Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet for weed suppression,what do people use successfully to cover their compost heaps?
I use some thickish blue plastic material at the moment held down with pieces of wood -someone gave it to me on the allotments about 15yrs ago,but it is just beginning to break up with small blue pieces getting into the compost.
I also use plastic bins bags on my smaller garden compost heap,but several are needed and also need weighting down with many bricks.
Any ideas for a reasonably chemical free covering for a compost heap about 6'X4'?
Michael

In article ,
michael wrote:

Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet
for weed suppression,what do people use successfully to cover
their compost heaps?

Nothing.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 2014-02-14 11:38:36 +0000, Nick Maclaren said:

In article ,
michael wrote:

Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet
for weed suppression,what do people use successfully to cover
their compost heaps?

Nothing.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Same here.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 14/02/2014 11:31, michael wrote:
Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet for weed suppression,what do people use successfully to cover their compost heaps?

Nothing. Or any old bits that are not quite ready and rotted down from
the heap being used as compost for the garden.

I use some thickish blue plastic material at the moment held down with pieces of wood -someone gave it to me on the allotments about 15yrs ago,but it is just beginning to break up with small blue pieces getting into the compost.
I also use plastic bins bags on my smaller garden compost heap,but several are needed and also need weighting down with many bricks.
Any ideas for a reasonably chemical free covering for a compost heap about 6'X4'?
Michael

The next pile of stuff you want to put on top of it. It is not worth the
effort of covering large compost heaps - they will go hot provided you
are adding a cubic metre or so of stuff at a time so why mess about?

You do realise that all plastics are chemicals and most would be as
brittle as hell without some plasticiser in to allow it to bend.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

In article ,
says...

Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet for weed suppression,what do people use successfully to cover their compost heaps?
I use some thickish blue plastic material at the moment held down with pieces of wood -someone gave it to me on the allotments about 15yrs ago,but it is just beginning to break up with small blue pieces getting into the compost.
I also use plastic bins bags on my smaller garden compost heap,but several are needed and also need weighting down with many bricks.
Any ideas for a reasonably chemical free covering for a compost heap about 6'X4'?
Michael

Mine have removable roofs (wooden frame covered with offcut of metal
roof sheet) supported by the side and back walls of the bins.

Janet.

In article ,
says...

On 14/02/2014 11:31, michael wrote:
Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet for weed suppression,what do people use successfully to cover their compost heaps?

Nothing. Or any old bits that are not quite ready and rotted down from
the heap being used as compost for the garden.

I use some thickish blue plastic material at the moment held down with pieces of wood -someone gave it to me on the allotments about 15yrs ago,but it is just beginning to break up with small blue pieces getting into the compost.
I also use plastic bins bags on my smaller garden compost heap,but several are needed and also need weighting down with many bricks.
Any ideas for a reasonably chemical free covering for a compost heap about 6'X4'?
Michael

The next pile of stuff you want to put on top of it. It is not worth the
effort of covering large compost heaps - they will go hot provided you
are adding a cubic metre or so of stuff at a time so why mess about?

what happens after they cool down but are still decomposing, matters
too.

I use roofs to prevent heavy rain cooling a hot heap or leaching a
cool one.

Janet

"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 14 Feb 2014 03:31:09 -0800 (PST), michael
wrote:

Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet for weed
suppression,what do people use successfully to cover their compost heaps?
I use some thickish blue plastic material at the moment held down with
pieces of wood -someone gave it to me on the allotments about 15yrs
ago,but it is just beginning to break up with small blue pieces getting
into the compost.
I also use plastic bins bags on my smaller garden compost heap,but several
are needed and also need weighting down with many bricks.
Any ideas for a reasonably chemical free covering for a compost heap about
6'X4'?
Michael

My 'active' heap is open, to allow for regular additions. After 12
months or so, it's moved into an adjacent bay, to mix, re-aerate and
allow it to mature/finish rotting, and that heap gets covered with
some heavy duty black polythene sheet weighted down with a few old
pallets. Got the sheet on-line, but probably available at any GC.

--

Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales
===========================================

Chris this is what I do with ours and am doing the same with my daughter's
heap. I have covered hers with a builders 1 Tonne Bag flattened out as best
I can.

