Hi, I'm new!!

We're attempting again this year to grow various plants (mostly fruit & veg) from seed, with varying success so far

We're already doing our best to provide light & warmth and follow the instructions on the relevant packets

But can we do more re perhaps improvements to the compost?

And should we be using compost only (as is so at the moment), or a compost / soil mix?

Thank You!

Compost and manure are the best but it will take anywhere from 6-12 to get compost, depending on what you put into it, turn and water. Don't need anything fancy for a bin wire mesh will be fine. When you turn it just pull up the fence and heave the compost and you will have plenty of red wigglers. House scrap is the best and if you grind it up before putting in the pile the worms will thank you, including coffe grinds.

Thanks Bullthistle

Jules13 said:



Hi, I'm new!!

We're attempting again this year to grow various plants (mostly fruit &
veg) from seed, with varying success so far

We're already doing our best to provide light & warmth and follow the
instructions on the relevant packets

But can we do more re perhaps improvements to the compost?

And should we be using compost only (as is so at the moment), or a
compost / soil mix?

I think in the British usage "compost" = USAn "potting soil"

USAn "compost" = British "leaf mould" "well-rotted manure" (and other
decomposed organic matter)

In which case, since you seem to be talking about starting and growing
plants in pots, stick to "compost" (British usage) and don't add any soil
from the garden.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Vegetables are like bombs packed tight with all kinds of important
nutrients..." --Largo Potter, Valkyria Chronicles

email valid but not regularly monitored

I start all my vegetable plants indoors from seed about 6 weeks in
advance of planting them in my garden. I keep the plants under grow
lights for 16 hours each day. I use peat pellets to start my seeds and
then transplant the small plants into larger pots using potting soil
when they are about two weeks old. As for my garden soil, I mix
dehydrated cow manure, slow release all purpose vegetable fertilizer and
compost into the bed in the fall of the year along with some chopped up
leaves. Come spring, I just mix in a bit more slow release granular
fertilizer about two weeks before planting time. I have a compost
tumbler and must say that they work quite well. As my plants begin to
produce vegetables, I place some compost around each plant and renew it
about every two weeks. This seems to work very well for me as I always
have a nice crop most years depending on weather of course. I also make
sure my plants get a inch and a half of water each week.

Rich from PA Zone 5-6

Thanks Guys, luv the idea of the compost tumbler

and am going to look into peat pellets also

I'm in Berkshire, England by the way (not far from London); its late winter / early spring here

"Rube *composting* Goldberg" wrote:

Thanks Guys, luv the idea of the compost tumbler

Compost tumblers don't work hardly at all and don't last hardly at
all... I've never seen one made sturdy enough to support more than
fifty pounds, which in the realm of damp organic matter is a mere
handful... a nice gimmick for those into contraptions. To properly
compost organic matter *MUST* be in contact with the ground so the
creepy crawlies can do their thing. Suspended in space the best you
can hope for is odiferous fermentation, by adding so-called
accelerators the fermentation is speeded up and so you make sludge
(think sewage treatment plant). Adding worms simply cooks the
worms... worms *must* be able to return to the earth at will or
they'll cook; woimacide!

"Brooklyn1" Gravesend1 wrote in message
...
"Rube *composting* Goldberg" wrote:

Thanks Guys, luv the idea of the compost tumbler

Compost tumblers don't work hardly at all and don't last hardly at
all...

That's certainly not been my experience Sheldon. I've got 2 that I've had
for years.

I've never seen one made sturdy enough to support more than
fifty pounds, which in the realm of damp organic matter is a mere
handful... a nice gimmick for those into contraptions. To properly
compost organic matter *MUST* be in contact with the ground so the
creepy crawlies can do their thing. Suspended in space the best you
can hope for is odiferous fermentation, by adding so-called
accelerators the fermentation is speeded up and so you make sludge
(think sewage treatment plant).

Again that's not been my experience. The act of tumbling adds oxgen and
that stops the sort of malodour as well as any fermentation you're talking
about.

Adding worms simply cooks the
worms... worms *must* be able to return to the earth at will or
they'll cook; woimacide!

I agree - don't add worms. Just tumble twice a day or at least once a day.