Sniz Pilbor wrote:

Two questions, your help would be greatly appreciated.

1. What ways are there to deal with pillbugs (aka roly polies)
without using pesticides? We have some mallard ducks and they love
snails, but refuse to eat these little pests!

Reduce the conditions that they thrive in..
Eg dampish dark corners with sufficent organic matter for them to live..
Practice good Horticultural hygiene. Eg clear up dead plant material

2. This question is actually a combo question. There are some
materials we are curious about with regard to mulching/composting
properties that aren't found in our composting tome. Could you give
any info on their properties, their vices and virtues in a compost
pit? The materials a
2a. soap

Not really applicable.. ususally extremley alkaline and used as a
'homemade' pest deterrent

2b. feathers

High in slow release Nitrogen..

2c. shells (snailshells, seashells)
Full of calcium so suitable for lime loving plants.

2d. rabbit fur

See feathers

2e. human hair
See feathers

2f. paper

Can create Nitrogen lock up if overused.. mix with feathers or another
N containing material to prevent this.

2g. partical board

Not advisable.. The substances used to make this aren't very nice.

2h. plastic/rubber

Plastic is manmade, rubber is not (pure latex is a sappy substance.)

Plastic sheeting is sometimes used as a non biodegradable groundcover or
mulch.

2i. rust (detached.. not associated with a metal object)
It will have been. High in iron but little else.. Plants do not need a
lot of this so unknown of high dose effects, probably not good for a lot
of species.


2j. glass
Assuming its chipped
An inert silica substance.. Silica is needed in tiny quantities by most
plants.. OK.. Glass beads (smooth) can be bought for mulching.


2k. roof tiles

Of what kind? Generally inert.. can be long lasting.. Concrete ones
would be high in lime.. Slate would be expensive to buy as a mulch
material in some areas. See also glass...



You mention a compost pit.. The only applications of pit composting I
can think of are in biodynamic methods (eg burying quantities of nettles
or Comfrey etc) or when trench composting during the winter for beans
and other legumes the following year.... Or for 'sheet'
composting/mulching. which combines layers of green waste with more
aesthetic mulches and cardboard.

Mulching is carried out on the surface.. Of the materials you mention
only fur, hair and paper would be suitable pit and/or heap materials..
All those mentioned are suitable for surface mulching with the exception
of the particle board which is best avoided all together IMO!-)
//
Jim