what else can you use?
The principal goal of composting is to recycle organic matter on the spot, without the awful waste of energy involved in moving it around the countryfirst. Therefore, imported materials should not be added routinely to the compost heap. On the other hand, if there are local sources of composting ingredients that are available cheaply, or perhaps even free, it would be foolish to ignore them. If your organic waste goes to a local composting scheme, it will be composted at a high temperature under controlled conditions. The resulting compost will be a clean, safe, weed-free material that can be bought and used straightaway in the garden. However, in common with other commercial soil conditioners that are based on recycled garden or forestry waste, it tends to be slightly alkaline, so is not suitable for use around rhododendrons or other acid-loving plants. Strawy stable manure can go straight on the garden, while chicken manure is high in nutrients and makes an excellent compost activator. Pigeon manure, often available even in the centre of big cities, is similar. Many other sources of organic matter are useful if available locally, including bracken, sawdust, seaweed, spent hop waste and mushroom compost, and straw. All these can go straight on the garden as a mulch and will help to improve the soil structure. Bear in mind, however, that in terms of nutrient content and other properties, these materials are very different.Points to ponder
• mushroom compost is alkaline
• dead bracken, sawdust, and straw contain virtually
no nutrients
• material from farms may have had pesticides used on them:
always check and, if it has, compost it well before putting
it on the garden
• landowners are often happy for you to collect bracken,
but always ask first
• collect only loose seaweed washed up by the tide – do not,
whatever you do, remove live seaweed from rocks
Sorting your stuff
The lists opposite are a reminder of most of the sorts of things that you might want to compost, divided into (1) soft, nitrogen-rich,(2) moderately nitrogen-rich, and (3) tough, carbon-rich material. Bearing in mind the ideal C:N ratio of 30 for composting, a heap made entirely of rich stuff will have too much nitrogen and one entirely of tough stuff will have too little, so always try to mix the two.Ingredients: (from left) old cut flowers (rich stuff), young
hedge clippings (middling stuff), and straw (tough stuff).55 Rich stuff weeds, coffee
grounds, comfrey, feathers, general kitchen waste, hair, lawn mowings, nettles, old cut flowers, pigeon manure, pond weed, poultry manure (raw or pelleted), seaweed, pure wool or silk
clothing (shredded), soft, green garden waste, urine. Middling stuff Brassica and other
fibrous, green stems, citrus skins, cotton rags, eggshells(rich in calcium), soiled bedding from hamsters, rabbits,guinea pigs (not dog or cat litter), spent hop waste, tea bags, used potting compost, vacuum cleanings (but not if you have synthetic carpets), waste from distilling, well-rotted cow/ horse/pig/sheep manure, wool shoddy, young hedge clippings and soft prunings. Tough stuff Bracken, cardboard,corn cobs (crushed), hay or straw, leaves of broad-leaved trees and shrubs, leaves of conifers, nutshells, paper, sawdust, tough hedge clippings, waxed paper, wood ash (rich inpotash), wood shavings, woody prunings.
