In message , Sacha
writes
On 2009-07-14 12:14:29 +0100, June Hughes
said:

In message , Spider
writes

snip
Have you tried adding pests to your bins? I put in snails (*not* slugs),
woodlice and, if needs be, ants. They really break it down well. I add an
ant or two (oodles more soon join them), plus something sweet, and let them
get on with it. They generally disappear by the end of the season, but you
can make them disappear by thoroughly wetting the compost, which they hate.
However, I didn't need to employ them last season as things were cooking
along nicely.

Oh dear. I put slugs _and_ snails in mine. Why shouldn't you?
(Whatever you say, I am not prepared to go delving through the compost
bin to dig out the slugs )
All these creatures naturally break down organic material, so are good
'ingredients'. Although I tried slugs, they simply refuse to eat themselves
to death, so they persist and are generally unpleasant :~(. Snails chomp
away for a while but, by the time I empty my bins, they are just empty
shells. These are good for cane toppers.

Ah! You have answered my question. I like the idea of snail shells
as cane toppers but I generally tread on them, so defeat the purpose.
Must try not to and put them straight into the compost instead. I was
at Barnsdale Gardens on Sunday and they used old, small plant pots as
cane toppers. A bit like Mr McGregor.

Charlie uses wine corks, she says sneakily. Just to be fair, I should
probably explain that he doesn't drink the contents of every bottle
they once topped but gets given a lot!

That sounds like a good idea too, Sacha. Someone here once suggested
using corks as drainage in pots and I collect them and do that. I also
use old broken household crockery and it brings back good memories when
I empty out a plant, either when it has died or I pot it on, and see the
bits of old, sometimes well loved crockery. If sounds a bit daffy but
it works for me.
--
June Hughes