I've been thinking (steady on girl)... are there any pro's or cons to adding blood, fish & bone meal to the compost bin?
Apologies for being a forum hog today... I seem to be having a mega enthusiastic burst (last night I started planning next years crops!).
Heya Olive.
This site says it all about making compost.
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/composting/compost_pf.php
I wouldn't personally put blood, fish or bone meal in my soil, it seems wrong to me. I just use plenty of good compost as described on the link. My compost also contains seaweed, which has all the trace elements plants need to thrive.
I do not know much about BFB but this is the government website on recycling and making your own compost:
http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/index.html
I think that the BFB might attract vermin.When we use it in the ground we have cover it or every cat dog or fox digs it up
It would be a bit of a waste of money as it would just leech away.
In fact if your compost has whole weeds in it there is the potential to feed those!
Could you be getting mixed up with Sulphate of Ammonia ( a nitrogen feed) that can also be used as a decomposition activator.
I use the old method let it rot on its own.
(http://i922.photobucket.com/albums/ad68/landimad/compostbins.jpg)
The garden has had several bin fulls of this black gold and has not needed anything extra added to it while it rots down.
I would not spend money on helping something nature has a way of taking care of itself.
BFB is good for the plants in the ground and not in my mind for the heap.
QuoteI use the old method let it rot on its own.
I prefer the Moriati composting method. Photo below shows my current state of play with 5 full bags all less than 8 months old. The oldest, on the right side has a nice squash growing while next to it is a cassabanana reaching for the trees.
(http://horse-manure.com/images/compost_7_09.jpg)
I would never add any proprietary booster ingredients as this is a pure waste of money. If you have money to burn, send it to me and I will put it to good use.
It's difficult to beat urine as a compost activator.
Quote from: Unwashed on July 13, 2009, 23:34:24
It's difficult to beat urine as a compost activator.
I've never needed to add an activator. Put in a whole load of fresh green stuff when you build a heap and off it goes on its own, within just a few days it will be 60 degrees C inside.
Comfrey gets things hotted up very quickly if you do not have any of Bjerreby's seaweed. Tide went out some time ago here, left behind a lot of limestone but I have not seen much seaweed.
Sorry folks just had another thought.
QuoteIt's difficult to beat urine as a compost activator.
Since the problem of contamination of manure is through animal urine is it possible for humans to pass contamination on to compost from contaminated feed stuffs (food)?
manure has been contaminated through the manure, not the urine. Almost all xeniobiotics (foreign chemicals) that enter an animals blood stream are broken down by the liver and then disposed of either through the urine or back into the intestine via the bile.
Frankly if I am pi55ing poisons out the last thing I am worried about is my compost. My kidnesy and liver are FAR more important. Gin is good protector of the liver, you active enzymes called CYP's which helps if you suffer a chemical overdose (I kid you not)
Woppa
I thought that the point of the problem with aminopryalid was that it was not borken down. Also how does it get into the manure? Again I understood it ccould come through the urine. So is there a possibility of it arriving from human urine as well?
QuoteSince the problem of contamination of manure is through animal urine is it possible for humans to pass contamination on to compost from contaminated feed stuffs (food)?
Since you ask, in theory the answer is "YES", but only if you eat contaminated hay.
QuoteSince you ask, in theory the answer is "YES", but only if you eat contaminated hay.
Could this be the reason we see country bumpkins portrayed with a piece of hay dangling from their mouths? ::)
The hay has done something to their minds? ???
Ahrr he said!! ;)
Or put another way; are they taking the pee ?
Interesting thought Mmmmmmmmmmmm!!
;D
TG you do the gardening queries and leave the gags to others, ;) I quite liked it though. I add my urine to my heap all the time, that and stingers. ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: woppa30 on July 14, 2009, 08:24:25
manure has been contaminated through the manure, not the urine. Almost all xeniobiotics (foreign chemicals) that enter an animals blood stream are broken down by the liver and then disposed of either through the urine or back into the intestine via the bile.
Some antibiotics don't get broken down and do come out in the urine. It's a problem if you have a septic tank because it kills the helpful bugs. When penecilin was first developed it was given to a policeman with blood poisoning, and because there was so little available it was recycled from his urine. I think it's reasonable to assume that quite a few medicines will still be active in urine, and watering your allotment with antibiotics is not particularly helpful. On the other hand there are almost no pathogens that are active in urine - leptospires are some of the very few.
LOL... I take that as a no then. It was only a thought.
I thought it would make for a more balanced, nutrient rich, longer lasting feeding medium... but if it would just leech away then I'm clearly talking pants :)
If you can get hold of some chicken or sheep manure or even rabbit they will all activate your compost heap really quickly as they are 'hot'.