"Sacha" wrote in message
...
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!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
Shrubs & perennials. Tender & exotics.
South Devon


Yes, we believe you, Sacha :~)

Spider