15. Sep, 2020

Mantis tumbler compost ready to harvest

It should have been a difficult year for composting with the virus and the Leicester lockdown, but the wee beasties just keep working. It is said that Compost just Happens, and it has.

The Mantis is our largest tumbler on the Compost Demonstration site and  was total neglected for several weeks and then only turned occasionally but it has produced a batch of compost ready for collection and use as a mulch. 

This is our easiest bin to empty just put a barrow underneath and tip the compost into it. 

We can still open by appointment for up to 5 people to offer advice or so that you can   see this and the 20+ other bins in use.

11. Sep, 2020

More Microplastic pollution and life in the soil

The Guardian has reported on a recent research which confirms that Microplastic pollution causes significant damage to populations of soil-dwelling mites, larvae and other tiny creatures that maintain the fertility of the land, research has found.
The study notes that discarded bags, cups, threads and other forms of plastic waste are concentrated more in the earth than the oceans, with similarly dire consequences for the abundance of species that live below the surface.
Mites, roundworms, springtails and other forms of microarthropod and nematode are barely visible to the human eye, but they play an essential role in recycling carbon and nitrogen and breaking down organic matter into a form that bacteria can consume.
They are increasingly threatened by oil-based synthetic refuse. The new paper, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society, notes that humanity has produced 6,300 million metric tonnes of plastic waste since 1950, of which 79% has accumulated in landfills or leaked into the natural environment.
The authors conducted what they say is the first ever field study of how this is likely to affect the abundance of microarthropods, nematodes and micro-organisms such as fungi and bacteria.
Plastic in compost and soil from ground cover fabric
Using organic material such as cardboard is effective and environmentally sound practice. However, using plastic ground cover sheeting may not be desirable if we are trying to avoid plastic contamination of the soil and water courses. On allotments such sheeting may be used as a weed suppressant on vacant plots and under wood chip paths etc. It can also introduce long strands of black plastic to the compost bin. The photos show some of the plastic waste found in an allotment community composting bin.
Is it time to stop using this fabric?
 
11. Sep, 2020

How long will these take to breakdown?

Now that runner bean plants are being pulled up and composted it may be time to look at how these  and other plants that are tied to supporting poles can contribute to plastic waste  in the compost.

Plastic string is often used to tie the bean plants and it would be relatively easy to cut and remove the strings before pulling the plants down and putting them in the compost bin.  However,  it would appear to be easier to leave the string round the plants so that the plastic ends up in the compost bin. The photo shows the crop of string from just one of our reception bins today and it is worth noting that the beans formed a relatively small proportion of the waste in the bin.

Although marine pollution by plastics has received more publicity  terrestrial microplastic pollution is 4-23 times higher  than marine pollution  depending on the environment. Perhaps as gardeners we should pay more concern to our use and disposal of plastics

The Guardian report I mentioned recently on microplastics can be found at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/sep/02/microplastic-pollution-devastating-soil-species-study-finds

 

 

29. Aug, 2020

Halloween is coming: Save the pumpkin to eat and compost

Pumpkin Rescue 2020
It is estimated that in the UK up to four million pumpkins are brought to carve and display over Halloween with the edible flesh of these pumpkins being discarded as waste and ending up with most of the lanterns in landfill. This produces an additional 18,000 tons of landfill waste directly attributable to the Halloween festivities. This, according to the environmental charity Hubbub, is equivalent to 360 million portions of pumpkin pie. The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that 1.91 billion pounds of pumpkins where grown in the USA in 2014 most of which, as in the UK, where used for carving and then thrown away,
Much of this waste is due to people being unaware of the versatility of pumpkin flesh as a food or not realising that the fresh discarded when carving the pumpkin can be eaten. It is calculated that in the UK only 33% cook the fresh of the pumpkins they carve out. On this basis, farmers are growing acres of food just for it to be thrown away
While the most common variety for pumpkin grown for Halloween carving in the USA (the Howden) may not provide as much flavour as varieties grown specifically for eating but still make tasty soups and pies. There are many very tasty squashes and pumpkins suitable for home and allotment growing that can be used to carve different shaped lanterns these all have flesh high in fibre and beta-carotene that should not be wasted. Will you help reduce pumpkin waste by promoting cooking with and composting pumpkin? Can you get your local pub to put pumpkin on their menu? If so we will put their details on the website . There are details activities and photos of Leicester 2019 events at
22. Aug, 2020

Cardboard in the compost heap

Cardboard will rot down well in the compost heap providing a good source of carbon as is particularly useful when other sources such as dried autumn  leaves and straw or hay is not available . Cardboard will also  introduce air pockets providing oxygen to the aerobic  composting microbes.

 In the past, some types of cardboard  packaging where not suitable for composting because the  inks, glosses and glues were petroleum-based and contained metallic pigments but now most  are water-based and made from organic materials such as vegetable oil, soybean and kaolin (clay).

 Corrugated cardboard is usually used for packing It composts well and has the advantage of containing air in the corrugations. Corrugated cardboard boxes may have been sealed with  sticky tape, which will need  removing  before being added to the compost bin as they do not  degrade will only result in compost contamination from micro-plastics.

Corrugated cardboard can be used to insulate a compost bin with slated  sides in winter.

A 4-inch (10 cm.) layer of shredded corrugated cardboard can also be used as a base layer of a heap  where twigs, straw, or brassica stalks are not available.

 Flat cardboard is used for  cereal boxes, shoe boxes. This lacks the corrugations which makes it easier to shred using a shredder. Paper towel and toilet  rolls and cardboard egg cartons can be easily torn into small pieces by hand

 Wax-coated cardboard is not compostable and can be distinguished from shiny cardboard, which can be composted   by means of the Scratch Test which simply involves scratching  the cardboard and see if the wax comes off

 Shred or tear?

Shredded cardboard decomposes more quickly as it will have a  higher surface area exposes to the   composting microbes, ​but  a heavy-duty shredder will be required for corrugated cardboard and one may not be available.

If the cardboard cannot be shredded  cutting it with a box cutter  is quite effective but is time consuming  and runs the risk of self-inflicted injury it is probably easier to just tear it. Large sheets of cardboard can be soaked by using them  as a cover on the heap in rainy weather.  The cardboard will also help retain  warmth and help keep the heap dry.  The  soaked cardboard will be easier to tear  and any tape will be easier to remove.

Alternatively soaking the cardboard in a container  of  water with a few drops of  liquid detergent added  will make it easier to tear and will  speed the decomposition process. Soaking also  makes it easier to remove the parcel tape

 

 

 

 

 

 

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