Mine is a bit smaller and I have cut a sheet of shuttering ply and painted
it with roofing Paint. That pile is drying and nearly ready for sifting and
using. Anything which doesn't go through the sieve goes into a metre square
compost 'cage' I bought from the Garden Centre and that can stay until I am
unable to get any more in. That will be about 5 years I think!!

Mike


---------------------------------------------------------------
www.friendsofshanklintheatre.co.uk
www.hmscollingwoodassociation.com
www.rneba.org.uk
www.nsrafa.org

On 14/02/2014 11:31, michael wrote:
Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet for weed suppression,what do people use successfully to cover their compost heaps?
I use some thickish blue plastic material at the moment held down with pieces of wood -someone gave it to me on the allotments about 15yrs ago,but it is just beginning to break up with small blue pieces getting into the compost.
I also use plastic bins bags on my smaller garden compost heap,but several are needed and also need weighting down with many bricks.
Any ideas for a reasonably chemical free covering for a compost heap about 6'X4'?
Michael




Wouldn't it be easier to split it into two bins 3'x4' so you can have
one half being filled and the other half maturing into useable compost?
You would then only need two covers, each much smaller and more
manageable.

I have read the others' replies, which all seem to agree "nothing" is
fine. However, most of my bins (1 council bins, 3 lidded dustbins) are
covered. I have an old wooden framed twin bin which has only one half
covered, being the half that is 'cooking', to prevent RG or myself
accidentally tossing fresh green waste in. Because the bins are
covered, I give them a good wetting from time to time. My bins produce
excellent compost, so keeping them covered doesn't seem to be a problem.
It also means I can choose to turn the compost when it is dry, which
is important since my back weak these days, and lifting wet compost
would just about finish it off.

All mine bins have their own lids except for the wooden-framed half bin.
That is covered with a length (2'x4') of twin-walled polycarbonate
sheeting that was excess to requirements and is held in place with two
bricks. It's been in place at least 20yrs so has lasted well. Apart
from lifting the bricks, it is very light and easy to lift away and
replace as required. It sits on the wooden frame - not the compost - so
there is little or no chemical leaching.

Hope this helps.
--
Spider.
On high ground in SE London
gardening on heavy clay

On 14/02/2014 12:54, Janet wrote:


I use roofs to prevent heavy rain cooling a hot heap or leaching a
cool one.

Janet


My heaps (one construction split into 4 x approx 1m cubed sections) have
wooden slatted backs and sides (allowing ventilation and some water
ingress). The roofs (two of them, each covering 2 sections) are forward
sloping, wooden planked hinged in the centre for quick access. They can
be left closed or open. (Or removed altogether).

(And all 4 have a removable front that slides up and down for easy
access/turning/emptying).

Seems like quite a lot of heapery at first - but I'm staggered how
quickly they fill up. (And then shrink again).

--
regards
andy

I was quite surprised by the article (I think the one on no-dig veg beds) in the Garden this month which suggested that most gardens were unable to produce sufficient compost. I sometimes feel that the main product of my garden is compost, and the veg, flowers etc are merely by-products.

In article ,
kay wrote:
News_2_ Wrote:

Seems like quite a lot of heapery at first - but I'm staggered how
quickly they fill up. (And then shrink again).

I was quite surprised by the article (I think the one on no-dig veg
beds) in the Garden this month which suggested that most gardens were
unable to produce sufficient compost. I sometimes feel that the main
product of my garden is compost, and the veg, flowers etc are merely
by-products.

