Homemade compost is so exciting! (MERGED)

absfabs

Morris would like to say hello to Oscar

(sorry, we can't do pictures), Morris, too, is a girl !!!

We tried Morrissa or Mauritia for a while after the vet enlightened us, but "Morris" suited her much better. :rotfl:

Moneybubbles

I managed to cut the grass this week :T not raining for the first time in ages. So I put the grass in, and went to give it a stir today :eek: the smell??? is this normal, also the 'lid' for getting the compost out was very 'sweety', I chucked in a load of cardboard rolls from wrapping paper (dd birthday so 2 big rolls hehe) so I'm going for that being the browns

Am I going about this the right way:o

getcarter

I tried to get the ready compost out of the bottom yesterday but before I could get to the back the rest fell on my hand...thinking now of just tipping it up, taking the rest of the ready stuff away then putting it all back in, is this the way most people do it?

Carter

Newgirl_2

You can use wood ash but not coal ash.

Newgirl

nikiyoung

Help!
Went out to my composter yesterday and a plague of little flys flew out! My mix was a bit wet last week so i added some shredded paper and some card to the mix and gave it a stir but what have I done wrong? Hubby did put some rotting windfall plums from the tree in last weekend could this have done it? HELP I thought I was doing so well.
Niki

full-time-mum

Newgirl wrote: »

You can use wood ash but not coal ash.

Newgirl

Presumably that means the remains of a BBQ are also ok for composting?

Newgirl_2

full-time-mum wrote: »

Presumably that means the remains of a BBQ are also ok for composting?

Hmm, never thought about it... I suppose there is so little 'meat' residue and fat it should make no difference. Certainly, charcoal is basically wood ie carbon which is organic.

Perhaps someone else has done this?

Newgirl

olibearhorse

getcarter wrote: »

I tried to get the ready compost out of the bottom yesterday but before I could get to the back the rest fell on my hand...thinking now of just tipping it up, taking the rest of the ready stuff away then putting it all back in, is this the way most people do it?

Carter

If you have one of those bottomless black dalek type composters, just lift the whole thing off, take off the top, unfinished section, removed the bottom for use, put it back and tip the unfinished stuff back on - worked a treat for me!

olibearhorse

Moneybubbles wrote: »

I managed to cut the grass this week :T not raining for the first time in ages. So I put the grass in, and went to give it a stir today :eek: the smell??? is this normal, also the 'lid' for getting the compost out was very 'sweety', I chucked in a load of cardboard rolls from wrapping paper (dd birthday so 2 big rolls hehe) so I'm going for that being the browns

Am I going about this the right way:o

Whenever I put grass in, I put a similar amount of shredded paper (which I nick from work) in to compensate. just keep the 50/50 thing going, I am sure it is fine!

olibearhorse

nikiyoung wrote: »

Help!
Went out to my composter yesterday and a plague of little flys flew out! My mix was a bit wet last week so i added some shredded paper and some card to the mix and gave it a stir but what have I done wrong? Hubby did put some rotting windfall plums from the tree in last weekend could this have done it? HELP I thought I was doing so well.
Niki

I don't worry too much about little flies and things, I expect them to be attracted to the warmth of my compost. rotting fruit won't be a problem, keep away diseased plants and weeds as you don't want these ending back up in your garden.