I’ve been out turning the compost this morning, seeing how it’s going. It has a lot of uncomposted kikuyu in it, enjoying the nutrients, starting to shoot. That won’t go in again. Besides that it is pretty good but not the homogenous, well broken down compost that I’ve been reading about in my new composting book. In it Tim Marshall talks about leaving heaps for at least 2-3 months so that everything is broken down, no longer recognisable as individual ingredients. This heap is about a month old but I really want to get it out into the garden and spread it on the tomato bed, get it ready for planting. The new flower bed could take some, so could the fruit trees, then there’s the new orchard on it’s way. I had a big a-ha moment this morning when I realised I could have two heaps going at the same time, doubling my production. If I spend some time producing more than I need (which honestly doesn’t seem possible) then I will be able to build up a stockpile and let it age for longer before I use it.
Saturday night’s party was fun – music, alcohol, dress-ups – all the essential ingredients. We have some stars here in the valley and they shone brightly on Saturday.
And congratulations to Lee and Gavin on the birth of their beautiful baby boy Tycho. They’ve had some tough times and I’m just so very happy for them, and yes, perhaps just a little weepy.
2 comments:
You need 3 bays Ryan, that way you can be turning one batch and taking compost from the older batch. More work I know, but 'tis worth it. Just bought the Marshall book, thanks for the tip.
I have three bays Ads - I need about 5 or 6 I think. My a-ha moment was thinking that instead of doing what I've been doing (and what you're suggesting), I can have two piles going concurrently. Turn one from bay 2 into bay 1 and then turn the next from bay 3 into bay 2. Once it's done it sits around for about a day before I use it. I'm thinking about making more bays out of straw bales - once again from Marshall - so that they provide insulation and worm habitat...and mouse habitat
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