One of our Hotbin composters has grown some fungi since last week. The bin was returning to temperature (just reached 40C) after being rested during lockdown  when the café was closed. Kitchen waste (cooked and uncooked) has now been added with shredded paper.

On reflection it would have been a good idea to use one of the other bins and let the spores develop. Any identifications?

The use of  composted wood chip and sawdust as a bulking agent in food composters is quite common and wood chip may be used as a source of carbon in conventional compost bins as well as being composted after use as chicken or pet bedding.

Fresh wood chip produced by landscape gardeners from woodland maintenance and tree surgery may also be available to allotment societies to make paths and any surplus could be used as mulch or to make compost.

  However, concerns are often raised by gardeners  as to whether woodchip or wood-based compost is safe to use because of the risk of nitrogen depletion

It is true that wood chip consists mainly of carbon compounds (Browns) and the lignin and cellulose may take considerable  time to be broken down by the composting fungi and bacteria. Wood chip only contains a small proportion of nitrogen and if fresh wood chip were added directly to the soil,  the composting microbes would take up nitrogen from the soil depriving growing plants of soil nitrogen resulting in the risk of nitrogen deficiency.

However, the answer is simple do not add fresh wood chip, compost it first. It can then be used as soil improver or mulch. It is reported in some sources that nitrogen depletion is less significant where the wood chip is used as surface mulch.

If the wood from which the wood chip was made included the  leaves, it will contain more nitrogen but should still be composted before use.

Large quantities of wood chip can be arranged in windrows up to 2m wide and up to 1.5m high; this size allows air to percolate through the heap, the top of the windrow cupped to help retain water. The wood chip is moistened by adding 30litres of water per cubic meter of woodchip to give a moisture content of 50-70

Alternatively  a dedicated compost bin minimum size of  1.2 metres high and two metres wid. can be used . Adding  woodchip  in about 6”deep   layers  with each  layer being   saturated with water as the bin is filled The bins can be covered with  a tarpaulin   or thick plastic  to keep in the moisture. I have found that the material is best left for a year before use, but others have produced usable compost in a matter of months.

  The rate at which the chip decomposes can be increased significantly by the addition of a nitrogen source. If large quantities of wood chip are being composted this could be by the addition of Ammonium Nitrate, Ammonium sulphate or Sodium nitrate when building the windrows rather than adding “Greens” which we would recommend if home composting or using conventional bins on an allotment.

 If using windrows or a hot system with turning, the temperature should be monitored) and the pile turned when the temperature falls below 50-55°C. Turning may be necessary at about two weekly intervals and should continue until turning does not result in an increase in temperature. Once the active stage is completed, it has been suggested that the immature compost is left for between 3 and 12 months to mature. However, to be on the safe side it might be better to leave it for one to two years and

 One of the advantages of wood chips is that in smaller quantities it will compost aerobically on their own without the need for turning or aerating, providing the moisture level kept at a sufficient level throughout the pile. More information is available at http://www.carryoncomposting.com/142941454

 I am looking for original photographs relating to composting at home, in parks or small community composting schemes to illustrate a book nearing completion. If you are proud of your system, have an interesting composting technique, bin, or pile, photo of processing including sieving compost, or the use of compost e.g., making  seed and growing mixes, compost as a mulch  Please contact  me at carryoncomposting1@gmail.com .

I would like to include a range of photos from around the world.  If your photo includes people please obtain their permission, or the permission of their parents if they are children,  before submitting the photograph.  The source of the photos will be acknowledged.

On line talks orgainised by the National Allotment Society 

Via ZOOM video conferencing at 3pm each day, around 90 mins including a Q and A session. To obtain the zoom link mail diane@nsalg.org.uk indicating the talk/s you would like to attend. 

Two of our compost bins at Stokes Wood demonstration site are infested by ants. Ants feed on a range of food including aphid honeydew (produced by aphids from  plant sap excreting), fungi, seeds, scraps, and insects some of which are found in the compost heap. In addition to providing a source of  food, the compost bin provides shelter for ant’s nests.

Ant nests are relatively common  when cold composting techniques are being used or during the cool maturation stages of hot composting. Many people worry about having ants in their compost heap or bin but they actually contribute to the composting process by bringing fungi, and other organisms, into their nests as well as introducing minerals e.g. phosphorus and potassium. They also help mix the and aerate waste, eat and shred plant materials increasing  the surface area available to microbial  action  and provide additional nutrients by the from  their own faeces.

If the compost is almost finished it the part containing the ant colony can be removed and spread on the garden where the ants will probably disappear with a few days. If there are only a few ants I would normally leave them if they or the nest are taking over the bin  probably the simplest way to get rid of them is to  douse the nest with cold water. This will have the advantage of increasing the moisture level of the compost as ants are often found in compost which is on the dry side.

It is also suggested that sprinkling coffee grounds or cornmeal onto the nest will discourage them. There is more information at  Compost Creatures