Making Compost Heaps and Leaf Mould

 

 

We are all advised now to re-cycle and most of us have a “brown bin” for kitchen/green waste collection. By making a Compost heap we can use this very same material , along with other bulky green waste items that tend to fill the in rather quickly like grass cuttings, contents of summer hanging baskets/pot, as well items from your “green” re-cycling bin like newspapers /cardboard. Brown & Green bin collections have historically been free, but times are changing so starting a compost heap could save you money twice – less on bin collection and great free compost for your garden.

 

The Bin:

Buy or make? Whatever you decide there is one for you. Some council provide either free or subsidised versions, so check your local council before you buy. You can buy easy to slot together ones or even tubs on a frame with a lid that you can tumble (mixing heaps will speed things up, and great if you’re stuck for space.) I decided to build a large one with old pallets, but any old wood could be used to construct a square to keep things tidy. At the end of the day that is the main purpose of the structure – keeping everything together and tidy. It would work just piling all your compostable material in a big heap, but it would also take longer.

The Contents:

For best results, and to speed things up, it’s best to have a mix of about 50% nitrogen rich and 50% carbon rich materials in the heap. As mentioned earlier you can speed things up by both mixing the materials as you put them in the compost heap, so you don’t get a whole load of grass cuttings put in together (will just go into slime!) or by turning your heap so that everything is mixed up – putting what was on top on the bottom and what was on the inside now on the outside. A bit of work but will seriously speed up the process. An added benefit will also be if you find the heap a bit dry you can add water, if wet add some dry material.

Nitrogen Rich List!

·       Urine

·       Comfrey leaves

·       Nettles

·       Grass cuttings

·       Poultry / Farm Yard manure

·       Tea leaves/bags & coffee grounds

·       Soft green pruning’s

·       Vegetable peelings (uncooked!)

Carbon Rich List!

·       Cardboard/egg boxes/cereal boxes/ cardboard tubes

·       Paper/newspapers – not glossy magazines

·       Woody clippings/wood shavings/sawdust

·       Contents of H/Baskets, pots etc.

·       Hay/Straw – hay can cause grass when used as seeds don’t die  even in hot heaps

 

Items to use sparingly List:

·       Wood ash

·       Crushed egg shells

·       Wool/cotton etc. only if 100%

Don’t Use List

·       Meat / Fish

·       Cooked foods

·       Coal ash

·       Cat or Dog litter

·       Disposable nappies!

Location:

Best location is near where you intend using it! It’s heavy to transport. Sunny or semi shaded position, that’s away from wells/streams. Best on soil rather than cement/paving ( before anyone asks or comments I put mine on cement for easy of location , but will stain it and no access to natures helpers , worms etc. . but you can add those that will help speed things up. A cover will stop things getting too wet and will help heat retention.

Your compost is ready when the material has turned dark brown and has an earthy /soil smell rather than a compost heap odour. Can take from two to three months and up to a year to depending on how often you turned it – or if you turned it! Any un composted woody bits can be picked out and put back in for next time .Ideally you would need a number of heaps on the go at the same time, one to fill, one to use and one maturing given the time required to compost everything right but we don’t all have that space , so we’ll have to make do …

Leaf Mould -

This is like a compost heap, but just for leaves. Usually constructed by wrapping a portion of chicken wire around four wooden stakes. Leaves are then collected and placed in the heap around this time of year. If not turned, will take a year to break down/compost but you’ll have the most wonderful compost/leaf mould that will be fine enough for seedlings! A small amount of grass cuttings can be added, but generally I don’t personally do this.

Hope you all try to start one, and until the next time – Happy Gardening

 

Gardening Jobs for November

This is by no means the only jobs that need to be done at this time of year but will give a little help in planning what to do. Remember winter weather will play a big part in deciding what we get done! But done panic, these are only guidelines; we can adjust our times to suit the weather. If weather is wet, stay off the garden because you are likely to compact the soil, better stick to other gardening tasks in that case.

Digging &Preparing the ground work for next year - 

Now is a good time to dig over any garden area that you intend using over the coming year if you haven’t already done so. It’s not the easiest job in the world so if you’re new to it, do small bits - a little at a time. By digging over your plot and digging in any compost or manure you might have will, not only add to the amount of nourishment of the soil but, give our frosty weather the chance to kill off any weeds and bugs that might otherwise give us grief next year. If your soil is a heavy clay type, any compost/manure you add will also have the benefit of improving drainage - not too many plants like to have their roots sitting permanently in water.

