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Direct composting a great success

(6 Posts)
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jeanie99 Tue 08-Sept-20 02:54:22

I wrote about this sometime ago, asking if anyone used this method.
I had an area of my garden soil which needed improving and having read about this form of composting thought I would give a a go.
I had always thought the fact I throw so much kitchen scraps away in the bin seemed such a waste but didn't want a pile of compost in the garden.
I have been using this method now for some weeks. I cut up the scraps or use my chopper for veg add shredded cardboard and paper. Keep it in an outside container for about a week. Dig a hole in the garden border and put in the waste. It is totally amazing within 2-3 weeks the wast as gone and not only that I now have worms where there were none before. The soil is wonderful to work with, I can't tell you how pleased I am.

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fevertree Tue 08-Sept-20 07:13:16

Jeanie that is very interesting and I will show my husband your post. We have a patch of soil outside our gate that needs improving and planting up - to hide the view of our neighbour's wheelie bin! It is council owned but not looked after.

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Esspee Tue 08-Sept-20 07:38:01

Thank you for letting us know how it is working for you. With autumn almost upon us you can gather up fallen leaves to further improve the soil structure and if you live near the sea read up on seaweed maturing.
Do you have any local coffee shops? They are grateful if you offer to collect spent coffee grounds and tea leaves, bakers often have lots of egg shells, greengrocers discarded veg., and neighbours or even the local council are a source of soft hedge trimmings and cut grass. The trick is to keep everything finely shredded and not add any cooked food scraps which can attract rats.

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Furret Tue 08-Sept-20 07:58:37

Exactly. I’m surprised more people don’t do this.

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Liaise Tue 08-Sept-20 08:24:04

We used to dig holes and add veg peelings, tea bags etc. It is a very good way of improving the soil. We seem to have run out of space to do this so have a compost heap. It's amazing how all the trimmings from the garden just turn into lovely crumbly earth.
Whenever we visit an NGS Garden DH suffers from compost heap envy. The last one had six. Monty Don has several which is fine when you have a garden the size of his.

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Esspee Tue 08-Sept-20 08:45:12

I have four compost heaps (well, one is leaf mould) and I have my brown bin stuffed to the top every collection day.
I can’t do direct composting because every square centimetre is full of plants. ?

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