composting
nightgarden
Posts: 112
I was wondering - is it ok to put ivy prunings and moss on the compost heap or will they regenerate?
I have a lot of cripsy brown rhododenrdron leaves too - they are such sturdy leaves will they compost down or would it be best to just burn them all?
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Posts
Do you have a council green collection?-put them in there
I happily put moss on my compost heap and have not found a problem. I would not put ivy on there - I've had enough problems trying to get rid of it I wouldn't want to run any risks. As for the rhodo leaves - they seem to take for ever to break down in woodland, so I presume they'd take for ever in the compost heap too. I think I'd put them in a brown bin or burn them, or if you have enough room for a really wild corner then I'd put them there for hedgehogs etc to use when making nests/hibernacula etc.
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
I'd also compost moss, but not the ivy. Rhodo leaves if they were green would take a long while to break down. I'd compost them if they were crispy brown - as long as they're not crispy brown due to sickness
I've been burning stuff and putting the ashes on the compost. Is this OK?
I read up on that Gardening Grandma, as I burn quite a bit of stuff like bank details etc (dont trust a shredder). I mostly throw mine on a patch of ground that I cant see but the blackberries seem to love it.
There are lots of conflicting articles on using ash in the garden (I think it depends on what your growing and what your soil ph is.
On the subject of ivy and moss, I never put them into compost as I'm not 100% sure of any consequences. I usually leave my Ivy to break down then burn it (same with blackberries). Moss goes in my recycling.
Of course, at this time of year rake the moss out of your lawn and leave it in heaps for the birds to gather for their nests
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
ooohhhh good thinking Dove
same goes for pet groomings, when I brush off the cat beds get lovely thick clumps of fur, I pull out of the brush and stuff it into the fence, it's usually gone in a day or so.
Always put my dogs hair in the garden, birds seem to love it
Putting moss out for birds is a great idea, as is piling rhodo leaves for hedgehogs so that's sorted. There is no garden refuse collection here but I have plenty of room to burn the ivy clippings.
I chop up old blackberry prunings to use round plants to keep cats off - they must be dead though or they will sprout!
On the wood ash thing - my daughter puts it around her polytunnel as a slug barrier - works pretty well too.