Homemade compost is so exciting! (MERGED)

just-saving

olibearhorse wrote: »

just-saving - You'll have to start saving your 'ingredients' as you will start to hate having to throw it all away when it can be put to good use!

I'm the one who turned my next door neighbours water butt into a compost bin oli. The one who spent ages outside in the garden yesterday emptying out the contents to see what was happening inside my butt! No pun intended!!! <lol>

Luckily for me I am already composting and the new dalek that I have ordered can arrive when it wants. <looks on doorstep and up in the sky> No, not here yet!

madhouseof4

Maybe my dalek is in Manhattan? (sorry, only the fans of the new Dr Who series will get that!)

just-saving

olibearhorse wrote: »

Has anyone tried making leaf mulch? supposed to be good for clay soil, trouble is I have a lack of leaves.....

This is an interesting one. I have a massive Beech tree in my back garden and added the leaves to my compost butt in December. Infact, thats what and when I got into composting. I was just reading the differences between leaf compost and leaf mulch here.

http://landscaping.about.com/cs/compostandmulch/a/leaf_mulch.htm

I may give the leaf mulch thing a go as they didn't all fit in my compost butt!

showtunesgirl

Speaking of leaf mulches, bear this in mind for Christmas! Pine needles make a really, really good mulch for strawberries so don't chuck out that old Christmas tree! Pine needles are highly acidic and is perfect for strawberries. When they start to flower, just chuck the pine needles down near them.

Though bear in mind that the new breeds of trees that are "anti-drop" are great for your carpet but make them an absolute !!!!!! to strip for their needles. It took me a week to finish is as I kept getting cramp but your strawbs will thank you and you can feel all green and good inside!

olibearhorse

just-saving wrote: »

This is an interesting one. I have a massive Beech tree in my back garden and added the leaves to my compost butt in December. Infact, thats what and when I got into composting. I was just reading the differences between leaf compost and leaf mulch here.

http://landscaping.about.com/cs/compostandmulch/a/leaf_mulch.htm

I may give the leaf mulch thing a go as they didn't all fit in my compost butt!

You're lucky to have a supply of leaves although I should be grateful for having a supply of poo (horse!) :rotfl:

just-saving

olibearhorse wrote: »

You're lucky to have a supply of leaves although I should be grateful for having a supply of poo (horse!) :rotfl:

:rotfl: Oh my goodness. We are both very lucky in our own ways..me with my leaves and you with your poo. I'm getting chickens in a week or two so I'll have leaves and poo. You need to plant a tree oli!

just-saving

showtunesgirl wrote: »

Speaking of leaf mulches, bear this in mind for Christmas! Pine needles make a really, really good mulch for strawberries so don't chuck out that old Christmas tree! Pine needles are highly acidic and is perfect for strawberries. When they start to flower, just chuck the pine needles down near them.

I never knew that. I live in a woodland area and have SIX massive pine trees in the front garden alone. I'm always moaning about the blooming cones all over the garden and the needles that we drag in on our shoes. Now I don't feel so bad if I can make use of the pine needles. All I need to do now is plant some strawberries. :T :T :T

olibearhorse

just-saving wrote: »

:rotfl: Oh my goodness. We are both very lucky in our own ways..me with my leaves and you with your poo. I'm getting chickens in a week or two so I'll have leaves and poo. You need to plant a tree oli!

To fit a good leaf producing tree in my garden could be tricky, I think I need to buy an arboretum!

Kantankrus_Mare

I bought six strawberry plants yesterday and was going to add them to the couple of plants we have in a bed down the allotment...........until I just spotted the article in grow your own mag!! There is a feature on growing strawberries on a shelved unit and I have an old frame from one of those cheapo greenhouses you can buy and now Im wondering if it will work on this and I can then use my bed for my spring onions hmmmm

showtunesgirl

This should work fine.

Do you know whether you bought early / middle / late strawberries because it affects whether you need to nip out the flowers or not in the first year. The early and late strawberries need to have their flowers taken off in the first year and should not be allowed to bear fruit. This encourages them to grow big and strong in their second year and produce more fruit.

Do bear in mind as well that you've left it a bit late for strawberry planting so don't expect loads of fruit this year. They need a bit of frost to make them hardy and produce more fruit.

I planted our ones last, last January and that was a very horrible day. Unfortunately, I then put my mucky clothes in the washer along with my mobile! :eek: