Allotments 4 All

Any opinions on this?

Does it really attract more vermin than just putting raw veg peelings etc. Surely vermin eat raw stuff as well so it doesnt make much difference? Just seems a shame to put left overs in the bin for landfill when I have a nice huge compost bin they could go in :-\

Any other things from the kitchen that can be put in the compost bin - atm Im putting raw fruit & veg, tea bags & egg shells....although Im wondering if the egg shells are a good idea from a vermin point of view as well :-\

Ta

Saz

Hi Saz

I put cooked veg on the heap - as long as it has only been steamed or boiled - I wouldn't put it on if there was anything like butter or oil on it.  No problems with vermin.  We also put eggshells on it, but try and crush them a bit first as they take ages to rot down.  I don't think you can use any other kitchen scraps - the only other thing I would add is a splosh of good old night water.

Night water?

You know........wee wee ;)

Ahhh - did wonder if if was wee - just never heard it called that before ;D

I think it's an old term for it.  Apparently your first pee of the morning is the most potent.  And blokes' is better than lasses'.

Egg shells = best to dry them out a bit first near your CH boiler perhaps? Fresh egg shells will attract any rats around.

I think one can worry too much about this.  I've never had a problem with egg shells, cooked veg (oil, butter, or no), or bread, flour, or pasta.

I wouldn't put meat or fish on the compost heap, but more because of the smell than fear of vermin.

Night water, like it,  first time I've heard that one. But Greenstars right splash on a good old Gipsy Lee.   ;D ;D ;D

Interesting....maybe I will pluck up the courage to put more on....i guess bread & pasta are basically processed & cooked plants anyway ;)....still a bit nervous though as there has been a rat problem on the site in the past so dont want to add to that if I can help it. I tend to only take kitchen waste up once a week as I have a nice large caddy so some of it has already started rotting down before it hits the compost bin anyway....I will try to dry my eggshells out though - thanks for that tip....they already get crushed very nicely by my 2 year old ;D

I put fishy bones on mine, just bury them rather than lob them on top.  All cooked fruit and veg goes in along with raw.  You can empty the hoover bag in if you want, after all, a lot of what comes out of the carpet is stuff that has come in on your shoes from the street, so grit and dust.  Almost everything goes into my heap on the allotment, but don't put green lip muscle shells on the heap....they never rot down and end up like shards of glass!  Tim did warn me when I very first joined the site....I should have paid more attention!