 

Broad Beans

Broad beans are easy to grown , in a sunny well composted( with the addition of potash) part of your garden . Tradionally grown up supporting canes and produce attractive flowers prior to fruiting for those that fancy incorporating them into your flowerbeds , the broad bean produce a white/lilac flower. Broad beans can be planted out , no later than the middle of November to get a head start for an early crop, these should be ready by June. You will have higher losses than those sown later outdoors in March, especially if we have a very wet winter. Sow your beans 9” apart and 3” deep. Again you will need to support the plant as it grows so it’s a choice again of you wig-wham crossed supports or circular. Once again I’m opting for pot growing but it’s just personal choice and of course it hasn’t been influenced by the fact I have a glasshouse at my disposal! When the broad beans are in full flower pinch out the tops, it has a number of benefits – producing an earlier bigger crop and reduces the risk of black fly attack (they like the softer young growth at the top).

Bean varieties  will benefit from being planted beside either beetroot or any of the onion family. Maize (corn) benefit from the nitrogen released by the roots of the broad beans. Rosemary also is a good companion plant for the bean family as it repels a lot of bean parasites, like bean beetle.

 

Garlic

Garlic is an easy plant to start off growing, and as it’s nice and mild at the moment it won’t too hard to get out into the garden. Nearly everybody uses garlic now in everyday cooking and there is nothing better than being able to use your own - it always tastes better.

Garlic bulbs are easily available and all you have to do is break them up into the individual cloves. Peel off the outer skin carefully; it makes sure your cloves are free from any fungus that might cause problems later. Plant cloves root down , approx. 2" deep and about 6 " apart in an area that gets sun or only light shade . They like free draining soil so if your soil is heavy or clay consider using sand/grit under the plants to improve drainage. Another solution is to use a raised be to improve drainage from the soil. Garlic likes cold weather so don’t mind if the weather turns cold after planting

 

 

Other tasks for November:

·       Hardwood cuttings

·       Pruning fruit trees & bushes

·       Last lawn cutting – not too low.

·       Plant Wallflowers to insure spring colour

·       Bulbs – not too late for these to produce spring colour either

·       Building compost heaps & collecting /clearing fallen leaves.

Winter Baskets and other planted containers

 

Even though we won’t get the glorious show of our summer hanging-baskets, planters and window-boxes, we can still enjoy some colour throughout these cold winter months by planting up our containers with colourful shrubs, viola, pansies and polyanthus.

 

The choice of shrubs can be a major factor in making the container “work”. The use of bright coloured Conifers, Phormiums,Cordyline and Hebe as centre pieces set the tone & structure for whatever type of container you are filling, be it hanging-basket , window-box or planter/pot .  The size of the centre plant will be determined by the size of your container and whether or not you intend to more than one shrub or just fill the remaining space with bedding plants.

As your planters/baskets will potentially have to last longer than summer versions don’t forget to put in a slow release fertiliser (at least 5-6 month but versions up to 12-14 month are available). Use the longer version if using shrubs that you don’t intend repotting nest summer after your winter bedding has finished. Don’t overlook the use of bulbs in your containers, small varieties in baskets if used and larger daffodils/tulips in your bigger pots.

List of suitable centre plants

·       Conifers - lime coloured “Gold crest” works particularly well

·       Cordyline - red/pink most striking , but not as hardy

·       Phormium - red/variegated versions show best

·       Hebe -  red , green and variegated with most forms flowering

·       Skimmia – dark foliage with small maroon or light green berry that turn into flower in spring

List of additional filler plants

·       Ivy’s

·       Skimmia – dark foliage with small maroon berry that turn into flower in spring works best

·       Hebe – various types from red green and variegated with most forms flowering.

·       Aucuba – a spotted version of the laurel

·       Euonymus - 'Emerald 'n' Gold' with bright-golden variegated foliage

·       Carex  - grasses that add colour & dimention to any basket / planter

·       Photinia – Red Robin , all new foliage appears red before turning green

 

 

 

List of flowering plants for winter use

·       Viola

·       Pansy

·       Cyclamen

·       Polyanthus/Primrose

·       Bulbs – chose small varieties for baskets like snowdrop/ anemones/ Muscari

 

 

 

Best of luck with all your choices and until next time – Happy Gardening!