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#1
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Composting advice please
We would like to start a compost heap in a compost bin but haven't any spare
areas of soil or grass on which to place the composter. Our only possible area to site the bin is at the bottom of our garden between a shed and some trellis, but this would mean placing it on patio slabs and not on soil. We thought of taking up a few patio slabs, introducing some soil and placing the composter directly on that. Has anyone any composting experience or advice they can pass on in relation to our problem...or indeed any composting success stories! Thanks, Jo & John (in Essex) |
#2
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In article ,
Jo wrote: We would like to start a compost heap in a compost bin but haven't any spare areas of soil or grass on which to place the composter. Our only possible area to site the bin is at the bottom of our garden between a shed and some trellis, but this would mean placing it on patio slabs and not on soil. Not a big deal. Stand it on bricks, and leave enough space under it to sluice the effluent away with water and/or a broom when necessary. Standing it on soil is desirable but not critical. We thought of taking up a few patio slabs, introducing some soil and placing the composter directly on that. You could do that, too. Has anyone any composting experience or advice they can pass on in relation to our problem...or indeed any composting success stories! I don't run that sort of a heap, but the standard recommendation is Don't Panic! Composting is far more forgiving than most descriptions make out, so minor variations don't matter, mistakes are rarely serious and problems can be resolved. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
#3
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"Jo" wrote in message
... We would like to start a compost heap in a compost bin but haven't any spare areas of soil or grass on which to place the composter. Our only possible area to site the bin is at the bottom of our garden between a shed and some trellis, but this would mean placing it on patio slabs and not on soil. We thought of taking up a few patio slabs, introducing some soil and placing the composter directly on that. Has anyone any composting experience or advice they can pass on in relation to our problem...or indeed any composting success stories! Thanks, Jo & John (in Essex) My compost bin is on concrete slabs and exposed to full sunshine. I think that it gets far too hot for worms to survive in there, but I am not concerned about that because I get good results from the present system. I notice that you have not mentioned worms so what is your problem? An interesting site: http://www.hdra.org.uk/organicgardening/gh_comp.htm Regards, Emrys Davies. |
#4
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"Emrys Davies" wrote in message ... "Jo" wrote in message ... We would like to start a compost heap in a compost bin but haven't any spare areas of soil or grass on which to place the composter. Our only possible area to site the bin is at the bottom of our garden between a shed and some trellis, but this would mean placing it on patio slabs and not on soil. We thought of taking up a few patio slabs, introducing some soil and placing the composter directly on that. Has anyone any composting experience or advice they can pass on in relation to our problem...or indeed any composting success stories! Thanks, Jo & John (in Essex) My compost bin is on concrete slabs and exposed to full sunshine. I think that it gets far too hot for worms to survive in there, but I am not concerned about that because I get good results from the present system. I notice that you have not mentioned worms so what is your problem? An interesting site: http://www.hdra.org.uk/organicgardening/gh_comp.htm Regards, Emrys Davies. It was the possible lack of microorganisms from the underlying soil (or lack of it in my case) that was worrying me. Having never composted before I was only going by what I have read and it seems that most books implied that to get the maximum benefit the bin should be in direct contact with the soil. That way, I suppose worms too! However, if you are succeeding on slabs then I suppose my worries are lessened. Thanks for the website - a good basic guide. Jo |
#5
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We thought of taking up a few patio slabs, introducing some soil and placing the composter directly on that. Has anyone any composting experience or advice they can pass on in relation to our problem...or indeed any composting success stories! Thanks, Jo & John (in Essex) I always recomend siting a compost bin on slabs or bricks with no air space underneath .......because vermin just love to get into compost bins I have 8 bins all solid sided with lift off half fronts all made from pallets pulled apart and reconstructed Siting them in the sun is by far the best policy for speedy compost Worms will find their way in anyway The mixture of ingredients from grass to shredded prunings is the vital thing and having 2 small bins rather than one big one so you can turn the mix to speed it up is also better ........a sprinkling of Sulphate of Ammonia bewteen layers , horse poo if you can get it , shredded paper and cardboard plus a few buckets of night water and you will have darn good compost in a year or less |
#6
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"nambucca" wrote in message ... We thought of taking up a few patio slabs, introducing some soil and placing the composter directly on that. Has anyone any composting experience or advice they can pass on in relation to our problem...or indeed any composting success stories! Thanks, Jo & John (in Essex) I always recomend siting a compost bin on slabs or bricks with no air space underneath .......because vermin just love to get into compost bins I have 8 bins all solid sided with lift off half fronts all made from pallets pulled apart and reconstructed Siting them in the sun is by far the best policy for speedy compost Worms will find their way in anyway The mixture of ingredients from grass to shredded prunings is the vital thing and having 2 small bins rather than one big one so you can turn the mix to speed it up is also better ........a sprinkling of Sulphate of Ammonia bewteen layers , horse poo if you can get it , shredded paper and cardboard plus a few buckets of night water and you will have darn good compost in a year or less Night water?? |
#7
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Night water?? The waste fluid secreted by the kidneys, transported by the ureters, stored in the bladder, and voided through the urethra. |
#8
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"Rupert" wrote in message ... Night water?? The waste fluid secreted by the kidneys, transported by the ureters, stored in the bladder, and voided through the urethra. Ah, sorry for being a little dense! We have been using the same stuff to keep the foxes away and it works (thanks to the idea from a poster here)!! Jo |
#9
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Earthworms are the intenstines of the soil.
- Aristotle - Regards, Staszek Nowak -Poland- |
#10
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Ah, sorry for being a little dense! We have been using the same stuff to
keep the foxes away and it works (thanks to the idea from a poster here)!! Living in North London with a largish garden, I have to say we don't discourage the foxes at all. Seeing foxy-loxy trot through is a treat for our girls. That said, I did need a couple of showers after removing a bush which had clearly been "marked"! Paul DS. |
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