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hey Glyn I’m also a newcomer and started making compost in spring so have made aLL the mistakes!
1st off was the stuff I put in was way too large so big air pockets and didn’t get hot. I promise you it is well worth chopping things up before they go in rather than doing it when really soggy and have rotted. on the up side once chopped it heated up really well and we had hedge clippings and all sorts in there.
I also got cafe leavings but they tend to be v heavy on egg shells and citrus I popped it all in cos Charlles said its OK but watch out for sticky labels. also cabbage hearts etc left v big. When interspersed with coffee grounds have all done ok. As for brown stuff I lined my pallets with cardboard to insulate and put a cardboard lid on between loads. As the lid got too wet to lift easily I left it as brown matter. General consensus here seems to be leave woodchip out unless they are already pretty well rotted (1-2 years) I plan to use wood chip for paths in early years as like you have ready supply. Also think it may be a good idea to woodchip under hedges as lots of weeds around edge. Seeems to be a concern re woodlice and slugs but will let you know!
on leaves I got really confused with leave mulch/ mould and compost to begin with and there is a brilliant TED talk on composting leaves so look that up. From what I understand then leaves are great as brown matter but only if you shred them 1st (I mow mine) need to get them wet too.
If any of this is wrong I’ll happily be corrected but I’d like to help others avoid my errors.
Oh also found friends rabbit/ guinea pig pet straw and poo was great added. Be a bit careful in case there is a lot of wasted pet food in there though as I imagine it will encourage rats.
see posts on horse manure also i got a big fright but have since collected a huge amount which is sitting rotting happily on its own. Once I’ve checked its AP free I’ll start adding to compost.
one last word of encouragement I got so bamboozled early on but Charles’s advice to look at nature really helped. This stuff all rots down on its own so its hard to do it wrong all we’re trying to do is speed up the process.
I found turning after a month really worked too all that effort we save not digging the ground can be put to good use!
enjoy yourself there is something really wonderful about making new earth!Just out of interest what happens if they get frosted? I left some squash out as no frost was forecast but woke up to ice on windscreen in the morning. Brought in the squash today and they look fine but does it affect taste or storage potential or maybe they’ll be ok?
ok I did not realize that! I will leave it and keep my fingers crossed. 2nd lot I collected is in big heap and v hot so I think as long as i leave it till next year should be good?!
I also have no greenhouse so am trying to do my best with 1m x1.5m cold frame and a cheap plastic cloche thing from the supermarket.
At the start of the year I used the cloche to protect early plants but it was really useless and kept blowing off.
Cold frame worked much better.
I’m following Charles advice and growing lettuce in the cold frame right now to get some leaves over winter. Bit experimental as it probably isn’t as warm as a greenhouse. Also have some tomato side shoots in there which apparently can overwinter and will be ready early for next year. Thyme in there too as i think it will last through winter if kept dry.
Like you I only started this year with the garden as we moved house so please take all the above with a warning that it is only what I picked up from Charles books and website. None of this is experience based!
Regarding the broccoli that was the 1st plant i tried and worked well with no cold protection at all. I didn’t cover with insect mesh though so by summer the whole plant was covered with small black flies and eaten alive with cabbage white. Next year I’ll definitely be investing in so nets/ mesh/fleece!Thanks Kevin
I went back to the stables and got another load which I’ve put into a pile as you suggested. This stuff seems more rotted (it came from nearer the middle of their massive heap) so will turn it as you advised and hopefully it will be good for next year.
I also did test as Charles suggested and Broad bean seedling is coming through on the 1st lot so hopefully this means its AP free, good news all round!
Thanks for all the help this site is amazing for good advice and kind participants.Thanks Charles will do. I sowed green manure over it because I thought I’d have to leave it a while. I’ve been composting like mad with lots of other stuff from coffee shops etc so I will be really set for next year. I thought maybe spread 2 inches of my compost on top then thats where my courgettes will go! Got your diary and feeling frustrated that there’s not more I can do this month as Ive no green house (in the plan for next year). I really have to work on this gardening patience!
kevin thank you so much that is really helpful! I meant to reply earlier but had issues logging in so couldn’t contribute. I can get loads of this stuff from local stables so really wanted to upcycle it and cant wait to try your method.