Compost Heap

[laurab]

I have read somewhere that it is a good idea to have a compost heap in your avairy, especially if you house softbills.

Now I wish I could remember where I saw it, but can anyone suggest what to put on the compost heap?

[Waxbillman]

i am tempted to be really sarcastic here and say compost.... but i won't

you can basically put anything that breaks down naturally on your compost heap.

the best thing to use is grass cuttings as they are broken down the fastest (in the right condition just a few days, but you can put anything on, leaves, soft stems...... and so on, they would be you best idea- and safest.

i think that was an article by Bob Baggs

Matthew

[chris]

old fruit and fruit peelings are good, assuming you dont use them for fruit fly cultures already

Chris

[laurab]

Matthew, you were!

Chris, thank you.

[kenny]

hi laura
dont put to much grass on in the same place as it tends to clog together and turn to a watery mass and stinks to high heaven,sprinkle the cuttings over the peelings not to thickly.you can also put bits of paper on aswell ,but as chris says vegatable matter and fruit spud peelings are good also

ken8-)

[PAUL HEARN]

Hello Laura,

Basically anything that is Plant related can be included on a compost heap, this would include the Grass cuttings, leaves, Fruit etc already mentioned, I would also add to this with something as simple as Potato peelings, the stems of Cauliflower, Cabbage, paper, wood chips/shavings etc.

But the whole mix should remain damp constantly because not only will this help towards the breaking down process, but it will also encourage certain small Flies that have been mentioned elsewhere on the Forum, Species name??:roll:

Apart from the above if you provide a constant damp container of Peat then these Flies should appear and breed well and supply you and your Birds with yet another source of Livefood.

Paul.:wink:

[kenny]

hi paul
sorry i should explain that spud peelings in my part of the country are potato peelings

ken:roll:

[Rogerb]

i know that its a good idea to have a constant supply of free food for our birds the thing that i wouldn't like is all that black stinky stuff that oozes out the bottom of a compost heap and onto the Avery floor :oops: maybe iv missed somthing hear :confused: do i use a bucket to start this :)

[kenny]

hi roger
you can have this for free and if you cant follow this i WILL come round and slap the back of your hands


Making a compost heap
Throwing away garden and domestic refuse which could make compost is wasteful and uneccessary. Grassmowings, weeds, vegetable peelings and dead leaves can all be used to make a rich, healthy fertiliser, and soil conditioner for the garden, all for free. Compost making is not difficult, and can be successful in any size garden.

What is Compost?
All materials of animal and vegetable waste eventually rot down and return to the soil with the dead of many tiny micro-organisms. A compost heap is simply an environment where this natural process can be speeded up. The resulting material is rich in nutrients and 'humus' (decayed organic matter, important in soil to help it maintain a free-draining structure).
To encourage a strong population of micro-organisms they must have favourable conditions - i.e. food, warmth, moisture and air. Your compost heap must therefore be constructed in a way which allows these requirements.

Compost Requirements
Virtually anything which once lived can be put on a compost heap. Woody things like shrubs prunings and brussel sprout stalks should be finely chopped first. Evergreen trimings and pine needles do not rot well and should perhaps be avoided.

Mix Materials Well
Large amounts of one substance tend to give an 'unbalanced' diet for micro-organisms and therefore putrefaction may occur – offending you and your neighbours! Mix large amounts of lawn mowings, etc., with other garden residues.

Moisture
Compost heaps should be moist but not wet. Wet any dry material which you add to the heap and water the heap in dry periods of summer - but protect heaps from excessive rain. Rain will 'leach' the nutrients which you are trying to save, e.g. nitrogen and phosphates.

Aeration
The compost heap must have air. Clay pipes or bricks at the base of the heap help air circulation - also a slatted side to a container allows air to filter in higher up. A compost heap should never be higher than 5 feet (1.5m) or 6-7 feet (2.1m) square, so that air can always get to the centre. Airless conditions encourage anaerobic bacteria which putrefy material.

Warmth
A healthy compost heap should reach temperatures of 140 degrees Fahrenheit (60 degrees Celsius) at centre, and this heat will kill weed seeds and steilise your compost. However to maintain a good temperature in periods of cold and therefore sustain the process at work you should insulate your heap. Old carpet on the top and bales of straw or corrugated iron around the sides work well - but don't completely block the airflow.

Activators
The correct balance between carbon and nitrogen (the CN ratio) must be maintained in the heap. Many plants (particularly older ones) have a lot of carbon in them and micro-organisms need nitrogen to break it down. This can be added in many forms as an 'activator' layer when you build your compost heap. Animal manure (horse, pig, poultry), bone and fish meal and manufactured products (e.g. from seaweed) make excellent activators. If you live in a town or you have acid material in the heap a layer of lime can help neutralise this. Some gardeners recommend layers of garden soil to 'innoculate' the heap with the right micro-organisms - but don't overdo this. Other high 'N' additives include a layer of nettles or comfrey.

Turning
If you can spare enough room for two compost boxes 'turn' your compost about every 4 to 6 weeks, so that all material spends time at the centre and rots properly.
If you cannot do this, only use the best composted material when you need it, and use other stuff as the basis of your new heap.

Using your Compost
In the summer compost should take as little as 12 weeks to make, but in winter it takes longer. A mature compost should be dark brown, friable and should smell like good soil. You can use your compost in a number of ways. If you want to use it to feed your plants put it around them in spring when plants are beginning to grow. This way nutrients will not have a chance to be leached by winter rain, and whilst the plant is dormant.
However, if you want the compost as a soil conditioner put it on in the autumn so that the soil is protected through the winter.

Constructing a Compost Box

Fork over the ground where you plan to place the box.
Bricks or clay pipes. Cover with brushwood.http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/factsheets/images/construc.gif Lay these at the base to ensure good aeration.

Use timber treated with preservative to assemble your box.
With 2 x 2 inch uprights and half inch thick planks, make a three sided box as shown below.
Nail planks to the uprights with a half inch gap between them.
A "New Zealand" type compost box
http://www.lincstrust.org.uk/factsheets/images/nz_cbox.gif
At the front of your 'E'-shaped box have two uprights half an inch apart so that boards can be dropped between them to make a removeable front.
Remember to cover your compost heap in wet weather.
For further information
Ask for details of compost making and recycling material from the following addresses:
The Soil Association
The Soil Association, Bristol House, 40-56 Victoria Street, Bristol, BS1 6BY
Website: www.soilassociation.org (http://www.soilassociation.org/)
The Henry Doubleday Research Association
(National Organic Gardening Centre)
Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry

Reproduced with the kind permission of Bay Tree Nurseries, Spalding


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[Rogerb]

excellent response thanks Kenny :oops: as for a good slaping im up for that :lol: :lol: bring it on big boy :lol:

[kenny]

hi roger
thought you would like that mate,i had nothing better to do at the time so i thought you would benefit from a first hand report from the experts,good luck with it any way mate

ken8-)

[kenny]

hi roger
have a look at this link mate it might be of use to you when you are composting mate


http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/index.lasso?-session=shopper:5364E3B80cf0e31F3FgxFE0740D9




ken8-)