Garden compost

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by Monkey Orchid

The only thing that no-one here has mentioned so far is natural compost activators... I wondered what experience people have had with these? I've heard the following things recommended as additions to compost heaps, to help with the composting process:

comfrey leaves
nettle leaves
seaweed / seaweed solution
6X / bird droppings
human urine
Anyone had any experience of any of these?

Activators, natural or otherwise are likely to have a limited impact, although the effects are going to be dependent upon the type of system and the type material going into the system. The only really obvious useful effect would come from adding a nitrogen source to a well aerated system that does not have a high worm population. In that case the additional nitrogen will encourgae aerobic bacteria to continue energetically digesting material when otherwise the available nitrogen would be depleted. Adding garden lime to a compost system where the ph balance has moved toward the acidic can also revamp the aerobic bacteria which tend to shut down in more acidic environments. Beyond that I'm doubtful of there being any benefits to using activators and those that are commercially available are probably only worth an investment where very large volumes of material are being dealt with such as municpal parks etc.

For most domestic uses, adding more green material such comfry and nettles, or using a wet activators may well cause problems rather than improving the finished compost, but these sorts of activators will work for some people in some circumstances.

CM

[Monkey Orchid]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Do be aware that too much of anything can cause neighbour probs.

True of most things in life, not just compost!

[PeterT18]

Thanks for all the helpful comments, will get the compost dug in this week. Neighbours are on side at the moment so will try and keep it that way!
Have taken all your comments on board and will keep you updated with how the next batch of compost turns out.

[PeterT18]

I have now dug some of the "decanted" compost that I had placed in the sealed dustbin in to a bed in the front garden. Unfortunately, although it didn't seem to smell when it was in the dustbin there is now quite a pong coming from the bed. It is sunny and dry today so any thoughts on whether watering the bed will help or hinder?

The dustbin is still about 2/3 full of compost and I am now reluctant to dig any more of it in. Am I OK to gradually transfer it back in to my original compost bin that is now only about 1/3 full in the hope that it will finish the composting process?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated, as I am now dreading a knock on the door from the odour equivalent of the noise abatement society!

[snowdrop]

I have tried comfrey and I recommend it, My method was to dig a trench lay a thick mat of comfrey leaves on the base, sprinkle with human urine (as an activator), cover with a good amount of soil and water well.

I have also been known to occasionally empty the goesunder on the lawn which produces lush dark green growth. We are all adults here so I can say that I have no problem with smell as I drink a lot af water, which in turn is passed as pale ''maidens water''. (LoL wry smile, don't know about the maidens part though.)

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by PeterT18

I have now dug some of the "decanted" compost that I had placed in the sealed dustbin in to a bed in the front garden. Unfortunately, although it didn't seem to smell when it was in the dustbin there is now quite a pong coming from the bed. It is sunny and dry today so any thoughts on whether watering the bed will help or hinder?

The dustbin is still about 2/3 full of compost and I am now reluctant to dig any more of it in. Am I OK to gradually transfer it back in to my original compost bin that is now only about 1/3 full in the hope that it will finish the composting process?

Any comments would be greatly appreciated, as I am now dreading a knock on the door from the odour equivalent of the noise abatement society!

If the smell is a problem, you could try deep trenching, rather than digging in. I doubt that watering will help where you have already distributed compost. These things are all relative of course, I grew up digging in all kinds of animal manure (pig was the only one I found to be really repulsive) and every gardener/neighbour expected to have the inconvenience of bad odour for a day or so - times of course have changed.

I think I would suggest transeferring back the material from the dustbin and take the opportunity to sprinkle in a handful of garden lime and a handful of topsoil for every 10cm or so of material you transfer back. Given we are now entering a cooler part of the year I would allow six months for processing to be completed.

CM

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by snowdrop

I have tried comfrey and I recommend it, My method was to dig a trench lay a thick mat of comfrey leaves on the base, sprinkle with human urine (as an activator), cover with a good amount of soil and water well.

I have also been known to occasionally empty the goesunder on the lawn which produces lush dark green growth. We are all adults here so I can say that I have no problem with smell as I drink a lot af water, which in turn is passed as pale ''maidens water''. (LoL wry smile, don't know about the maidens part though.)

Apologies for being 'picky' but it is unlikely that urine will have any significant activator effect on the comfrey in a trench cut into a well dug top soil. The primary decay agencies will be the soil bacteria which in a top soil are unlikey to need any additional 'activation'. The urine will of course add nitrogen which will in itself act to increase fertility, which is of benefit if plant growth (notably the green parts) is seen as desirable.

The idea of desirability of high soil Nitrogen comes from the needs of food production, but it may not be relevant to all garden forms, such as mini wildflower meadows, Mediteranean 'drought' gardens, Alpine beds etc. Certainly adding Nitrogen will produce lush growth on a lawn, but this will require more frequent cutting and produce more material for disposal. Climate change, meeting the needs of wildlife, reducing waste from gardens, and reducing energy demands of managing gardens mean that we have to be sophisticated about how we manage soil and the received wisdom of 19th and 20th Century gardening may not always be relevant.

CM