Allotments 4 All
Photo Gallery => The Gallery => Topic started by: Georgie on September 17, 2005, 17:14:08
-
Look what I harvested today - black gold! ;D
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Compost.jpg)
And here it is, 75 litres finely sieved and ready to use. :)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y30/georgie_girl15/Compost2.jpg)
-
Oooooooooh luvly - looks like you bought it from Harrods ;D
I helped my lotty neighbour turn hers out today. It's been covered up for three years (in a New Zealand bin). It looked fantastic and everything completely broken down. We were ooing and aaaaghing right like nits ;D
Are you using your stuff for potting compost ?
-
Delicious! You will have the best fed ground for miles!
-
ROLF, Wardy!!! I just love harvesting compost and the smell is so wonderful. And yes, I will use some of it in pots. I've tried it before and it works a treat. :D
Thanks Emma. :)
G xx
-
;D Wow looks great ;D How long did it take you make that?
-
Great stuff Georgie - How long did it take you to make it ??
;)
-
It's rather hard to say how long it took. That's the second 'half bin' I've had this year so I suppose between 3-6 months. Sorry to be so vague! ::)
I think composting is just wonderful. Got the bin free from the council last year and since then there's been no stopping me. ;D
G xx
-
Hm I think we know how long the compost actualy takes to make, I think what we are asking (or at least i am) is how long di it take you to seive that lot of compost?
My compost can be a bit lumpy (I dont have enough patience with it) which makes it difficult to work with. I have tried seiving in the past but the time it takes and the associated backache (i am tall so more bending), usualy puts me off or results in too small quantities of compost to be realy usefull.
can i also ask what method of seiving you used?
-
Hi GC. I think the others wanted to know how long the composting process took, it's so variable isn't it? But in terms of how long it took me sieve, I suppose between 30 minutes and an hour? My method? Err, I put some compost in the sieve and shake it vigorously over the trug shown in the pic. Is there an easier/better way???
G xx
-
Hi Georgie :D- thanks for that - Yes I for one wanted to know how long it takes to make the compost, I had no idea and thought it stretched over years ! ::) ::) ::) ;D
It looks like beautiful rich stuff.
x
GS - I too am tall (5 ft 10) and it would kill me to sieve all that in one go ! ;D
-
Hi Marianne. I've read a lot about composting and it's taken me a while to get it right but you can get decent compost in about 6 months from a 'darlek' type bin if you follow a few simple rules. I've also read so much rubbish (particularly on the Beeb boards) about composting I'm thinking of writing a book to dispell the myths. ;)
G xx
-
You can get rotosieves for home made compost. It's like a sieve but with a handle :)
Not got one meself though
-
Oh right, I'll look into that. Mind you, you can get shredders too but I have to make do with secateurs (spelling?) and patience. ;)
G xx
-
Yes indeed Georgie, secateurs is spelt correctly !
;D ;) :D
-
Really, M? Shucks, I'm so proud. :)
G xx
-
Hmmm just Googled rotosieves and they appear to be between £40 and £60 pounds. Seems a lot for what they are?
G xx
-
Hi Georgie!! Well done with your compost! I harvested mine today and was feeling so proud I was going to post a pic on here. Came on here, and you have done the same!!! I love how gardeners can get excited about compost!!
I have not sieved mine yet, but have decanted it into 4 x 75 litre bags, so I can start to fill the compost bin with this summer's waste. Very satisfying. I will sieve it and spread some of it out on the garden later in the year and keep some back for my containers next year.
Well done again!
-
:) :) :):)
Jealous jealous jealous........please can I make compost like that when I am a grown up allotmenteer????!!!!!
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
-
I forgot to mention I harvested mine recently too. Or at the very least gave what was ready its final turn into the storage bin (I have 3 bins, 1 making, one 'brewing' and a third to store and finish off).
Didnt intend to but after having carefully filled the storage bin, promptly started using the compost in it whilst doing some planting yesterday!
After a lot of trial and error i now have my own system of composting that works very well (for me at least).
