Hi, I'm new!!
We're attempting again this year to grow various plants (mostly fruit & veg) from seed, with varying success so far
We're already doing our best to provide light & warmth and follow the instructions on the relevant packets
But can we do more re perhaps improvements to the compost?
And should we be using compost only (as is so at the moment), or a compost / soil mix?
Thank You!
:)
Compost and manure are the best but it will take anywhere from 6-12 to get compost, depending on what you put into it, turn and water. Don't need anything fancy for a bin wire mesh will be fine. When you turn it just pull up the fence and heave the compost and you will have plenty of red wigglers. House scrap is the best and if you grind it up before putting in the pile the worms will thank you, including coffe grinds.
Thanks Bullthistle
I think in the British usage "compost" = USAn "potting soil"
USAn "compost" = British "leaf mould" "well-rotted manure" (and other decomposed organic matter)
In which case, since you seem to be talking about starting and growing plants in pots, stick to "compost" (British usage) and don't add any soil from the garden.
I start all my vegetable plants indoors from seed about 6 weeks in advance of planting them in my garden. I keep the plants under grow lights for 16 hours each day. I use peat pellets to start my seeds and then transplant the small plants into larger pots using potting soil when they are about two weeks old. As for my garden soil, I mix dehydrated cow manure, slow release all purpose vegetable fertilizer and compost into the bed in the fall of the year along with some chopped up leaves. Come spring, I just mix in a bit more slow release granular fertilizer about two weeks before planting time. I have a compost tumbler and must say that they work quite well. As my plants begin to produce vegetables, I place some compost around each plant and renew it about every two weeks. This seems to work very well for me as I always have a nice crop most years depending on weather of course. I also make sure my plants get a inch and a half of water each week.
Rich from PA Zone 5-6
Thanks Guys, luv the idea of the compost tumbler
and am going to look into peat pellets also
I'm in Berkshire, England by the way (not far from London); its late winter / early spring here
Compost tumblers don't work hardly at all and don't last hardly at all... I've never seen one made sturdy enough to support more than fifty pounds, which in the realm of damp organic matter is a mere handful... a nice gimmick for those into contraptions. To properly compost organic matter *MUST* be in contact with the ground so the creepy crawlies can do their thing. Suspended in space the best you can hope for is odiferous fermentation, by adding so-called accelerators the fermentation is speeded up and so you make sludge (think sewage treatment plant). Adding worms simply cooks the worms... worms *must* be able to return to the earth at will or they'll cook; woimacide!
That's certainly not been my experience Sheldon. I've got 2 that I've had for years.
I've never seen one made sturdy enough to support more than
Again that's not been my experience. The act of tumbling adds oxgen and that stops the sort of malodour as well as any fermentation you're talking about.
Adding worms simply cooks the
I agree - don't add worms. Just tumble twice a day or at least once a day.
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