My war on waste!!!

GreyQueen

Attempt2save wrote: »

Thank you for your replies regarding the butter and I have now got a butter dish from Asda
GreyQueen- I've been putting the tea leaves in the composter, so I should bake them along with egg shells? How long do you bake them for and at what temp?
I haven't done much to the allotment as it has been so wet.

Sorry, that wasn't very clear, was it?

I'm not baking the tea leaves, I'm just drying them out because I put them (once thoroughly dry) into a container and then sprinkle them on the soil in particular areas. Like I said, got 300 sq m of ground, need to focus resources where they should get the best result.

I started doing this once I found out that teabags were coming through the composting process like little waifs of their earlier selves. I looked into it and found that there is a proportion of plastic in the teabag's weave, and this is why they stay intact, but waify, as it doesn't rot. So I started ripping them open and putting them on the tray to dry.

I've switched over to loose tea now (which I catch in a colander when rinsing the pot and also dry out) but still have a few teabags per week as they are holding fruit teas etc.

You could just chuck teabags into the regular compost and not be so picky as moi - I should probably get a life but my allotment is my pet.;)

Re the eggshells, they just get some heat whenever the oven is on, and when they look like they're dry enough, I crumple them up. Never use the oven just for them, they live in there once rinsed and drip-dried until I get around to dealing with them.

Attempt2save

Thank you GreyQueen, would you dry out coffee grounds? I normally just put them straight into the composter.
I use to find the tea bags hadn't broken down so thanks to this thread, I now empty them and I have also bought some loose tea leaves

fuddle

You may encourage me all you like GQ, you have been doing it for the past 6 years without meaning to any way

I have space for one. I know my plot would love it and it would negate having to dig a trench in that plot for the use of the rabbit droppings. I'm encouraged! Will add it to the to do list for the coming months.

silvasava

Fuddle - its well worthwhile as not only do you get lovely compost after a time but the local wildlife benefit too. I swear the only reason I have a wren in the garden is because she can get worms all year from the heaps. I also had a slow worm nesting there one year too.

[Deleted User]

We've got slow worms in the compost heap and a couple of huge toads who live in the greenhouse, and also have a wren family who live in the front hedge and come to the back fence and tell me off very loudly for being in the garden, wonderful stuff!!!

silvasava

Hav'n't seen a toad in the garden for years - wonderful creatures! I do get frogs though. Did have a small lizard one year in the Greenhouse but after I'd discovered him he scarpered. I did throw a load of wasp bitten plums on the heap one year and had two hornets having a good feed on them. I gave the heap a v ery wide berth for a few days but I think they were too busy guzzling.

GreyQueen

Attempt2save wrote: »

Thank you GreyQueen, would you dry out coffee grounds? I normally just put them straight into the composter.
I use to find the tea bags hadn't broken down so thanks to this thread, I now empty them and I have also bought some loose tea leaves

I haven't any experience of coffee grounds as I don't drink the stuff (loathe coffee, always have) but I think either way could work. Perhaps there are some plants which particularly love coffee grounds (ggle it?) and if you have some of them, you might want to reserve the grounds for them. HTH.

fuddle wrote: »

You may encourage me all you like GQ, you have been doing it for the past 6 years without meaning to any way

I have space for one. I know my plot would love it and it would negate having to dig a trench in that plot for the use of the rabbit droppings. I'm encouraged! Will add it to the to do list for the coming months.

Aww, I'm all embarrassed now, bless you.

And the great thing about having animal droppings to add to your compost, plus used bedding material, is that it's nitrogen-rich and really gives the compost a boost. Just think of saving all that bunny-goodness and turning it into veggies and fruits for the family.

Have just posted something on freele with a bit of damage which would certainly be binned if charity shopped, so I am hoping to find someone who can see past a minor cosmetic defect. Doesn't take much of my time to try it and could prevent waste.

Also asked my friendly neighbourhood chazzer shop manager if he had a certain item in, which he hasn't but he'll keep an eye for me. Always shop 2nd hand if possible, gotta keep those already-existant items in circulation and earning their keep.

fuddle

Aw birdies. My absolute fav. I think I saw a black cap on my feeder this morning. I double checked with it being winter but seems they are spending time here in the winter, plus with it being mild there is every possibility.

Little DD used to have a friendly slow worm in our southern garden. Think it came under the fence to bask in our sun. I say think. I never actually saw it so I could just have told you a load of lies there!:rotfl:

Attempt2save

Well I've rinsed my egg shells, ready for baking when Dh cooks his dinner, he will wonder what I'm doing, ummmm actually it probably won't worry him as he is used to me doing things differently :rotfl:
Also sorted out my tea leaves and they will go onto a tray along with the coffee grounds. I really enjoyed my cup of tea made with the leaves.

GreyQueen

Attempt2save wrote: »

Well I've rinsed my egg shells, ready for baking when Dh cooks his dinner, he will wonder what I'm doing, ummmm actually it probably won't worry him as he is used to me doing things differently :rotfl:
Also sorted out my tea leaves and they will go onto a tray along with the coffee grounds. I really enjoyed my cup of tea made with the leaves.

I once had a couple of mates around and one of them (the non-gardener) happened to see the tray of eggshells on the floor of the oven when I opened it to get the food out. His reaction was to ask I was making shrunken heads...........

The other mate, who is a keen gardener, knew exactly what I was doing and explained it to him. Friends; people who know you're daft and still put up with you.;)