-
When I do any sieving GC I sit on the floor and do it as I have a bad back :)
These are my compost bins (the pallet box is also full of compost) I have two more bins on order as well. They call me the Compost Queen on our lotties ;D
Georgie have you made any manure growbag compost yet?
-
Hey, Lord Steve, I demand to see a pic of your compost too! ;)
Hi Wardy. No, I've not tried manure compost but with such a small garden (and no lottie) it would be tricky. I do have a small turf pile (coming on nicely) and some leaf mould in a black bin liner (almost ready) though. ;D
G xx
-
Hi Georgie! You did ask ... so here goes!
Here are a couple of pics of my harvest. I was rather chuffed as it is my first ever batch of compost. I think it has turned out ok.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/SteveL88/My%20garden/Sept05091a.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v475/SteveL88/My%20garden/Sept05092a.jpg)
I will sieve it when I am ready to use it (what do you do with the larger twigs etc? Do you chuck them back on the compost to break down in more time, or do you throw them away?).
Well done with your compost, again - it looks very professional sieved in the tub trug!!
-
Oh Steve, that loooks fab. ;D Just chuck the larger bits back in the bin, they will get there soon I promise. :D
G xx
-
Thanks, Georgie!
-
::) May sound like a silly question, but why do you have to sieve it?
-
HEY roy just checked out your website (your lottie) nice going, loads of beds and gravel path will help with controlling weeds, keep up the good work,
All the best
windy ;D
-
;) Thank you Windy, much appreciated :)
-
::) May sound like a silly question, but why do you have to sieve it?
Well you dont have to sieve it Roy, you could just use it on your beds and borders as it is (good for bulking up/improving poor soils). However if you want to use it as a potting compost for example then it probably needs sieving (or riddling) to get rid of the large lumps. Which of course can then be put back in with the next batch of compost.
Hope this helps. :)
-
Your lotties look great Roy. Very tidy and organised. They look brand new lotties. Are they?
I like the idea of making the beds off the path. Very clean lines Roy which I can onkly aspire to. Mine is all higgledy piggledy and disorganised. Just like me. It's a pig to navigate round though and it's gonna change! Not sure when exactly :)
-
;) Thanks Richard and Wardy. Yes they are brand new, well no they are revived very old lotties, (My Dad used to have one many years ago), the council is selling off half of it and we have what's left, it was closed for over two years through vandalism, then a brand new steel fence erected and the council sprayed and ploughed a big chunk for rent, still not full yet.
I'm not sure I like the paths now as the weeds still grow through the wood chip and it is looking very untidy, I may either let the grass grow and keep strimmed or just keep hoeing the tops off.
-
beautiful stuff Georgie! I can't berlieve you sieve it all - that's dedication! I haven't got the patience for that!
Harvested some of mine at the weekend too. not sure how long it took as I've rather lost track of it all! I now have about 200l in bags ready to use! Plus three more bins of semi-rotted stuff and about another four or five bags full of fresh stuff.
I love compost - no matter what my other harvests are like I can always get a decent crop of compost!
-
Hi Aqui. I have to sieve it because I use it in my pots bit I don't mind, I find it quite theraputic. I've got my eye on one of those rotosieves now, mind, might put one on my Christmas list. ;D
G xx
-
I used to sieve it when I made my own compost, nowadays I just put half-rotted leaves straight on.
-
Oh well if we're all showing off our home made compost here's mine from my Compost Machine. This lot is only the bottom third and it's filled me barrow a big rubber trug and a gardening sack :o It wants sieving to get all the twigs out but it was too wet so I'm drying it off a bit first. Well that's the plan so it makes it easier to sieve. Tried it yesterday and it just stuck :( It's a toss up now though what the best use for it is as I don't want to waste it. It must all be used wisely. It's got loads of eggshells in it so I suppose I could use it on my new brassica bed which is sitting patiently, growing weeds, waiting for Dobies to deliver :)
-
Oh well if we're all showing off our home made compost here's mine from my Compost Machine. This lot is only the bottom third and it's filled me barrow a big rubber trug and a gardening sack :o It wants sieving to get all the twigs out but it was too wet so I'm drying it off a bit first. Well that's the plan so it makes it easier to sieve. Tried it yesterday and it just stuck :( It's a toss up now though what the best use for it is as I don't want to waste it. It must all be used wisely. It's got loads of eggshells in it so I suppose I could use it on my new brassica bed which is sitting patiently, growing weeds, waiting for Dobies to deliver :)
Is that wire basket what you use as a sieve wardy? I just have a small bought one from the garden centre. No wonder i dont have the patience to do vry much seiving!