I can relate to that :-) I produce of the order of a ton a year,
from a total area of about a thousand square yards. My guess is
that the remark applies to people who use only things like worm
bins, on which you cannot chuck everything.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"'Mike'" wrote in message news
"Chris Hogg" wrote in message
news
On Fri, 14 Feb 2014 03:31:09 -0800 (PST), michael
wrote:

Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet for weed
suppression,what do people use successfully to cover their compost heaps?
I use some thickish blue plastic material at the moment held down with
pieces of wood -someone gave it to me on the allotments about 15yrs
ago,but it is just beginning to break up with small blue pieces getting
into the compost.
I also use plastic bins bags on my smaller garden compost heap,but several
are needed and also need weighting down with many bricks.
Any ideas for a reasonably chemical free covering for a compost heap about
6'X4'?
Michael

My 'active' heap is open, to allow for regular additions. After 12
months or so, it's moved into an adjacent bay, to mix, re-aerate and
allow it to mature/finish rotting, and that heap gets covered with
some heavy duty black polythene sheet weighted down with a few old
pallets. Got the sheet on-line, but probably available at any GC.

--

Chris

Gardening in West Cornwall overlooking the sea.
Mild, but very exposed to salt gales
===========================================

Chris this is what I do with ours and am doing the same with my daughter's
heap. I have covered hers with a builders 1 Tonne Bag flattened out as best
I can.

Mine is a bit smaller and I have cut a sheet of shuttering ply and painted
it with roofing Paint. That pile is drying and nearly ready for sifting and
using. Anything which doesn't go through the sieve goes into a metre square
compost 'cage' I bought from the Garden Centre and that can stay until I am
unable to get any more in. That will be about 5 years I think!!

=================================================


---------------------------------------------------------------
101016 shows the compost bins in our little garden

http://www.myalbum.co.uk/Album=MUKLG34Q

Mike

---------------------------------------------------------------
www.friendsofshanklintheatre.co.uk
www.hmscollingwoodassociation.com
www.rneba.org.uk
www.nsrafa.org

On Friday, 14 February 2014 11:31:09 UTC, michael wrote:
Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet for weed suppression,what do people use successfully to cover their compost heaps? I use some thickish blue plastic material at the moment held down with pieces of wood -someone gave it to me on the allotments about 15yrs ago,but it is just beginning to break up with small blue pieces getting into the compost. I also use plastic bins bags on my smaller garden compost heap,but several are needed and also need weighting down with many bricks. Any ideas for a reasonably chemical free covering for a compost heap about 6'X4'? Michael

Thanks for all of your replies-they seem to divide into the covering group and not covering group.I prefer to cover mine to stop leaching of any nutrients in the composting material.
Michael

On 14/02/2014 13:19, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Fri, 14 Feb 2014 03:31:09 -0800 (PST), michael
wrote:

Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet for weed suppression,what do people use successfully to cover their compost heaps?
I use some thickish blue plastic material at the moment held down with pieces of wood -someone gave it to me on the allotments about 15yrs ago,but it is just beginning to break up with small blue pieces getting into the compost.
I also use plastic bins bags on my smaller garden compost heap,but several are needed and also need weighting down with many bricks.
Any ideas for a reasonably chemical free covering for a compost heap about 6'X4'?
Michael

My 'active' heap is open, to allow for regular additions. After 12
months or so, it's moved into an adjacent bay, to mix, re-aerate and
allow it to mature/finish rotting, and that heap gets covered with
some heavy duty black polythene sheet weighted down with a few old
pallets. Got the sheet on-line, but probably available at any GC.


I'd cover it with big bubble insulation film and then bang on a bit of
old carper. the bubble film would act as insulation and stop anything
leaking down from the carpet which would keep the light out and hold
down the film.

On 2014-02-15 13:47:56 +0000, michael said:

On Friday, 14 February 2014 11:31:09 UTC, michael wrote:
Following the discussion below about the problems of using carpet for
weed suppression,what do people use successfully to cover their compost
heaps? I use some thickish blue plastic material at the moment held
down with pieces of wood -someone gave it to me on the allotments about
15yrs ago,but it is just beginning to break up with small blue pieces
getting into the compost. I also use plastic bins bags on my smaller
garden compost heap,but several are needed and also need weighting down
with many bricks. Any ideas for a reasonably chemical free covering for
a compost heap about 6'X4'? Michael

Thanks for all of your replies-they seem to divide into the covering
group and not covering group.I prefer to cover mine to stop leaching of
any nutrients in the composting material.
Michael

I liked Anne Wareham's article in the DT today in the Gardening
section. On the subject of tidying up gardens and composting, it's
quite amusing!
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk