Oct 6, 2011 7:41:27 GMT
Marianne Marlow
Administrator
George, Daisy, Iris, Billy, Peter, Chipper, Dinku, Barney, Ayla and Rocky
Posts: 28,842
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Post by Marianne Marlow on Nov 20, 2017 11:10:34 GMT
You're a fountain of knowledge OP
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Post by OP on Nov 20, 2017 11:25:23 GMT
Still adding to the fountain as well. I've had a few years to gather a lot of useless knowledge as well as some of the good stuff. I only wish I could remember what I did yesterday.
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Post by Shirls on Nov 20, 2017 16:24:48 GMT
I've been composting for quite a while OP and when I started off with a wormery, it listed all the things you could put in it, just amazing!!! Vacuum dust and egg shells etc., etc., and of course now I have a huge compost section in my garden it gets virtually everything possible. I have had to cut down on the domestic food waste (veg peelings etc., I don't eat meat so that wouldn't go on there anyway) as I had a rat as a frequent visitor. I haven't been able to catch the little b******r but he seems to have gone after all my remedial actions to deter him.
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Post by OP on Nov 20, 2017 19:28:26 GMT
I had no idea you were an old hand at composting (old as in done for a while, no reference to your age) I'm a total newbie in that sense. I have almost completed my first year. the Compost is almost ready. I bought one of those compost bins, a bit like a black bin without a bottom in it. I filled it with everything just as you suggested. I put the grass clippings in, the hedge clippings. All my shredded paper (not the glossy stuff). I got to wondering what I was going to use it all on, then as the year has gone on the pile has got smaller and smaller. I will finish up with a nice amount that I can spread over the lawn and be able to water it in. Soon after I started this compost thing off I got to thinking what can I waste some more money on. I bought a robotic lawnmower. Now I have very little in the way of grass clippings, doh! I still have plenty to start again next spring though.
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Post by samwiseg on Nov 21, 2017 10:33:39 GMT
Perhaps you should rename yourself to Oracle rather than OP Lovely pictures of your girlies as always Shirls and am so thrilled Dusty is getting back to top health
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Post by Shirls on Nov 21, 2017 11:16:12 GMT
Be careful with the grass clippings in the compost OP, depends how many clippings you have of course, but they do tend to go slimey. You probably know it's best to layer, brown, then green, then brown etc., and if you can in your bin, turn it over - you probably know all this already!!!
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Post by OP on Nov 21, 2017 11:39:46 GMT
Thank you, but I have read all the above advice. It is quite easy to turn the pile in the bin. I use a large garden fork I don't have many grass clippings now, The new fangle robotic lawnmower just clips the tips of the grass off and it the falls as mulch for the lawn. The only clippings I have for the bin are what the strimmer cuts, that is then cut up when I use the vacuum on it. The same goes for the hedge clippings. They are shredded when I vacuum them up. When ever I put some green in I give the whole thing a good mix up to spread the clippings around. The brown layer is for shredded paper toilet roll tubes, kitchen towel tubes. So far it has all gone well and smells lovely and earthy when I take the lid off.
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Post by Shirls on Nov 21, 2017 12:20:28 GMT
Sounds brilliant OP. I love that earthy smell. My compost doesn't even smell nasty with all the chicken poo in it!!
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Post by skysmum on Nov 21, 2017 16:52:33 GMT
My my what beautiful Bustles those lady's are sporting Shirls, they are such lovely girls
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Post by Hezz on Nov 21, 2017 20:02:20 GMT
Earthy is good. With the shredder, are you able to put the budgies' paper and droppings through? I have always wished I could do this. All that beautiful pooooooo going to waste, lol.
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Post by OP on Nov 21, 2017 20:23:34 GMT
The only shredder I have is the garden vacuum. I haven't tried sucking the cage bottom paper up. I might give it a try though. I would be wary of any seeds that may be in there though. Food for thought that is Hezz.
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Post by Hezz on Nov 21, 2017 21:14:50 GMT
Grow your own sprouts???
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