Orchid L, 'Wriggle your compost' sounds like a good song
Lyn, a lot of Christmas paper I believe has a high plastic content and therefore will not rot; also I don't know about the toxicity of the inks; I know newspapers are ok these days.
iGrow, you are wonderfully organised and I bet your compost is fab
Orchid L., I would follow any instructions on the weeding label about how soon to add cuttings to compost, I thought it was 2 or 3 cuts later, and you would want to rake up any cuttings in the meantime.
I grow some comfrey in a pot on my allotment and every now and then throw some of the leaves into my primary bin to help accelerate decomposition. I use two wooden bins and empty the contents into bin 2 at the end of winter and I think the comfrey def seems to speed things up.
I'm very lucky to have the space and I've just built 3 "bays" 8ftx 4ft x 4ft high. As has been said, fill one, turn it into bay 2 , fill 1 again, chuck 2 into 3 , 1 into 2 and start again. by the time 1 is full, 3 has been emptied.
Hosta, what part of the country are you in to have such a thin layer of soil? Are you half way up a mountain? I often plant things at the edge of the drive, and that is solid clay; I always know I'm in for several hours work with a crow bar
Posts
Orchid L, 'Wriggle your compost' sounds like a good song
Lyn, a lot of Christmas paper I believe has a high plastic content and therefore will not rot; also I don't know about the toxicity of the inks; I know newspapers are ok these days.
iGrow, you are wonderfully organised and I bet your compost is fab
Orchid L., I would follow any instructions on the weeding label about how soon to add cuttings to compost, I thought it was 2 or 3 cuts later, and you would want to rake up any cuttings in the meantime.
I grow some comfrey in a pot on my allotment and every now and then throw some of the leaves into my primary bin to help accelerate decomposition. I use two wooden bins and empty the contents into bin 2 at the end of winter and I think the comfrey def seems to speed things up.
Madeleine51, I have heard that both comfrey and nettles are really good accelerators.
I use a shovel of horse manure from time to time.
I'm very lucky to have the space and I've just built 3 "bays" 8ftx 4ft x 4ft high. As has been said, fill one, turn it into bay 2 , fill 1 again, chuck 2 into 3 , 1 into 2 and start again. by the time 1 is full, 3 has been emptied.
Hosta
I am always soooo pleased to hear about people composting
My compost bin is a meter square, wood, homemade and fairly new. I add Comfrey leaves but not too many nettles. I leave those for the butterflies.
Chris, do you only have one? You may find it easier with 2; one to fill and one to 'cook'.
Artkaj,I compost everything. In parts of our garden we have 6" of heavy clay soil over solid rock. I need all the compost I can make.
Hosta, what part of the country are you in to have such a thin layer of soil? Are you half way up a mountain?
I often plant things at the edge of the drive, and that is solid clay; I always know I'm in for several hours work with a crow bar