-
That wire basket is one of many someone gave me, the racks too, I have some in my wardrobe so does my OH and two more lots in the shed. Fantastically handy (Ikea) Some folk just give owt away!
I used it to try and sieve out some of the sticks and twigs before a final sieve with my plastic garden sieve. The plastic sieves I find are a bit fine but my wire one has disintegrated. Must get a new one. The compost was too moist to sieve through the plastic one so I thought I'd leave it to dry off but since then it has poured it down. Drat! Typical >:(
-
Looks good, Wardy. ;D
G xx
-
Thanks for complimenting my mixture. Got two more bins the other day so even more of the lovely stuff. My considerate OH has gone off to buy me a metal sieve - isn't that kind? So I can spend the day sieving as I don't really want twigs and sticks all over me beds :) The leaves had clumped together a bit so they went back into a newly started bin. I think composting is therapeutic :)
-
I see Monty Don is singing the praises of composting in his column in Amateur Gardener this week. I wonder if he's seen this thread? ;D ;D ;D
G xx
-
Yes I watched it and I enjoyed it. I thought Monty was very enthusiastic and upbeat :)
Been sieving all day with plastic sieve. Long job but quite a pleasant mindless task on a lovely sunny morning.
Here is the finished result and all the sticks etc put back into new bin
-
Hmmm...think we are talking at cross purposes here but never mind. ;) You've done a good job there, Wardy. Was your new sieve just a simple one or a rotosieve?
G xx
-
Acording to Monty, you should chop up your composting material as fine as possible before you put it in the bin. I suppose if you did this you wouldnt have to riddle it (so much).
However practicaly speaking who actualy has the time to go through thier stuff to compost and chop it all up? I certainly dont. I just break it up as best i can, put it in then chop at it with the spade (also firms the mix down a bit), then leave it and see what happens. OK so i get a fair few lumpy bits. So what? they just go back in to start the next lot off.
-
I guess it rather depends on whether we are talking about one fairly small 'darlek' bin in your garden (like mine) or multiple/bigger compost bins on a full sized allotment. When I got my bin last year I read that it was necessary to chop stuff up fairly finely (particularly more woody material) for smaller bins because they don't get that hot. So that's what I do. It doesn't take long and it's a good excuse for a little sit down. ;)
G xx
-
My daleks get red hot! :o I enjoy hacking up the big bits - I think I'm whacking someone I don't like. If there's loads of stuff I leave it on the ground for a bit to wilt as it's then easier to cram in the bin
I used an ordinary sieve in the end as I could only get a metal sieve with little holes so not much good. Wish I had a rotosieve. I'll go and look on ebay as if I'm making so much compost I'm going to need something easier than sieveing all day with a titchy sieve :)
-
Do let me know how you get on on ebay. I've never used that site myself, looks a bit daunting to me. :-\
G xx
-
Ebay is easy but I got fooled by a bloke charging £5 for postage when the thing only cost about 49 p to post. I pointed out that he'd made an error and he told me I was an idiot ;D Nice ;D
Anyway I found a "sieve" on the allotment. it was holding down my sheet mulch and it's a wire office tray which someone had thrown out. Good sized holes for getting the sticks out of me compost.
Not been on ebay yet but will do as I think I might need something quicker and easier for compost sifting as I think I'm going to be doing a lot of it.
-
Just taken the time to read this thread :-[ Your compost looks great Georgie, your's too Lord Steve and Wardy. Mine looks pretty much like yours when it comes out the bin Georgie, bit less twigs in mine though.
LS, your bin looks just like mine, does yours have 4 slide up doors?
