Hi, i'm not really a gardener i just grow herbs for my cooking and a few nasturtiums and sunflowers(because they grow themselves) These are all on my balcony as i don't have a garden.
My questions a

1. I have a bay tree i've grown from a two leaved twiglet it's now 4ft tall, up until last year when i should have repotted or at least replaced the top layer of compost it had been doing very well. Because i neglected it the leaves have started to yellow, if i feed it and repot it will the colour come back?

2. Can i put my rat waste from the cages on my dad's compost heap? I get one fat carrier bag full of newspaper, recycled paper cat litter and droppings each week. The compost heap is about 7ft long by 4 ft wide.

Anybody got any ideas?

NewShmoo wrote:
NewShmoo Wrote:
Hi, i'm not really a gardener i just grow herbs for my cooking and a
few nasturtiums and sunflowers(because they grow themselves) These
are all on my balcony as i don't have a garden.
My questions a

1. I have a bay tree i've grown from a two leaved twiglet it's now
4ft tall, up until last year when i should have repotted or at least
replaced the top layer of compost it had been doing very well.
Because i neglected it the leaves have started to yellow, if i feed
it and repot it will the colour come back?

2. Can i put my rat waste from the cages on my dad's compost heap? I
get one fat carrier bag full of newspaper, recycled paper cat litter
and droppings each week. The compost heap is about 7ft long by 4 ft
wide.

Anybody got any ideas?

I'd move the bay to a bigger pot. If you've got it to four feet high, it
seems you have the right gardening instincts. To check, just tip it out
of its present container: if it's filled the available space with roots,
it definitely wants a bigger one. The rules say increase by an inch or
two diameter at a time, but if you particularly like a new container I
doubt if it will do any harm if you go a little bit mo a four-foot
bay tree should be happy in a 15-inch pot (put a few spring bulbs,
crocuses or mini daffodils, in while you're at it). I suspect it's
telling you it's hungry, and some new soil (buy John Innes mixture
rather than soil-less compost) with nutrients will perk it up.

There's a potential disease problem with cat and dog shit even after
composting, but I don't know about pet rats' contributions. I suspect
they're harmless, but on the whole, I'd just put it out in the rubbish.
The planet will get it all back in the end anyway.

--
Mike.