Mulch And Compost

[Ferdinand]

 

I am about to do my garden spring clean, and I wonder if I can use the following for mulch or compost:

 

First of all leaf sweepings

 

 

And also printer shreddings - 2p for size comparison

 

 

 

I assume I will need to add some greenery and moisture to make compost.

 

This is not my area and comments are welcome.

 

Cheers

 

Ferdinand

 

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Ferdinand

[daiking]

I’m interested in this as well. 
 

Dug a hole in the ground and have been putting vegetable matter in it for over a couple of weeks now. Bloody food still looks fresher than if I’d put it in the fridge.

[PeterW]

Leaves yes, pine needles no... will take 3-4 years to rot down. 
 

anything rotting down needs warmth so enclosed is good, old carpet over the top etc 

 

[Thedreamer]

I like hot bins but they are quite expensive.

 

Has anybody tried to make a DIY one, I was thinking of using PIR insulation scraps?

 

 

[A_L]

Mix both well with grass clippings. The paper is high in carbon and will help balance the high nitrogen of grass clippings and help prevent the grass from clumping into a wet slimy mass.. If you have large quantities of broadleaf leaves they can be composted on their own to make leafmould over a 2yr period with frequent turning. The most important thing is to cover to retain heat but also to keep the rain off.

[joe90]

13 minutes ago, Thedreamer said:

I like hot bins but they are quite expensive.

 

Has anybody tried to make a DIY one, I was thinking of using PIR insulation scraps?

 

 

it’s said they even compost food which should not be put in a normal compost heap, I too fancy making one and have some PIR insulation left over from my slab ?. I guess it would need a solid liner, council bin???.. I used to make leafmold, just bundled a load of leaves in a plastic compost bag, brick on top and leave fir a year or two.

Edited April 5, 2020 by joe90

[PeterW]

Good article about hot composting 

 

https://deepgreenpermaculture.com/diy-instructions/hot-compost-composting-in-18-days/

[Thedreamer]

Just now, joe90 said:

it’s said they even compost food which should not be put in a normal compost heap, I too fancy making one and have some PIR insulation left over from my slab ?. I guess it would need a solid liner, council bin???..

 

Yes that would do nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Onoff]

27 minutes ago, Thedreamer said:

I like hot bins but they are quite expensive.

 

Has anybody tried to make a DIY one, I was thinking of using PIR insulation scraps?

 

 

 

We produce a fair bit of waste from grass cuttings, hedge trimming, leaves etc. I've thought of a big insulated pit with a coil in there for some DHW. Maybe some gas take off too.....

Edited April 5, 2020 by Onoff

[Thedreamer]

Just now, Onoff said:

 

We produce a fair bit of waste from grass cuttings, hedge trimming, leaves etc. I've thought of a big insulated pit with a coil in there for some DHW. Maybe done gas take off too.....

 

I had this idea also. 

 

My doubts would be that you don't typically want compost close to your house so would you lose a lot of the heat for the pipe to travel back to the cylinder? 

 

I would be up for this if it was just me.

 

If this was going to be done properly, prehaps in a basement with a good composting unit linking up to composting toilets and with a heat exchange ducting system.

 

Would it be possible to heat a passive house from your own ??

 

[PeterW]

3 minutes ago, Thedreamer said:

Would it be possible to heat a passive house from your own ??

 

Didn’t Kevin McCloud try that in his man made home series ..??

[Onoff]

3 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Didn’t Kevin McCloud try that in his man made home series ..??

 

I thought he and the film crew shat in a tin?

Edited April 5, 2020 by Onoff

[joe90]

https://www.permaculture.co.uk/readers-solutions/how-make-hot-compost ?

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290LTRS-PLASTIC-BARRELS-DRUMS-WITH-A-LID-FOR-SHIPPING-STORAGE-CALL-US-TO-ORDER/352643375922?hash=item521b2ee332:g:PCoAAOSwBY5dzOi9 

Edited April 5, 2020 by joe90

[Thedreamer]

2 minutes ago, PeterW said:

Didn’t Kevin McCloud try that in his man made home series ..??

 

Ohh I remember that series about his portable home on wheels.

 

I don't remember the trailer being that well insulated or including ducting etc.

 

 

[Onoff]

The thing is with compost heating / bio gas, is none of us really have to.

 

Dead common in Nepal at least on the gas front. You ideally need a couple buffalo.

[A_L]

25 minutes ago, Thedreamer said:

Would it be possible to heat a passive house from your own ??

 

Yes, Jean Pain methods

 

https://waldenlabs.com/compost-water-heaters-from-jean-pain/

[joe90]

That’s an awful lot of compost! But water to 140’ !

[Cpd]

1 hour ago, Thedreamer said:

Has anybody tried to make a DIY one, I was thinking of using PIR insulation scraps?

Yes, I made one using 150mm Pir lined with plastic in the inside with a metal and wood cage around the outside, Access is via an insulated airtight lid on the top and a removable panel at the bace. It works really well and gets up to some heat ! You have to stand back when opening the lid as there is a fair blast of hot steaming air on opening! It’s great to use it during winter when the other compost heaps slow down. When it’s full I just leave it alone and after it cools down (weeks / months ) the compost worms move in  by there thousands and do the final processing! I then mix this 50/50 with existing soil and plant straight into it with very good results. I also have  two other compost heaps, one in a twin wall plastic bin and the other a pallet box lined with ground fabric, all work well at different times of years and for different jobs.  

[Ferdinand]

So can I use printer shreddings as mulch?

 

One house arrest project is to clear out many years of unnecessary paperwork, so I may have quite a lot.

 

(I have a nasty feeling I really need to take out all the weeds - starting-out dandelions etc - to save me aggro later in the year.)

Edited April 6, 2020 by Ferdinand

[PeterW]

2 minutes ago, Ferdinand said:

So can I use printer shreddings as mulch?

 

One house arrest project is to clear out many years of unnecessary paperwork, so I may have quite a lot.

 

(I have a nasty feeling I really need to take out all the weeds - starting-out dandelions etc - to save me aggro later in the year.)

yes as long as you mix it with a high nitrogen containing waste such as grass clippings etc 

[Ferdinand]

Just now, PeterW said:

yes as long as you mix it with a high nitrogen containing waste such as grass clippings etc 

 

Unfortunately I have no lawn :-).

 

That was turned into an ornamental bed of decorative grasses and other items, which currently has mallards tiptoeing through the non-tulips !

[Ferdinand]

There is a further question about what to compost it in.

 

I currently have a Council Dalek composter, of the freebie type, but one with no door at the bottom. My understanding of these is that you have 2, and then turn it from one into the other every so often.

What is a good compost bin?

 

F

[Onoff]

45 minutes ago, PeterW said:

yes as long as you mix it with a high nitrogen containing waste such as grass clippings etc 

 

Can't you just wee on the compost to add nitrogen?

[PeterW]

Just now, Onoff said:

 

Can't you just wee on the compost to add nitrogen?

 

You can... but that is very short term nitrogen fix..!

[Onoff]

42 minutes ago, PeterW said:

 

You can... but that is very short term nitrogen fix..!

 

Every day, sort of marking your territory?

 

My Mum used to get given rhubarb for years by an old Dutch neighbour. She remarked one day how it was the best tasting rhubarb etc. He revealed his secret "Every evening I wander up the garden when it gets dark and..."

 

?