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Post by sleepysunday on Nov 14, 2006 22:48:36 GMT
Apparently ladies pee is far better as a compost activator than mens pee.
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Post by Susie Snowdrop on Nov 14, 2006 22:52:36 GMT
Far better anyway I'd say  |
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Post by sleepysunday on Nov 14, 2006 23:02:17 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 15, 2006 20:53:05 GMT
Years ago I dug out two compost pits at the bottom of the garden and they work really well. Does anyone have experience of bins / pits as I followed the site through & found we can get them for £6 too. I am wondering whether to add a bin or dig another pit.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2006 11:52:35 GMT
Got my Composter yesterday. Not too bad timewise. It isn't the most sturdiest of plastics but it is twice the size of my old one and black so it should warm up better. The only problem is the lid is a bit fiddly. Not bad for only £6 and I have somewhere to put my grass clippings at last  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2006 12:40:33 GMT
Read this thread for first time and just had to reply to tell you that I have 3 of the large black plastic bins with lids and fiddly openings at the bottom. All were from the council and were free. ;D Not sure if I have to pay if I want any extra. I thought people just had to pay for water butts didn't realise they were being charged for being green so to speak.  Px |
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Post by Chuckles on Nov 21, 2006 15:12:33 GMT
I have 3 of the large black plastic bins with lids and fiddly openings at the bottom. All were from the council and were free. ;D You lucky thing P. I'll have 3 when the 2 I've ordered arrive, still waiting for an e.mail to confirm when delivery will be  |
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Post by Chuckles on Nov 21, 2006 23:35:28 GMT
Got one of those at the top of my gdn toooooooooooooo jlottie  |
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Post by Chuckles on Dec 5, 2006 10:36:39 GMT
[glow=red,2,300]Hoorah[/glow] My compo bins have arrived ;D ;D
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Post by sweetleaf on Dec 5, 2006 10:39:42 GMT
Thats great! gonna "forget " the housework then? ;D ;D
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Post by Chuckles on Dec 6, 2006 20:50:53 GMT
Thats great! gonna "forget " the housework then? ;D ;D Correct  |
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Post by Chuckles on Dec 21, 2006 21:36:15 GMT
I bought a very similar composter yesterday......................for £12 +VAT ;D ;D How's your compost bin doing Susie or anyone else who's bought one since this thread started. One of my new one's is about a 1/4 full so far. |
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Post by Chuckles on Jan 25, 2007 23:14:32 GMT
Emptied my part full semi rotted compo into a raised bed that I'm going to grow beans in this year. Found I'd had a little visitor, just saw it scoot away out of the corner of my eye. Felt quite sorry for it really, wonder where it will go now  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2006 12:00:31 GMT
Hello
We have two pet guinea pigs that go through an awful lot of hay and veg. Last year I put a couple of cage fulls of their rubbish into my compost bin to see how quick it would rot down. Basically a trial to see what could and what couldn't be composted.
It was made up of newspaper (damp and smelly) bits of dried food, pig poo and wood shavings. While everything else has rotted down there is still evidence of a lot of wood shavings in the compost. This is just over a year on. I also added in, as you do, grass clippings, veg scraps etc.. etc.. as the year went by.
Are wood shavings something that can/should be composted? and should I dig in these shavings into the garden or leave them to rot down even further?
Thanks
Paul
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2006 13:36:05 GMT
Paul, I read something about this in the gardening section of the Telegraph, but I can't find it now  The questioner had asked about wood shavings used instead of straw for horse bedding, and whether well rotted horse manure with wood shaving could be used on the garden. The reply was, that it wasn't advisable as the shavings would take goodness out of the soil until it had completely rotted down Wood shavings will rot down but the process will take much longer than most other things, but don't ask me how long it will take  |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2006 13:37:17 GMT
Wood shavings DO take a long time to rot down, but the method you are employing seems as effective as any. The thing to remember is that while they are rotting, they will borrow nitrogen from the surrounding soil/compost, which will be returned when the breakdown is complete. If the percentage of wood shavings is small, then this should not be a problem.
Good luck.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2006 15:35:07 GMT
Ahh
Thanks for that.
I could use hay instead of wood shavings, only thing is that doesn't appear to soak up the moisture from the cage and it gets quite smelly.
Maybe I could train the pigs to go in a box so it is all easily separated. ;D
I think I will dig a pit in a corner of the garden, like someone else mentioned on another thread, and dump it in there. The soil I dig out can be used for filling my raised beds and over time what goes into the pit turns to compost. Bit like a Bank Loan, taking soil for use now and re-paying in weekly installments.
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Post by 4pygmies on Nov 21, 2006 15:40:00 GMT
When we had pet rabbits I used shredded paper for their bedding with hay on top which composted really well. I think it would be cheaper than wood shaving too as you could make your own.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 21, 2006 16:03:03 GMT
Sounds like an idea, what type of paper was it? Newspaper?
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Post by 4pygmies on Nov 21, 2006 18:50:54 GMT
The Guardian obviously....!! I bought a little shredder which my youngest daughter thinks is great fun. We have no rabbits now but it all goes in my composters so is still useful.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2007 12:44:57 GMT
I know that you can buy this stuff, but does anyone have any experience of using it? My bin is almost full, but is in a fairly shady part of the garden so the process is quite slow and my OH is beginning to grumble at the cost of nursery bought compost  |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2007 13:40:22 GMT
Never bought compost accelerator, so I can't comment. However turning it and getting the OH to pee into it  (yes pee into it!!) should help to speed things up abit. Composting can take a good few months though, so you may have to buy GC stuff til yours is ready. Isn't your GC doing a 3 bags for a tenner offer? |
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Post by andy on Apr 2, 2007 14:34:29 GMT
I always used lime on my compost....not sure if the accelerator is lime based  |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2007 15:39:02 GMT
Isn't your GC doing a 3 bags for a tenner offer? Yes, but all those tenners are adding up... |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2007 16:18:38 GMT
Isn't your GC doing a 3 bags for a tenner offer? Christ RM - how much are you planting |
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Post by MamIDdau on Apr 2, 2007 16:42:09 GMT
B&Q do 2 125l bags of MP compost for £10, that's what I buy for all my pots... Surprising how much you get through!
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Post by Plocket on Apr 2, 2007 18:23:15 GMT
Rosemother I really wouldn't bother with buying chemicals when your OH is more than capable of doing the job the natural way. If he doesn't fancy peeing directly into the composter then provide him with a suitable container (watering can???) and pour it into your bin about once a week. AND it will mean you save your pennies to buy more compost in the meantime!!! ;D
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Post by grannyjanny on Apr 2, 2007 19:20:29 GMT
My compost wasn't very good until I started using an accelerator. Last year was the first year I used it & the compost was Black Gold. The one I used was Garrota.
Janet.
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Post by Barbara on Apr 29, 2007 10:26:02 GMT
i've got long white shoots from the spuds in my compost, should i pull 'em out, or chop them up, or just leave 'em alone. any ideas?  ?? barbara |
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Post by Spruance on Apr 29, 2007 13:15:05 GMT
To be honest Barbara, potatoes are something that I don't put in my compost heap at all. I would just pull the white growths off and put them in the dustbin. |
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(yes pee into it!!) should help to speed things up abit. Composting can take a good few months though, so you may have to buy GC stuff til yours is ready.
