Compost Discussion Thread (Merged Threads)

kiwichick

I have 2 bins too. the second one is currently empty. I wont be filling it until the first is full. Do you think I ought to put down some cardboard (soggy or dry?) in the bottom of the second a few weeks before I start to put in scraps? I bought the worms for the first bin as our soil is so poor here. Its all hard compacted clay. When we do manage to break the surface it full of rubble, bricks and rusted hinges etc. Even the weeds are really growing. I want to have 3 raised veg beds next year hence getting the compost underway now.

conradmum

Well it won't hurt to put in some wet cardboard just in case.
Sounds like you have terrible soil, my commiserations.
Regarding the raised beds, have you thought of getting some well rotted manure to help fill them too? It'll take too long to make that much compost yourself. Or even asking on freecycle for topsoil?

kiwichick

Thanks for that. I'll try to remember when we are nearer the time. I'm not planning on trying to fill the beds with my compost, I just want to have some ready as mulch for the plants should we have as horrendously hot summer again next year. Also, like to be making my own feed for them , feels better.

conradmum

Good luck!
This forum's really good for kitchen gardening:
https://www.kitchengarden.co.uk

justin138

If yours comes off in "sheets" of it, as mine do, then why not use it to line hanging baskets?

caroline1973lefty

just wanted to share with you all something that i learned at this years green gathering. compostable matter (ie fruit and veg) is one of the worst things of all that you can send to landfill. Apparantly, when it decomposes without oxygen (into that gunky ooze that you might see if you leave a bag of carrots in the bottom of the fridge too long - of course being good MSE-ers this would never happen!!!) the end product is itself toxic and VERY acidic. This then leaks leaches the toxins (heavy metals, etc) out of other wastes very effectively, and carries them into the ground / acuifers.

So if you've a garden, no excuses! (time for me to check my local council's website...).

conradmum

Sorry but I think you've been misinformed. You can't get heavy metals coming out of vegetable matter unless they're already in there, which would be very dangerous for anyone eating them as well as highly unlikely. Maybe the resulting mess would be quite acidic - most aerobically or anaerobically formed compost is on the acidic side, but the latter would only be toxic in that it would be teeming with bacteria. But then so is ordinary compost. I wouldn't eat either!
Maybe a chemist forum member could enlighten us further?

Raffles_3

In fairness to Caroine, I don't think she said that the vegetables contained any heavy elements. What I think she meant is that the oozing caused lthe leaching of heavy elements. But that would happen anyway when it rained.

The biggest objection I hear against composting is that the compost heap attracts rats.

Penelope_Penguin

Raffles wrote:

The biggest objection I hear against composting is that the compost heap attracts rats.

Hi, I've composted for about 20 years, and never seen a rat in my garden! I also keep chickens, and not seen rats their, either.

Composting is, indeed, the best thing you can do to reduce waste to landfill. We were away on the day our bin was emptied this week, and it's still less than half full with 2 weeks' waste in it. It also has the benefit of stopping your bin getting yucky and smelly from decomposing "wet" waste. And the best bit is that you have lovely compost for your veg, fruit, flowers, etc.

Go for it!

Penny. x

ailuro2

Compost heaps that have old meat on them are attractive to rats, so my s-i-l says she had a compost heap and found that out the hard way.Once she left the meat off, no rats.

We have a council composting wheelie bin so don't have the problem:D