Compost is obviously crucial for a successful garden, but it can be one of the things that are holding us gardeners back from getting the most out of our space as once we run out, we either may have to wait a while or we buy in compost. I want to be self-sufficient in compost by 2024 (I explain exactly what I mean by this in the video) and so I share some tips, ideas, and thoughts that I have had around how I am going to make this happen. I also share how to calculate what your target compost quantities will be for your garden.
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Can’t wait to see how you do the chicken compost! It was one of my favourite parts in your new book but I’d love to see it actually being done 🙂 Thank u Huw!
Hi Huw, great informative vid. Have you tried the Berkeley method, will it work in our climate and over autumn and winter? If you or your viewers know I’d be interested. My local supermarket has a recycling area and it’s always overflowing with cardboard, I asked if I could help myself and they said yes and the grass is regrowing so might give that a try.
Of all your videos, I think I get most excited about the ones on creative composting.
great presentation, inspiring. Edible Acres is in my area, informative videos, too.
I recently purchased a heavy duty chipper/shredder with a chute on it that blows the shredded plants, leaves, etc., directly into the compost bin. Has really improved the speed of making some great compost.
A great summer cover crop is Buckwheat. If you have an open bed that won't be needed for a few weeks, sow Buckwheat on it. It will grow very fast, and when it starts blooming cut it off at the soil level and leave it on the ground for mulch. It really enriches the soil.
Great video I have plastic bin compost but am also doing path compost which has been going well . I suppose clover will be a good source for compost as I have quite a lot of this growing. I even collected leaves from when I am out walking but have been carefully doing this.
I do a very small scale chicken compost system using 3 laying hens in a 7x10ft run literally anything compostable goes in there run for them to scratch about in I clean the run out every 3-4month we’re i put in to compost bin holding stores for 3month it brakes down super fast I’ve got 2 full bins ready now an one half done I’m due a clean out the end of the month the bins are ready to empty on my beds perfectly timed with autumn here an loads of bulk material going to be available. I think chicken compost systems are over looked they definitely seem a asset keeping chickens with a veg garden
Never mentioned hedges my green bin produces some of the best black sludge you can get !
I’m a freely new gardener and I heard on one of the channel that composting is not a fertilizer so I’m wondering is that true? If it does not served as a fertilizer then do I need put a fertilizer if my garden is lacking?
There's one resource that we produce a whole lot of throughout the year and literally just flush down the toilet. Makes great compost if treated the right way! I'd love to see you do a video about that! Maybe have a chat with Joe Jenkins?
Informative vid AND comments. Three day old comfrey tea for plants. Black strap molasses is a wonderful addition to milk as a spray for garden or pasture. Added in equal amounts to weighed fish scrapes/waste(no smell/flies and ready in 3 weeks); can use raw brown sugar (Jaggery), and diluted with a minimum of water. I prefer a combo of fish, kelp, seaweed, and molasses to sweeten the deal.
Brilliant. This has been extremely helpful Huw. It's given me a few great ideas for our small garden composting. Thank you! And now, I have motivation to get caught up on the (embarrassing) pile of paperwork needing shredding.
Huw is the bracken similar to ferns is lower east US??
I'm so lazy, I just leave a plastic compost bin in one of my veg beds, fill it up and when full lift up bin and move to another bed, it will all rot down eventually! Does this make perfect compost? No, but it's very easy! Most of my organic waste comes from prunings and weeds out of my ornamental garden beds.
I've been walkway composting this summer. I throw every stray weed I pull there. They're adding up quickly.
In my case i'm composting everything i can find, leaves in a pile, my owm Home residues in bokashi bins, and coffee grinds from a local coffee shop, i have like 10 buckets, it is a challenge
In my case i'm composting everything i can find, leaves in a pile, my owm Home residues in bokashi bins, and cofre grinnds from a local coffee shop, i have like 10 buckets, it is a challenge
Love that you filmed some of this in the rain. Thank you for the timely video. My garden needs to be cleared of the spent plants this month, I've been too busy with the kids!
I have a 10 rod allotment and I can never make enough compost.. there’s just not enough materials around unless I source it from elsewhere. It’s definitely not easy to be self sufficient in composting in an urban city setting. But I love making compost no matter how much volume it gives.
Does your grass have weed seeds?
In my climate, I can add that 5cm of 'nutrient' compost but it needs to have mulch spread over it (I use sugar cane mulch) or the sun will just kill the biome in the compost and dry it out
So glad to hear you're finally getting there