Strange eggs found on allotment!

[FutureCompost]

Now that the weather is grim and grey I decided to sort out my greenhouse on my allotment. On peeling back some membrane fabric I found a mass of bindweed roots. But also there was batches of small spherical egg type things. They are about 2 to 3 mm in diameter and in clumps. Does anyone have any ideas about what it might be laying these eggs.

Not a lot to go on but I will try and take a photo with my macro lens.

[Cazzie]

Most likey slugs eggs

[aeshna5]

Agree they sound like slug or snail eggs.

[coasty]

Sound like snail eggs to me,,,,,

[Lance Morgan]

Slugs and snails lay white spherical eggs in clumps. So my moneys on that.

[big bill]

I would say like the rest that its definately Snails and slugs,I have similar in my greenhouse under the decking

[FutureCompost]

Ok so I can then take them and put them on the bird table then as they are a pest. I once sieved through the rootball of an fig shrub that was infested with weevil grubs. Weevil larvae are the strangest grubs I have ever seen but the birds enjoyed them. I also managed to salvage a bit of the Fig shrub to pot on.

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by FutureCompost

Ok so I can then take them and put them on the bird table then as they are a pest. I once sieved through the rootball of an fig shrub that was infested with weevil grubs. Weevil larvae are the strangest grubs I have ever seen but the birds enjoyed them. I also managed to salvage a bit of the Fig shrub to pot on.

Could you get a photo? just would confirm what they are before you sacrifice them to the birds.

[FutureCompost]

Yes I will take a photo of some of the eggs if I can work out to do it on this site. This is a very bewildering site for a numbskull like me. For a start although I have started a new thread here about slug eggs I have no idea or have forgotten how to start a new thread if anyone can tell me how to do this on this site then that would be much appreciated.
Anyhow if anyone is still reading this I will now add my new thread to this.

I have been trying to create a compost heap that heats up for a while now but to no avail. I was wondering if there is anyone who has created a hot compost heap could give me their recipe. I have three compost bays that can hold a cubic metre.

[Chrisg]

My most precious compost accelerator is chicken droppings, full of bacteria and incredibly good compost maker - I'm lucky in that I keep poultry and so have a ready supply.

Other advice I would add: regularly turn over the heap, keep it damp but not soaking, never add more than a six inch layer of the same material, keep it covered, allow air to circulate (are the sides of your heaps slatted?)

ChrisG

[FutureCompost]

I can't get hold of chicken manure would the pelleted stuff work, would probably be expensive though.

My compost heaps are turned and covered with thick black plastic I don't let any rain get in as I prefer to keep it moist with a watering can so I can regulate the amount of water going on to the heap.

My compost bays are slatted but now I am beginning to think this is not such a good idea, as I think it is drying the compost too much.

Thankyou for your advice 'Chrisg'. I do get good compost out of my heaps but I have never managed to create a hotpile. The reason I am asking is because I am interested in cultivating mushrooms and you need compost from a hotpile to grow them in.

[tufftie]

Have you tried the CAT website - lots of info on there!

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by FutureCompost

I do get good compost out of my heaps but I have never managed to create a hotpile. The reason I am asking is because I am interested in cultivating mushrooms and you need compost from a hotpile to grow them in.

A while back I posted some compost basics - Composting 101

High nitrogen is needed for a hotpile, also the balance of material needs to be toward 'dry fibrous' rather than 'green material'. This is why farmyard manure - straw plus dung - is so effective, however I'm not sure that fungi just don't simply prefer a high nitrogen medium rather than specifically needing a 'hot heap' produced compost.

Adding pelleted chicken manure to your compost should help 'heat it up', however you may find that as long as you can produce a good fibrous compost, adding the chicken manure at the end of the process may be as effective in creating a good mushroom growing medium. Worth experimenting with anyway I would say.

CM

[Cotham Marble]

I forgot to say, that in some circumstances it can be helpful to add lime to a heap. Where the overall chemistry of the compost has become acidic this forms an inhibition to the various microorginanisms that are essental to a 'hot heap', by adding lime the environment changes to a more chemically neutral condition allowing the 'right kind' of bacteria to flourish.

CM

[FutureCompost]

Thanx for all the advice about compost but I would like to hear about recipes for hot compost heaps.
For instance I have my empty 1 metre cube compost bay ready to be filled. So could anyone give me their recipe to fill it.

Eg At the base add a 6 inch layer of this, then add a 6 inch layer of this etc.

Any advice like this would be also greatly appreciated.

[Chrisg]

For me there is no 'recipe' as such, what goes onto the heap depends entirely what's available for composting at the time. Generally though no more than six inches of the same material and nothing too woody. The only regular 'ingredient' I have is a helping of fresh chicken poo every week.

One interesting aside: tomato seeds are not destroyed even in a hot compost heap. Result little tomato plants springing up all obver the flower beds that have been treated with the previous year's compost.

[m1.carson]

Hi,

Few years ago the brother-in-law ran a chicken farm and had permission to spray the local farmers fields with the manure, pheeuw, anyway they asked a chemist to analyse it, the answer came back, "it doesn't do much good, but doesn't do any harm" so we've stayed away from chicken pellets ever since.

Max.

[Dutchess]

I have a few Rabbits which produce a fair bit of waste. Currently it goes down the tip into the green waste section (with all the greenery, cut bushes, etc.) I have heard it said that keen gardeners and allotment keepers may be interested as Rabbit manure is quite rich in nutrients. So, is it worth asking? And would they only like the "dirty" corners, or would they appreciate the whole lot (my Rabbits are bedded on high quality wood shavings.) ?

And is it a myth that too much wood will encourage woodlice? (And are woodlice bad??)

[aeshna5]

Originally Posted by Dutchess

I have a few Rabbits which produce a fair bit of waste. Currently it goes down the tip into the green waste section (with all the greenery, cut bushes, etc.) I have heard it said that keen gardeners and allotment keepers may be interested as Rabbit manure is quite rich in nutrients. So, is it worth asking? And would they only like the "dirty" corners, or would they appreciate the whole lot (my Rabbits are bedded on high quality wood shavings.) ?

And is it a myth that too much wood will encourage woodlice? (And are woodlice bad??)

Damp wood will be a perfect home for woodlice-but they are generally benign creatures (to us!). They are basically detritovres so an important part of recycling dead/decaying matter. Occasionally they may be a minor problem nibbling new seedlings, but I don't think they are that much of a problem in this respect. Enjoy your woodlice- crustaceans that have colonised terresrial habitats!