Compost Bin in garden - is it working?

Sambucus_Nigra

When you are all saying it doesn't look like great compost - it's not supposed to look like the stuff you buy.....as long as it's broken down it will probably have a few unrotted bits and pieces that you just pick out - it should be brown, crumbly and smelling earthy not, well, smelly.

Fay

Yes maybe I'm expecting too much-there is a potatoe growing in it :rotfl:

Lotus-eater

I've known for a few years that tea bags have some plastic in the bags and sometimes I do find a bag left over and not rotted, but most of the time I find nothing tbh.
I suspect if you are worried you could use loose tea as annie123 says, I must admit I've toyed with the idea, but it's never seemed that important tbh.

ginvzt

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Pile it up in a heap and in a few weeks, plant a pumpkin in the top and it will cover your mound whilst it rots down. By the autumn it should mainly be loam that can be used around your garden.

I love this idea. Now, the only problem is that I don't have a place to put the heap! I have planted all other available space with the flowers. Unless, I can dig some bulbs out and put the heap in the corner sort of behind the rhododendron... But then it will not be getting much sun.

I was going to grow the pumpkin and squash anyway, so will have to look properly at the garden this weekend and think about it. Is it still too early to plant them? I would think so, but will need to have a read. Maybe I can keep them covered with a fleece for a while.

mrbadexample

Lotus-eater wrote: »

I've known for a few years that tea bags have some plastic in the bags and sometimes I do find a bag left over and not rotted, but most of the time I find nothing tbh.
I suspect if you are worried you could use loose tea as annie123 says, I must admit I've toyed with the idea, but it's never seemed that important tbh.

I must admit, I am somewhat reassured that it's just a weeny bit down one edge to seal it. And as I say, I've never found a trace of an unrotted bag. Although I haven't used much of my home-made compost yet.

annie123

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Pile it up in a heap and in a few weeks, plant a pumpkin in the top and it will cover your mound whilst it rots down. By the autumn it should mainly be loam that can be used around your garden.

I tried that some years ago with a courgette, it lasted 1 night.........the slugs got it:mad:

ginvzt

annie123 wrote: »

I tried that some years ago with a courgette, it lasted 1 night.........the slugs got it:mad:

Don't scare me!!!!!

I am doing ok (fingers and toes crossed) so far this year - I have lettuce, spinach, radish, etc in a raised bed and they are still alive. Probably because we only put the bed this year and went over with cultivator, there are not many slugs left in there. And I am hoping to add some nematodes there this weekend as well.

Sambucus_Nigra

annie123 wrote: »

I tried that some years ago with a courgette, it lasted 1 night.........the slugs got it:mad:

You shouldn't be planting out squashes until they are far too big to be tasty to slugs.