The best compost I ever made.

[Ricard with an H]

And I wasn't trying to make compost. I have two dalek type composters that have produced compost but never as good as this and it usually has sticky clumps with the good stuff always right at bottom.

I was short of space to get rid of some garden rubbish so I co-opted one of those fabric one-ton bags that the builders merchants use for sand. Anything and everything went in other than branches, lots of course material that I wouldn't dream of putting in my composters. Clumps of weed with sticky clay, old roots.

Oh-goodness I can't remember what went into that bag so I'm making it up, anyway, I filled it then laid a very heavy pallet over the top to stop the wind blowing everything across Pembrokeshire.

I can't even remember when I filled it but it must have been two years ago to have rotted down so nicely, it was lovely crumbley stuff though I did need to sieve it. No sticky stuff.

So what happened ? was it because air could get to the material through the fabric bag ? How come the whole of the bag contents rotted down so nicely and evenly when I never managed to do this before. ?

[dan3008]

sounds like you managed to get good air flow, and just the right amount of drainage, not too wet, not too dry. I'm supprised it rotted so well without worms though

[Pa Snip]

Richard,
You've virtually answered your own question
Many tote bags, although being close knit, often allow air through on all sides and base and also a certain amount of rain.
Then just to finish the job off nicely they get warm from the sun as they are usually a nylon type material, hence if you have a good mixture of green & brown to break down it will do so without the soggy wet patches.

Dan,
Worms just cant get in most tote bags, except if they can somehow get to the top and then go in. They would have to be introduced I feel.

And I don't mean in the "Miss Bookworm can I introduce you to Master Inchworm" sense

[Ricard with an H]

Thanks both, you probably don't realise how excited I am to get something right when I wasn't even trying, worms were in though probably got in by being in the root-clumps that had soil attached.

Im beginning to wonder about those Daleks now, a neighbour has a good compost pile but doesn't use it. Its just a place to get rid of garden waste. Its a pile and the bottom layers are gold.

I hope I'm allowed to say Knackered, because I'm knackered from being excited and doing four hours of riddling and stroking that lovely composted waste.

Times like this when people stare at me Dan, and avoid me, some might think I need diagnosing for something.

[dan3008]

Dan,
Worms just cant get in most tote bags, except if they can somehow get to the top and then go in. They would have to be introduced I feel.

And I don't mean in the "Miss Bookworm can I introduce you to Master Inchworm" sense

Haha, I cant help but think that introduction needs to be in a book somewhere, Alice in wonderland type.
But yes, I know the worms cant get in. That's why I'm surprised it rotted so well. I never get as good results if I exclude worms...

Times like this when people stare at me Dan, and avoid me, some might think I need diagnosing for something.

I'm the same. Nothing wrong with enjoying good compost maybe all gardeners need diagnosing for something lol

[Pa Snip]

Dan,

And I don't mean in the "Miss Bookworm can I introduce you to Master Inchworm" sense

Haha, I cant help but think that introduction needs to be in a book somewhere, Alice in wonderland type.

You have just responded to another of the Mad Hatters posts

[Johnboy]

Hi Richard,
Did you find any worms in the super compost you have made?
JB.

[Pa Snip]

Thanks both, you probably don't realise how excited I am to get something right when I wasn't even trying, worms were in though probably got in by being in the root-clumps that had soil attached.
.

Sounds like a distinct possibility as to how they got there. Were there lots of them, sounds like they might have liked the conditions

[Ricard with an H]

Hi Richard,
Did you find any worms in the super compost you have made?
JB.

Seems Pa is the only one who read my post and remembered me saying worms were present. Yes, there were worms.

I'm beginning to remember what went into the bag and the bizarre thing is it was filled last back-end, last year I had a massive plantation of borage and lots of left over comfrey I couldn't use. It all went into the tote bag with other dead plants that had roots. The dead borage plants were particularly big, some were 5/6 foot tall with trunks thicker than one inch in some cases.

So, a mass of comfrey and borage would explain why it rotted down so quickly though it did take a mass of dead sweet pea and bean remains together with chopped up overgrown kale plants.

I wish you could see it now it's been through a rotosieve, black gold and it's all gone back into the comfrey patch that also has five rhubarb plants that right now are giving me daily fruit. Rhubarb over granola topped with yoghurt.

Does rhubarb make you poop ?

[Pa Snip]

Does rhubarb make you poop ?

Allegedly

[Ricard with an H]

Hmmmmm ?

Regarding composting and organic nutrients generally my first three seasons have been fortunate in-that when I created these raised beds I had lots of cow muck and straw that had been composted by being left in piles and generally left laying around, but it's been hard work barrowing and digging in, even the comfrey tea needs carrying in watering cans.

This year my walking and lifting are very poor, it looks like i'll need hip resurfacing revisions so to kill two birds with one stone I bought 25 kilos of 7.7.7. nutrient and 25 kilos of 12.5.3

My dog eats anything that smells like poo, then we get the unplanned evacuations. So this year no more 6X on the grasses and beds, she even licks the soil around the garlic plants when I had poured comfrey tea around them.

Presumably you'll all be looking down your noses at my use of chemicals but I have done a lot of work on the soil so hopefully it'll still be nice for a year or two. The great thing about yesterdays work riddling that super compost was that I didn't have to move it far.

[Geoff]

Builders' bags are great - I've been using them for leaf mould for quite a few years.

[Westi]

Hi Richard

Can you post a pic? You know about my compost envy! No seriously would love to see your results. As descriptive as you are there is nothing like a good pic!

Westi

[Ricard with an H]

Oh-yes Westi, I'll post a photo. I'm so proud of my achievement I was hoping someone would ask.

I was going to but thought it just looks like soil though I still have some unfiltered compost in the bag, it was so-so cold yesterday that even Beti got a reduced Bally throwing session and she like most dogs is mad for ball playing.

The two dalek style composters are used to compost waste food, I saw a wormer and thought that it's just a composter with a drain for the juices. Worms doing what worms do. My composters have always attracted rats, my wood piles attract rats. It's a year round routine keeping the rat population down and the farmer stores straw/hay in those barns so lots of rats.

The problem for me with the dalek is I have to tip it over, mix the part-composted material then shovel it all back, far too much work for me this year so if I don't have enough compost I'll use fertiliser though the comfrey and borage I have growing should give me an annual harvest of super-compost.

[Pa Snip]

Oh-yes Westi, I'll post a photo. I'm so proud of my achievement I was hoping someone would ask.

The problem for me with the dalek is I have to tip it over, mix the part-composted material then shovel it all back, far too much work for me this year so if I don't have enough compost I'll use fertiliser though the comfrey and borage I have growing should give me an annual harvest of super-compost.

Never wait to be asked Richard. Pictures give us so much information.

Don't want to dampen your spirits but don't bank on making 'super compost' again next year, so many variables with content and temperature variations.
We've had compost bins in the garden for over 30 years and up on the plot we have 4 x 1cu mt home made bins plus some dalek style ones that got moved from the garden as we found they just don't work as well.

Each year the results have been different, The heap in the most sheltered part of the garden is the most successful. Micro climate just there.
All pretty even up the plot as they are in a straight line across plot.

look forward to picture(s)