I use mine for mulching around plants that need that little bit extra, for going into planting holes and just started mixing it with cheap MP compost and sharp sand for containers and baskets. It worked well doing it this way for my summer baskets.
-
Welcome to the compost lovers thread, twospot. We demand to see a pic! ;) ;D
G xx
-
:-[ Do I have to?
Okay ;D but it might be a day or two before I can get a piccie, it's to rain for the next 2 or 3 days :(
-
I saw a frog hop into my compost bin the other day so I don't want to disturb it!
-
I don't pick anything out of my compost. Anything still alive gets picked out when I spread it and put back in the dalek, sticks (mostly from the dead leaves I use) get picked out when I get a round tuit. I don't have one very often.
-
Difficult to grow, Robert??
-
I used my homemade compost round my leeks yesterday and in last years onion bed to make a nice tilth for sowing carrots and winter lettuce in. I'm hoping all the eggshells in it will deter slugs. Still got lots left
-
No pics of the actual compost I am afraid but here is one of my 'compost factory'. This was taken just after i had goten it set up. Before this I had the bins scattered about the garden wherever there was space.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/richardfiler/My%20Garden/DSCF1010small.jpg)
I start with the big green bin with fresh stuff then turn it into the one next door. Finaly the finished stuff goes in the small bin for storage (and to carry on breaking down if its still a bit lumpy).
-
Good stuff GC :) My factory has just been extended by two new daleks so now I have 11 ;D It looks like they're breeding ;D
-
My low-tech compost heap (old doors for sides, old carpet for lid) :)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/simon404/P9240018.jpg)
-
Nice work, Simon. ;D
G xx
-
I keep looking in charity shops for one of those padded exercise mats which I think would make a good insulated cover for me compost bin, or an old tank jacket./
Your compost looks good enough to eat Sime :)
-
;D Hmm! Forest Gateau springs to mind ;D save some for me ;D
Is a lid essential? as I have a pallet bin with open air sides and no lid?
-
I cover mine up when its full, and in winter. That bin is one of three, so the compost is 1-2 years old, it gets spread on to ground left bare by cleared crops, to be dug in later :)
(http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y40/simon404/P9240017.jpg)
-
;D Hmm! Forest Gateau springs to mind ;D save some for me ;D
Is a lid essential? as I have a pallet bin with open air sides and no lid?
A lid keeps the warmth in and the rain out. Rain in the compost heap not only turns your compost soggy, it also leaches out all the nutrients in the compost.
-
You want to keep it snug Roy so it hots up and starts the rotting process. The hotter it gets the quicker the compost is made. You can cover the open sides of your pallet bins which is what I'm going to do to keep the heat in the bin where it should be :)
-
LS, your bin looks just like mine, does yours have 4 slide up doors?
Hi TwoSpot. Mine is called a 'Garden Gourmet' and has one door at the bottom which slides up. It has a large lid with 2 smaller flaps at the top, and has air vents between the slats. The slats interlock and are easy to assemble. Hope this was not too much information!!
-
Hi LS, not too much info. Not like mine then, mine has four slide up doors at the bottom a lid and vents on all four sides.
-
Just to leap feet first onto the compost bandwagon, here is mine. Still chunky, but then the bottom is a year old, the middle only about 4 months old, and the top is current so is raked off and used to refill. Have been spreading it over anywhere cleared.
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a364/Mrsava/compost.jpg)
-
Nectar of the Gods EJ ;D I put it on my carrot bed but noticed today that mr mole has undermined it >:(
-
I have no idea what state my compost is at the lottie cos it's got squash growing in it!!! But just had a look at what my little worms have produced, and it's wonderful!! Not quite sure of the best way to use it, as there's not a huge amount....but bless their little cottons, they've done a lovely job!! Lottie ;D
-
Wow that looks great, and no lumps ;D
-
LOL! Nope, no lumps, but will still need to sieve it cos some of my little worm mates are still lurking.......I'll put some melon in, for some reason it gets them really excited!! ::) ;D
Don't ask me how I know....think I'm in psychic link with worms for goodness sake..... ::)
-
Well done Lotttie. ;D
G xx