Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: lottie-newbe on July 24, 2008, 17:02:59
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Hi everyone
I have taken on a new allotment back in feb & didnt realise how hard it was going to be - I had these big plans that I was gonna be able to clear the lot & start planting straight away however this didnt happen as I have a 3 & 4yr old who despite loving going do sometimes get in the way when trying to help me dig.
Anyway I have decided to get into the full swing of clearing it & I am looking to get a composter - could anyone here give me their opinions of the "green joanna" hot composter - as they are very expensive I dont want to waste my money
Thanks
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We have the black darlek ones. Try looking on your council website, many councils have schemes to let you buy composters cheaply. We got 2 of the largest darleks and a small bucket for transfering veg peelings delivered for under £20. They work okay. You could always build one out of some old pallets and chicken wire.
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Yes we bought ours from the Council. A black one for home and at the allotment a large wooden box. Hope you enjoy your new hobby, but beware as it can take over your life. I just love being up there but housework and granchildren and husbands can be neglected. Not a 'golf widow' but an allotment one.
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Not pretty perhaps, but then they have been there for 48 years!!
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The "Green Joanna" sounds expensive but I just googled it and you can compost cooked food waste with it.
Most of my cooked food waste is composted by the dog! ;D
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The cheapest and most efficient composter is the Moriati method.
http://bluewisteria.co.uk/tools/compost.php (http://bluewisteria.co.uk/tools/compost.php)
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I wopuldn't have thought one of those would be big enough for allotment use - certainly wouldn't be for mine. And it seems to need careful management too. Maybe better for home use for kitchen plus small amounts of garden waste?
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Would you use the moriati method for composting weeds, Eristic? I'm collecting mine in compost bags but have a couple of builder's bags I could use instead, but didn't think they would be dark enough.
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Light or darkness is not a requirement for composting. To make good compost the vegetation requires air and moisture. Roots of couch grass and bindweed must be killed first but I put in pretty much anything soft including grass cuttings and leaves as they become available. Aim to fill a bag as quickly as possible. This causes a rapid increase in heat which in turn kills off the weeds anyway.
In 12 months I manage to produce my own potting compost with the addition of topsoil and sharp sand.
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Lack of light will kill off couch and other perennial roots during the compost process though.
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That doesn't work for me. I tried puttng bindweed roots and couch grass in my compost bin and they just started growing again. Any tips on how to kill them off first?
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In hot times just leave the roots in a loose pile to dessicate. At other times put them in a bucket along with the inevitable rain. Only problem with this method is the pong.
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Try your local tip, ours sells things and you can pick up loads of compost bins for next to nothing. It does not matter on the lotty if they don`t match.
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hi i have had a green joanna and a green cone for a while now, dont waste your time or money
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opinions of the "green joanna" hot composter - as they are very expensive I dont want to waste my money
You can buy cheaper cmopost bins here that are just as effective.
http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/index.html
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Look here.The Green Joanna,much cheaper
http://www.recyclenow.com/applications/dynamic/hc_specialist_bins.rm?id=12248&shopcode=WRD/129/C
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Cover the roots up and let them grow in darkness. The more they grow, the sooner they run out of energy and die.
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Sorry for the delay in replying - but thanks for all your comments - I have decided to do the moraiti method - i`m sending my dad off to the local builders merchants to get me a couple of their sandbags to start me off
Thanks again you managed to save me nearly £100 :D
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Certainly not cheap, but what I believed I wanted to replace our vintage ones.
Now we have an argument with Evergreener. They say fast composting thanks to optimised ventilation system & thermo walls.
A load of b**l so far as I can see! Any ideas??
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(http://downtheplot.com/images/moriati_bags.jpg)
My compost corner. All due for a shuffle turn soon.
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I've built mine out of 5 wooden pallets. 2 bins .. one full and 'resting' the other filling up slowly.
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My old ones were railway sleepers - free in those days - assembled with 1cm thick wire staples, 10"x3". You can see one.
Got the idea from the way the Russians built our aircraft shelters almost overnight.
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Six daleks and one pallet one under contruction. ;D ;D ;D
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Three daleks in rotation :) :) :) Plus a cage for leaves.