tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post481151802041531465..comments2024-03-28T20:56:34.131+00:00Comments on Tracing Rainbows: ZWW In The GardenAngelahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13494078135251214182noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-5683170567069178852021-09-08T18:45:57.356+01:002021-09-08T18:45:57.356+01:00Yes, the comments have been extremely helpful. I w...Yes, the comments have been extremely helpful. I would never keep a compost bin if I thought there might be snakes or wolf spiders therein!!Angelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494078135251214182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-21679288783779437612021-09-08T17:07:27.145+01:002021-09-08T17:07:27.145+01:00Great post with great comments! I'm learning ...Great post with great comments! I'm learning a lot. I love to compost because we get rid of so much veggie matter instead of putting it in the bin. I am not a good composter, though! I tend to throw stuff in and leave it for the resident vole to sort through, usually leaving a peanut on top of the dry stuff as his payment. I sometimes find a wolf spider in there as well. I have two compost bins and I have actually made compost in one. Of course I have to turn my compost carefully because of the critters. At our old house, 30 years ago, we had a homemade compost barrel near a small rock pile and when I took off the lid I would find small snakes enjoying the warmth. I'll never be a really good gardener, I just love nature too much!Bushladynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-32508349811172529652021-09-08T08:45:03.878+01:002021-09-08T08:45:03.878+01:00Jane - I really miss the efficiency of the food wa...Jane - I really miss the efficiency of the food waste collection in Dorset (and Leicester before that) I hope Norfolk catches up soon! Angelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494078135251214182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-7759489420223160702021-09-08T08:41:19.379+01:002021-09-08T08:41:19.379+01:00Thank you, but as we have hens we will always be a...Thank you, but as we have hens we will always be a target for rats and I take care to do nothing to encourage them into the area.<br />Also Dorset has a weekly food waste collection for things I don’t compost.Jane from Dorsethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441624532355378274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-60103669170437271452021-09-07T17:12:40.856+01:002021-09-07T17:12:40.856+01:00Thank you - I think I need to think hard about pro...Thank you - I think I need to think hard about proportions of green/brown compost. Angelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494078135251214182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-91479563810128166342021-09-07T17:11:05.837+01:002021-09-07T17:11:05.837+01:00Thank you for the eggshell tip - I like Kezzie ide...Thank you for the eggshell tip - I like Kezzie ideaAngelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494078135251214182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-75950833761854662782021-09-07T15:48:56.337+01:002021-09-07T15:48:56.337+01:00It's good to have an infographic but it's ...It's good to have an infographic but it's wise to check some of the things as you are doing. It's not all good. If you want to put eggshells in make sure you break them up first, or they will take twice as long to break down.<br /><br />We have just about got used to the different things to put in the recycling bins here at our new place too. Every county is different!Sue https://www.blogger.com/profile/04947919568474743963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-49652698714892284472021-09-07T15:25:58.891+01:002021-09-07T15:25:58.891+01:00In my small suburban garden, I stand my plastic co...In my small suburban garden, I stand my plastic compost bin on a surface made up from bits of paving slabs. This prevents the rats (that live under nextdoors decking) from tunnelling up into the bin, & being made up of pieces of slab allows the composting juices to drain away. Special mesh bases are available for some brands of compost bins, but I read about using the slabs which is an easy way to do the same thing.Spade and Daggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03447641240079673493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-50737454636795965412021-09-07T10:50:21.533+01:002021-09-07T10:50:21.533+01:00I’ve never had a problem putting citrus peel in th...I’ve never had a problem putting citrus peel in the compost. Good waste is a definite no unless you are fond of rats.<br />I am lucky enough to have three bins which I turn from one to another until the third bin gives me beautiful rich black compost.Jane from Dorsethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16441624532355378274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-66789006646641933622021-09-07T10:04:42.191+01:002021-09-07T10:04:42.191+01:00I wouldn't include dryer lint either, unless y...I wouldn't include dryer lint either, unless you know that there are no nylon fibres in the load. <br />It all needs to be in proportion, and depends on the amount of grass and shrubs/spent flowers you have. If you don't have that much, then I'd go lightly on too much card etc. We have a large lawn (2hrs+ mowing) and only put cardboard at the base of the bins when we turn them over (it helps to keep the weeds from growing through), although we do use loo rolls at the base of the bucket we keep for transporting the waste down to the compost!