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Homemade compost is so exciting! (MERGED)
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olibearhorse
Posts: 314 Forumite
in Gardening
For all those newbies to gardening (like me) if you haven't already got one, get a composter! I have had mine nearly a year and used it for the first time - it was proper compost!
I am officially turning into my mother getting excited about compost, I know.....:j
I am officially turning into my mother getting excited about compost, I know.....:j
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olibearhorse wrote: »For all those newbies to gardening (like me) if you haven't already got one, get a composter! I have had mine nearly a year and used it for the first time - it was proper compost!
I am officially turning into my mother getting excited about compost, I know.....:j
Dont worry, im all excited too about mine . Got my composter last year and keep topping it up with stuff. Havent looked in the bottom yet though to see if is actually turned into compost yet. I want to look but i dont if you know what i mean because if it hasnt worked it might put me off but i want to keep going.
It seemed to go through a soggy wet patch for a time there so i started putting in more shredded paper etc. I actually got that worried about how wet it was at one point (i put lots of veg peelings in) i got a ream of paper and purposely shredded new paper to put in it. :eek: I know it seems a waste but i want my homemade compost.
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I was nervous it hadn't worked too but was really brave and lifted the whole thing off, took the top two layers off and put them in separate piles (to put back in order) and underneath was this fabulous, friable, soily compost. So I put it all over my clay soil and around my plants to improve/fertilise it all.
I then ran out so had to get bags of manure from my yard to make up the rest - tee hee. I think I need a second bin!
Take the chance and give it a go - you'll be pleasantly surprised!0 -
Just waiting for my compost bin to be delivered, got one through the county recycling for £8! I'm getting excited too and I havent even started making any yet! :rotfl::rotfl:... don't throw the string away. You always need string!
C.R.A.P.R.O.L.L.Z Head Sharpener0 -
Hi rosieben, you'll grow to love and nuture it like it's a pet!
I got equally excited about my new 'spacesava' water butt which now has about 3 inches of water in. Not enough to drain through the tap yet but hey, it's a start!
Good luck with it and have fun! (oh, and any worms you find, put them in to help the process, it really helps!)0 -
Thanks for the tip about worms! when I was little I used to dig them up and throw them to my dad's chickens!!
I just got a water butt too as I'm trying to grow more veg this year and I didnt want to fall foul of a hosepipe ban; hoping to get that fixed in the next couple of days - rain is forecast sometime soon....
Do I need to mix the compost stuff well, ie not put too much of any one thing in at a time? sorry if thats a daft question, never composted before.... don't throw the string away. You always need string!
C.R.A.P.R.O.L.L.Z Head Sharpener0 -
Not a daft question at all, I was new to composting a year ago. To be honest, mine was trial and error but I tended to keep a 50:50 ratio with wet and dry. If in the summer it looked a bit dry despite shredded paper, loo rolls etc, I just watered it down a bit. It all paid off as discovered last week.
I have heard that you shouldn't add too many orange/citrus peelings as they are very acidic and take longer to break down. Also, don't make the same mistake and throw in any old potatoes as, yes, you can guess, I grew some more in my bin:rotfl:
You'll soon learn as you go along but with these bins, I do think they take at least a year for the bottom to be ready so try not to be too eager (which was hard for me as I am not the most patient!)
Oh, keep turning it too, it needs air and circulation, once a month a did roughly.0 -
Great thank!! I'm all set to start as soon as it arrives - cant wait! :j... don't throw the string away. You always need string!
C.R.A.P.R.O.L.L.Z Head Sharpener0 -
I think I've got a rat in mine
exoh was turning it and something nasty scooted out - what to do? I'm going to feed our children non-organic food and with the money saved take them to the zoo - half man half biscuit 20080 -
little blighter. You don't put any kind of meat, bread, unwashed egg shells in it do you?0
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goodness - yes to the bread and egg shells - didn't know I shouldn't - definitley no meat or fish though - i did at least know that. Will it still be all right to use - I don't want to give anyone weils (sp) disease with their lovely veggies
I'm going to feed our children non-organic food and with the money saved take them to the zoo - half man half biscuit 20080
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