Sorry, I did go on a bit! If you google for some of the terms you will
come across far better explainations than mine. Recycling suitable
'waste' back into the soil is really useful and with your horse you
have potentially a larger supply than most gardeners. I was suggesting
ways to make fuller use if any might be of use to you. Horse manure
does have the reputation of adding a lot of weed seeds to a garden
though. A hot heap or burying it a foot down largely solves that.

Yes, the heap needs to be covered. As others have suggested old carpet
works well. Anything that covers and stops the rain directly falling
on it will work too. Uncovered the heap will soon turn into a soggy
and a bit of a slimely mess. It will still compost, but in the least
effective way. What nutrients that remain will be washed out. A cover
will stop foxes scattering food scraps too.

Don't worry about the ratio of food scraps to ex-garden waste. The
important thing in compost making is a varied mix, and scraps are
certainly that and work very well. Grass clippings are usually the
main problem, they mat down and half decompose and then stop. Mixing
them with scraps and pulled weeds is the answer. Or layered with a
shovel of soil. All kitchen waste can go in eg veg and fruit peelings,
teabags, coffee filter waste, old half used and now soft cornflakes,
lentils you forgot for years, mouldly bread, eggshells, etc. A bit of
scrunchy up newspaper works well too (holds necessary air in the
heap). Cooked or raw food including fish and meat will compost, but
with more objectable smells, bluebottles and vermin. So best to leave
them out. Also leave out hard nut shells, they take years to break
down.

Tim is right, all sorts of insects and with luck a few small animals
will be attracted to your compost heap. A heap is like a small section
of woodland floor in your garden. It's a very busy eco system

Btw it's useful to mix it up a bit. Every month or couple of months,
stick a fork in, lift and let fall. Repeat until bored. That gets the
air and the all important oxygen back in and refreshs the
decomposition process over again. It speeds the process up from a year
or two to months.









On Fri, 22 Aug 2008 22:13:21 +0100, fimonkey
wrote:


Wow, Thanks Tony Newton for your full reply, though as a complete novice
some of it was lost on me.

I see your point about it being a cold compost heap, and yes it is open
to the rain to perhaps I should cover it with tarpaulin?? I'm not too
bothered about how long it'll take to break down, but should I still
add food scraps to it if it's a cold heap, and if so, will it be a
prpblem if the food scaps become larger than the garden waste material
in it?

horse manure, my horse is on untreated grass, so if I add it to my
cold heap will it help?

Many thanks indeed.