Hi my courgette and squash leaves have mildew on, are they still ok to put on my compost heap for next year, or should i burn them? Also can i put comfry leaves on my compost heap?
Thanks in advance
Popeye
Yes you can put all those on the compost heap, as indeed I do. Rip and shred them when you do and wear gloves whilst doing it!
Hi - thanks for that - a great help.
Just out of interest, do you know a surefire method to getting the compost heap going quickly ie - thickness of layers, starters etc.
Sorry to be a pain, but when do i know when my horse mannure is rotted enough to go on the plot - its bagged at the moment and covered up - i,ve had it about 6 weeks - would you recommend putting it in the trench using the single dig method, or laying it on top over autumn/winter and the rotovating it in?
I'm only in my second year so still a lot to learn.
Thanks Again
This depends on your soil. Horse manure is a `Light` manure, and does not have the staying power of cow and pig manures, so it will disappear rather more quickly on sandy or gravelly soil.
If your soil is medium to heavy loam then dig the horse manure in this autumn, but if you have light soi dig it in in the early spring
Quote from: ncd72 on September 15, 2010, 16:50:03
Hi - thanks for that - a great help.
Just out of interest, do you know a surefire method to getting the compost heap going quickly ie - thickness of layers, starters etc.
I find that using poultry manure from some friends who keep chickens and ducks get the heap going really well. Also I think comfrey leaves do the same, can anyone else confirm that?
Comfrey is a really good compost activator. I wait until it's flowered then add a layer of it, ripped and shredded, on the compost heap.
I don't worry too much about thickness of layers, etc. and find that it all rots down in six months or so, although I only empty, and use, it once a year in the late winter.
Horse manure doesn't need to be that rotted to go on the plot either... if it's field manure rather than stable manure (always a good idea with the aminopyralid problem) then I put it straight on, though I also do stack it.... well rotted manure makes a pretty good compost activator, as does a sprinkling of BFB, as does human urine (assuming you don't have a really nasty urinary tract infection....
chrisc
Hi all - thanks for all that - some very imformative answers!
Well i think i'll go down the same route as last year and throw the manure on top and rotavate it in later - anyone know what the ideal month would be - my soil is quite easy to handle so to speak, it resembles a course compost, with no heavy clay or badly draining areas and breaks down easily - the only thing i'm cocerned about is that certain crops don't thrive that well in freshly manured ground from what i've read.
Any help welcomed and thanks a lot all.