Topic: 4 Dustbins containing unknown substance

[Sarah_O]

Hello all. Last weekend I got my very first allotment.  ;D I've been reading your fantastic advise on what to plant now and how to do things. I love this site! THing is on the allotment there are 4 metal covered bins inside which is, I can only describe it as, sludge. Looks like rotted green waste but without rummaging I can't be sure. And to be honest I'd rather not. One of them has worms in which is a good sign. but there still seems to be an aweful lot of liquid in there too not to mention smell. Show I drain it off? and how? Is it alright to use it on the allotment? that was obviously the original idea of whoever set it up. However long ago that was. Any thoughts greatly appreciated.
We've bought some strawberry plants and gooseberries to get in the ground soon. Gonna dig a bit tomorrow.
Thank you for any help
Sarah

[ina]

Hello Sarah and welcome, you found the right place! Congratulations with your new lottie, you now officially joined the ranks of allotmenteers.

My guess about the mysterious substances in the bins is that it's probably good stuff. Could be comfrey in water to make liquid fertilizer, or manure for the same purpose. It seems a bit too wet for making leaf mould but who knows?

If I were in your place, I would tip it all onto my lottie but....... I would not do it in an area where you next grow veggies that are eaten raw. If you have an area with flowers, like a border or something, that would be my first choice.

I wish you all the luck with your new lottie. Do you know what all you are going to grow yet? All the best, -Ina

[merv]

Welcome Sarah, Welcome!  :)


I would empty the stuff somewhere where I am not going to use for a while.

I like to know what I'm putting on my plot.  ;)

[Hugh_Jones]

I have to agree with Ina - its almost certainly someone`s old liquid fertilizer factory.  Get together a few bags of leaves (plenty about just now) and either pile them up or make a chicken wire enclosure for them.  Then mix the contents of your bins into them - liquid and all - whatever solids are in the bins will give the eventual leafmould a bit of extra body, and the liquid will help the leaves to break down more quickly.

[Sarah_O]

Thank you everyone for your advice. We'll start collecting leaves now as there are loads around. ( get tempted to pick them up as I walk to the lottie :-/ starting to feel a little crazy though).  

It was reasuring to hear you say put it on, as when I got to the lottie on Sunday my Boyfriend had tipped one of the bins into the trench he'd just dug and mixed it in. It was the most solid out of the lot so hopefully it'll turn out alright. The gooseberries went in on top so if they wither away we'll know why. Fingers crossed.

Sarah