<br />Good luck - it's very satisfying when you start to see your own compost improving the soil!veg artistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-10336068468644744292021-09-07T10:04:11.053+01:002021-09-07T10:04:11.053+01:00Thank you S&D this is really informative. I ha...Thank you S&D this is really informative. I had not really considered the problems with ink on the paper. We are fortunate to have a shredder, so I shall make sure that garden waste is ch0pped small. I get your point about clumpy versus crumbly compost!Angelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494078135251214182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-86741460596121669112021-09-07T10:01:39.658+01:002021-09-07T10:01:39.658+01:00Thank you Kezzie- I knew you would have some excel...Thank you Kezzie- I knew you would have some excellent suggestionsAngelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494078135251214182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-10435338119590404822021-09-07T10:00:50.519+01:002021-09-07T10:00:50.519+01:00thank you Blessthank you BlessAngelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494078135251214182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-42350886260344531842021-09-07T10:00:37.431+01:002021-09-07T10:00:37.431+01:00We have LOADS of coffee grounds, good to know they...We have LOADS of coffee grounds, good to know they are a slug, snail, cat deterrent!Angelahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494078135251214182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-36897651324000756112021-09-07T08:49:51.812+01:002021-09-07T08:49:51.812+01:00I keep coffee grounds to spread on the ground to d...I keep coffee grounds to spread on the ground to deter the local cats. I haven't got room for a compost bin at the moment but keep wondering about a wormery. Frugally challengedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10222391810215537820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-48079385257949715022021-09-07T08:30:40.063+01:002021-09-07T08:30:40.063+01:00You are doing great with your ZW gardening!You are doing great with your ZW gardening!Blesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16369267622517848850noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-41566754361670759012021-09-07T08:25:16.395+01:002021-09-07T08:25:16.395+01:00It's generally considered better to put only u...It's generally considered better to put only unprinted paper/cardboard into the compost because some ink contains undesirable chemicals (unless you know it is printed in safe ink). Vacuum cleaner dust is another tricky substance - it has a lot of our skin cells in it, but unless all your carpets are made of natural fibres (wool/cotton etc) it will also be largely full of synthetic fibres that may release undesirable chemicals.<br />A 'Hot Box' type of composter can be used for food scraps from the plate & bones etc, but I have no experience of using one so unfortunately don't know how well they work.<br />I make a lot of compost on my allotment & have found that it is best to shred/break up all the waste as small as possible & layer it with paper or chipped woody plants (it balances out the carbon & nitrogen for composting to happen by the microbes). This avoids creating sludge or lumps instead of crumbly compost. From experience, I know that cobs & stems can lurk for several years in the base of a compost bin :)<br />Hope this of some help. Composting is a great way to reduce waste.Spade and Daggerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03447641240079673493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1341483723976821096.post-19158972702019637822021-09-07T07:55:05.840+01:002021-09-07T07:55:05.840+01:00REpurposing is a huge part of zerowaste. I'm v...REpurposing is a huge part of zerowaste. I'm v excited about your compost adventures. Banana skins make a very useful fertiliser particularly for tomatoes- you leave the skins in water for a few days and that makes a concentrated plant feed, particularly for tomatoes. I also cut up the skins to put round my tomatoes. Coffee grounds make a useful snail/slug deterrant- I throw them round the base of vulnerable plants like I do with baked egg shells. I have a ready meal thick foil oven tin which I put egg shells straight into and then they get baked when I'm using the oven for something else- I then crushed them and stored them in an old M&S snack tub and when it was the growing season, I had a whole winter's worth of eggshells to replenish the protection layer around my plants whilst nourishing the plants at the same time! <br />I throw tealeaves straight onto my raised bed rather than composting them so I'm always adding organic matter to the ground-breaking not sure if I'm supposed to or not but I do!Kezziehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15705356707599121605noreply@blogger.com