wee for compost bins, they always recommend mens for some reason. Perhaps it has something to do with hormones. I'm on too much medication to use mine I think.
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Post by Geranium on May 11, 2015 5:50:37 GMT
It looks as though we've got rats in one of our compost bins - again. It's not the one in use, luckily. OH will have to put poisoned bait in it, cos I'm not going near it!  |
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Post by Chuckles on May 11, 2015 7:21:59 GMT
Oh dear, I've had mice and bee's nest in mine before. The one thing I couldn't cope with is if a snake moved in, they say they like a nice warm place to lay eggs. My bins have been on the dry side this year so when its rained I've removed the lids, its helped.
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Post by Dutchy on May 12, 2015 8:04:55 GMT
Rats do come and all other monsters but if one tickles the compost bin every month, I put a fork in and try to aerate, There is less vermin. Mens wee.... not sure if I can produce that...  anyhow the Dutch permaculture site does not make that difference. |
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Post by Dutchy on Oct 23, 2016 10:43:29 GMT
Just at it. Sifting the compost getting all the bindweed out... bgr.
Anyhow I have much more of it now next doors is dumping her chicken and rabbit house contents on my heap.
The compost must be higher in Nitrogen levels now which is a bonus as those are a bit depleted in my plot.
Or do these biodegradable rabbit house wood-pellets take that up as they decompose in the bin?
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To be honest the dalek bins can be hard going, getting stuff out the hatch bit at the bottom is a pain in he bum sometimes. Ok you can lift the whole thing off but that can be hard going if you fill them. 
?
