Allotment Stuff > The Basics

Turning compost

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Obelixx:
We try and put seedy weeds out to dry before they go on the heaps and we always leave couch grass, thistles and bindweed till completely dry.

Like JanG, OH tends to turn our heaps over the winter so the good stuff can go on beds as mulch and the emptied bays can be filled with the turned stuff.  We tajke the lids off the coered ones so they can get a thorough wetting in the rain but then they go back on to help warm things up enough for breaking down.

JanG:
I’m wondering about leaving seedy weeds out to dry. It seems a good idea but don’t lots of seeds remain viable in a dried out state and then germinate when moistened? Perhaps it works to leave them to dry then get rained on, so that they germinate before going on the heap. Interesting. I must observe more closely what happens to a strew of seedy weeds!

pumkinlover:
My Compost daleks and tardis only get used for non weeds, although I suppose that there will be grass seeds in the hay.
I have tried the opposite to other posters by soaking weeds over winter in buckets.

One day I will hoe often enough to not get weeds. (Says she yet again)

Harry:

--- Quote from: pumpkinlover on March 23, 2023, 08:03:33 ---I just wondered is anyone does this?
Apart from television gardening presenters that is? It's not that I dispute the reasoning  behind it but if I did turn my compost I wouldn't have the energy to do anything else!  That said I get a lot of compost due to the rabbits so although it takes a long time to turn into the desired result and I have about 20 daleks and tardis's  I just wait.

--- End quote ---
Mine (2 tardises) get turned maybe twice a year at totally arbitrary times, usually when I get a lot of new stuff to add in. I fork one out into a bulk bag, then turn the second into the first, then the bag into the second. Strictly the latter doesn't so much get turned, because it is flipped twice, but it gets mixed up a bit. On the whole, I think it's plenty just to mix in new additions by turning over the top half.

Has anyone ever really filled one of those composters :D. They seem to be infinitely fillable, each time slumping down.

When I get my proper pallet one going, I anticipate that will barely get turned, just a bit of stirring.
I honestly think these TV and Youtube pundits tell us the theory, but do they REALLY do anything like the regular turning that they suggest?.

Obelixx:
An alternative to composting is to soak weeds in huge buckets of water for a couple of weeks then strain and dilute the resulting liquid to use as fertiliser but we have a large terrain which includes a 25 x 29m veg plot so there aren't enough buckets to go round.

I do make nettle and comfrey teas but we still need big heaps to cope with the annual mowings, prunings and weeding and they do need turning to mix it all up.  It keeps OH busy and gives me compost for my veggies so we're both happy but not religious about it.

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