Composting

2024:10:04 Yesterday, I turned and reorganised the compost area for the first time since I started re-doing the greenhouse. I managed to harvest 8 bags of compost (sifted), prepare a whole ton of potting and growing on soil for next season and prepare all the bins for the new materials through the winter and spring.

2024:05:27: The compost area got so congested that I decided to empty all the bins and boxes and in the process created a pile of approx 2 cubic meters of compost. It looks lovely, is very rich and healthy with lots of life. The larger materials (mainly twigs) not yet composted was sifted out. A lot of the compost went out to the beds as a top dressing.

2024-03-10: Managed to get all the material from cutting and shaping three large trees into the composting area. Is it now literally full to the brim.

2024-01-07: Turned the compost in the large crate today. Harvested approx 4 to 5 tubs of rich and healthy compost. Should be able to get another 5 -8 tubs later in the spring.

2023-07-02: I finally got it right. after many attempts to take the shredder apart, even trying replace it, I managed to repair it in such a way that the cutting is really great. It is all in the setting of the blades

2022-10-03: Creating a temporary bag stand on the drive with a wooden structure and 1 ton compost bags to cater for the excess garden material that is not fitting into the composting area.

2018-05-10: The shredder is invaluable but it is giving me a hard time. just not cutting properly.

2017-08-10: Increase the organisation of compost by setting one of the wooded boxes aside for sieved compost, ready for use in pots; building a another holding bay with pallets; and setting the composting containers on top of the large black bins. Kitchen scraps goes into a separate bin that is not accessible for rats and mice. This organistion increased the holding capacity of the compost heap and also increase the speed of breakdown of the compost.

2015-07-03: The compost is turned roughly twice a year and the qaulity of the compost is increasing. On average get about a ton (1 square meter) of compost every year.

2013-03-07: Built a trellis to screen off the compost heaps and grow some sweetpeas on the trellis.

2007-04-15: The previous owner built two wooden composting boxes. I added my plastic composting bins to the mix and continued with my focus on composting all the garden material.

2002-05-11: My compost management system is starting to work and to get a rhythm. I use the wooden boxes at the greenhouse now to put the almost ready compost, and then use the most left box to put the sieve over, and just sieve the compost there, instead of trying to sieve it on the ground. It works great. I also filled all the containers, which include the three plastics, and the one box with compost that is alost there and need about another six months. It will hopefully accelerate the process. On the other hand, I already built a huge pile, with mixed compost and compost maker from the remaining leaves, and all the cuttings from the winter and early spring season. This pile is covered with large bags to keep the moisture in and increase the temperature. The amount of compost that I recover and work back into the garden is amazing. For the past 4 years I have on average made 3-6m2 of compost, and have never really had any compost left over from the previous season, I am always short. I use it as a mulch in some cases, used lots of it to build new beds, and then use it for planting.

2001-02-17: We also completed the compost heap from all the leaves and debris of the winter. It is quite a large heap, probably 4-6 Sq meters.

Dsc00065 (2).jpg: 2001-02-18 Compost heap

2001-01-06: Today Johan Diederiks and myself process all the prunings with the shredder and built about 6 cubic meters of compost with the leaves,  shreddings and horse manure.

1999-05-02: Yesterday I opened all the bags of the leaves from the winter, and put them all on one big heap, trying to mix it so that it will decompose faster. I also now have 3 wooden bins, 1 plastic bin, and one large wire container for compost. I estimate it that it must be close to 8 square meters of compost.

1999-02-07: The rose beds got their first thick layer of mulch today, just 4 days before we had the first snow of the winter. The mulch looks quite good and I am looking forward to finish the job.

1999-02-02: I bought a new shredder today, after destroying the old one (a bit with intention). It is a lovely machine which will make the cutting of branches a much easier task.

IMG_0153.jpg: 2020-11-14 Composting

Dsc00064 (2).jpg: 2001-02-18 compost heap