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dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 5:36 pm Post subject:

Small compost heaps -
tend not to get hot enough. I had a 'tumbler' and didn't think much of it actually. It rarely developed much heat (could be imbalanced feedstock) and being exposed all round was easily cooled.
So I built a simple box from some pallets. BUT I 'stuffed' the pallets with straw (held in with chickenwire) before assembling the box. A 'mat' of straw made an insulating but permeable 'lid'.
It rotted stuff much faster, and more completely than the tumbler.

Compost accelerators. Urine contains urea, a good source of nitrogen. But if you should happen to be on antibiotics, I can understand that that might be unhelpful to biodegradation. But I can't see any justification for male/female hormone discrimination...
In a small heap, mixing grass cuttings through the heap can be a great help, while an unmixed overdose of them is seriously unhelpful.
Seaweed. I've read of producing a seaweed tincture as a fertiliser, but is it worthwhile to simply mix in seaweed into a compost heap?
And I know I ought to plant some comfrey...

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 7:36 pm Post subject:

We have three plastic bins. We throw in all sorts of garden material, hardly cut the lawn so don't have and clippings. We add a fair bit of chicken litter, mostly shavings now but a good supply of droppings that get the heaps moving. I turn it as often as possible and get at least two batches a year. I don't let it rot down too much as the bulkiness is good for our dry light soil.

Rats - we have a few problems but turning the heaps helps move them on. (Humane trap and air pistol if they wish to stay). If you wish to exclude them you can try the wire mesh but the rats may gnaw in the base as they have gnawed ours. Keep kitchen scraps for the wormary.

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 8:38 pm Post subject:
Rats were once known as 'millers' in the Royal Navy, and I gather that they're fine eating. Not that I've ever tried. Don't get them in our garden

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 9:33 pm Post subject:
I really want to try the grey tree rats, especially one that has gorged itself on nuts and fruit in the Autumn (not from round here as they love the fat balls put out for the birds and I'm not sure what goes into them.) I may draw the line at rats.

Lloyd

Joined: 24 Jan 2005
Posts: 2699

Posted: Mon Jan 31, 05 9:44 pm Post subject:
Tree rats are yummy. Only greys though, as you rightly say.

Colin Shaw
Guest

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 05 3:08 pm Post subject:

Mary-Jane wrote:

Just a suggestion, but I'd put some fine wire mesh - like chicken wire or something similar - underneath if I were you.

R
ats can be a big problem but chicken wire will not keep them out. You need 'weldmesh' its a rectanular mesh and much stronger than chicken wire which will chew through. Since I have lined the bottom of all my bins, and about 6 inches up each side, with weldmesh the rats hve not been in.

Colin

tahir

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 45674
Location: Essex

Posted: Wed Feb 02, 05 3:17 pm Post subject:
Hi Colin You may as well register I've just emailed you.

culpepper

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 638
Location: Kent

Posted: Fri Feb 04, 05 9:53 am Post subject:
Havent seen a rat in years. There are about 12 cats in our little corner of the road so that probably has something to do with it.

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