Composting - Advice needed
Discussion
We've had a decent amount of clearance work done in our garden and now have two large piles of shredded hedges/trees and grass the will hopefully turn into compost over winter
Way too much to put into compost bins (the first pile is probably 10 to 15 foot long and five foot high) and I have been wondering whether to cover it though from what I have read I think it needs to be permeable rather than a ground sheet or similar?
Anyone got any tips/experience with this much compost?! The second pile has been composting for a couple of months already.
Way too much to put into compost bins (the first pile is probably 10 to 15 foot long and five foot high) and I have been wondering whether to cover it though from what I have read I think it needs to be permeable rather than a ground sheet or similar?
Anyone got any tips/experience with this much compost?! The second pile has been composting for a couple of months already.
Thanks gents....too big for a spade but I've been giving the first heap a turning over with my Kubota BX.
I put some of this Compost Activator on the first heap https://www.edenproject.com/shop/Compost-Activator...
But yes a lot of wood debris....so you think pelleted chicken manure is the way to go ? I read in a previous thread (which I now can't find) that someone recommended adding fertiliser.
I put some of this Compost Activator on the first heap https://www.edenproject.com/shop/Compost-Activator...
But yes a lot of wood debris....so you think pelleted chicken manure is the way to go ? I read in a previous thread (which I now can't find) that someone recommended adding fertiliser.
otolith said:
Yeah, pelleted chicken manure is just a convenient source of nitrogen (like that compost activator). If your materials tend towards the woody, there will be a lot of carbon there and not so much nitrogen. It will rot faster with a bit added.
If you're after N, what about some lawn clippings?Simpo Two said:
otolith said:
Yeah, pelleted chicken manure is just a convenient source of nitrogen (like that compost activator). If your materials tend towards the woody, there will be a lot of carbon there and not so much nitrogen. It will rot faster with a bit added.
If you're after N, what about some lawn clippings?otolith said:
Simpo Two said:
Do you mean sulphate? sulphAMate is weedkiller.
It's also a compost accelerator. https://www.amenity.co.uk/compost-accelerators/amm...
So what would be better this or the pelleted chicken manure ?
Personally, I'd go for the manure. I do have ammonium sulphamate, but I use it as a weedkiller. It's good enough at killing stuff that I wouldn't want to be chucking it about anywhere I didn't need to!
(Note, the pelleted chicken sh*t is by far the most convenient stuff, being highly concentrated, dry and available in large resealable tubs, but any manure will do. Horse or cow or whatever will also add extra organic matter)
(Note, the pelleted chicken sh*t is by far the most convenient stuff, being highly concentrated, dry and available in large resealable tubs, but any manure will do. Horse or cow or whatever will also add extra organic matter)
Having reseeded my lawn six weeks ago, my supply of lawn clippings has disappeared as I haven't been mowing. So my hot compost bin has somewhat gone off the boil.
Mrs Oxgreen and I have been adding food waste and other garden prunings, together with biodegradable cat litter that the cat has weed on, and the temperature went up to about 40C, which is okay - but a splash of dissolved ammonium sulphamate a few days ago has really kick-started it and it is now back up to about 60C, where it should be.
Ammonium sulphamate appears to be good stuff!
Mrs Oxgreen and I have been adding food waste and other garden prunings, together with biodegradable cat litter that the cat has weed on, and the temperature went up to about 40C, which is okay - but a splash of dissolved ammonium sulphamate a few days ago has really kick-started it and it is now back up to about 60C, where it should be.
Ammonium sulphamate appears to be good stuff!
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Tuesday 13th October 19:33
otolith said:
Simpo Two said:
Do you mean sulphate? sulphAMate is weedkiller.
It's also a compost accelerator. As for the worry about using it, it should be fine as its broken down by microbes in the soil in 6-8 weeks in moist conditions so it's unlikely to be persistent and as there's a pile of compost on top it's very unlikely that it will get washed down into any kind of water course or aquifer.
Source
Edited by Silent1 on Thursday 15th October 19:45
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