Composting Help

[Farmer Jon]

I just throw everything out in the garden. The chickens and the cats fight over what they want. Whatever is left gets mixed in the ground.

 

[dragnlaw]

Ah ha!! You just dropped into the stereotype of everyone who thinks Brits mostly drink tea!!

true! but in my defense, my British in-laws, SIL, just about every home we visited and every B&B, all hauled out the teapot as soon as you stepped over the doorstep. Although I agree that a lot of the younger ones coming over to visit now are drinking coffee.

 

[GotGarlic]

If you have the muscle, turn that lovely rich dark stuff over to the top. Take a handful and it should feel warm to the touch. Most likely you will find worms in the midst of all that goodness. That is "gold!" Then halfway down into the turnover, place some newspapers, (Nothing with colored ink. It is poisonous to the worms.) and wet them down. The moistness encourages worms. And it is the worms that will keep creating that "dark stuff."

You don't really want to put newspaper in the compost. It will prevent the exchange of gases, moisture and microbes through different layers of the mix. The "cooking" of the compost, as well as abundant rain keeps it moist.

 

[GotGarlic]

I have moved to a new house (new to me, not a new house). The elderly owner (who died) left behind a compost bin. Which is terrific! I need to start growing vegetables and herbs.

So:

1. Should I empty the current bin? (There is very rich, dark stuff appearing at the bottom of the bin currently but it would have been there for a very long time given the age and infirmity of the previous owner. Is it rich material I should keep and use or awful stuff I should get rid of? Is there any way to tell?

2. Obviously I want to add to this compost bin. I know you shouldn't put cooked stuff in there or tea or egg shells, and that it needs to be aerated. Are there any things that help or hinder the process?

Hi, Katy! Welcome back and congratulations on your new home! You will want to have a mixture of "green" (kitchen scraps, grass clippings) and "brown" (leaves, etc.) - more green than brown - to get a good mix of nutrients. Turning occasionally helps move the process along.

You can definitely use that rich soil for gardening.

 

[GotGarlic]

From what I understand , Egg shells are fine, especially for tomatoes. The calcium in the shells reduces the risk of Blossom end rot. In addition to vegetable scraps, egg shells , coffee grounds, grass clippings ...

It's fine to put eggshells in, but it's a myth that the calcium prevents blossom end rot. I mean, a lack of calcium is the cause, but eggshells break down so slowly that they don't really provide calcium to the soil in a reasonable amount of time.

A lack of calcium usually results from a heavy rain that washes calcium out of the soil right at the stage when the plant needs it, or from too much fertilization which prevents the plant from taking up calcium. .

 

[GotGarlic]

This is brilliant! So I have a good basis for some wonderful compost!

My plan is (with a very limited garden space and sun here in the UK) to grow plants in pots and large planters. There will be no sun-loving plants but hopefully lots of root vegetables, and maybe I can train some plants upwards on the walls? (Which do get sun).

I hate to burst your bubble, but root veggies need a fair amount of sun.

 

[KatyCooks]

I hate to burst your bubble, but root veggies need a fair amount of sun.

Yep, that's my bubble well and truly burst!

However, there has to be something edible you can grow in a small "courtyard" environment where there is sun from around midday until around 5.30pm each day in summer (on the odd occasion when it isn't raining that is). It is fairly well-protected from wind and we don't generally get truly freezing conditions here in winter. There are 6ft brick/timber fences on 3 sides and the brick wall of the house makes up the 4th side.

 

[GotGarlic]

Five hours might be enough; it's worth a try, since seeds are inexpensive You could probably do some different types of lettuces. And you can grow cucumbers, green beans and peas on the walls, if you have something for them to cling to.

I think my climate is similar to yours (although my garden gets a lot of sun) and my lettuces are doing great. Those are Brussels sprouts in the back. (shoot, I can't add a photo when I'm editing in the app - hang on)

 

[GotGarlic]

Garden photo: