Moss is normally removed from lawns by scarification (vigorous raking) in the Autumn if they  contain a lot of thatch or in the  Spring  if only a light  scarification is required to prevent the build-up of thatch. The moss removed from the lawn can composted.

However, moss is slow to breakdown having a high lignin content   and it may  be three years or even longer before there are no recognisable pieces of moss left in the bin. It is therefore suggested that it be composted in a separate “moss compost bin” . 

In a revised page on carryoncomposting.com different techniques for composting moss are considered Composting Moss

The virus lockdown has given allotment plot holders a taste of exercise in the form of weeding and we have one of our reception bins full of weeds. These are a mix of perennial and annual weeds so they are  not suitable for cold composting without sorting by hand which will take to much time and effort. Which means in this blog we will be looking at different ways to compost, or prepare, weeds for composting.

 The photo shows the mixed weeds in the reception bin

Despite what you may have read it is relatively easy to compost most perennial weeds, but they may need treatment before being composted.

This leaves three choices

• Hot composting. Hot Composting Using one of the pallet bins, none of which are free at the moment or our two Hotbins.  The weeds where added to the Hotbins and as part of the greens and balanced with additional browns and a little woodchip as a bulking agent  for the waste food also being added
• Drying the weeds on the weed rack made of stacked bread trays. The weeds will be left on the rack for a month  (or more depending on how quickly they dry)  Perennial Weeds
• Drowning them in a bucket or bin of water. Plant Liquid Feeds

There is a slight problem in that the soil has not be knocked off the roots of the plants  which means that plot-holders are giving me their worked soil  a little at a time. However, it does mean that it will need removing before the any plants are put in to soak  otherwise, I will be left with half a dustbin of wet soil at the end of the drowning.

Once again there are worms crawling up the walls and over the lids of the two Hotbins at the Stokes Wood Allotment Composting Demonstration site.

Although the Hotbin is a sealed unit  worms may be added to the bin the initial base layer during the initial set-up of the bin and worm and worm eggs  may be added  in soli attached to plants added to the bin during use. While the worms can survive, and self-evidently breed, in the  in cooler temperature of the base layer and there is often an  increase in the number of worms in the bin worm to sallow  breeding through the winter,  they are unable to survive the high temperatures inside the “working area” of the Hotbin where hot composting is taking place.

 Prior to the lockdown our bins where topped up to try to keep them at 50-60°C during the time that they will not be fed regularly

The photo shows the worms trying to escape from the heat. No doubt many will have descended to the cooler base,  but a significant number always make their way  up to the top of the bin and round the lid.

As they are not necessary for the Hotbin to work  they can be left to take their chances,   be put back in the cooler bottom layer or collected and put  into a cool compost bin or wormery  if one is available. A scrunched by empty compost of refuse bag can be put in the top of the Hotbin to provide them with a refuge. This can then be removed to the cool  composting system as an easy way of moving the worms.

  In the east midlands the nettles have now grown enough to be harvested to make nettle plant food. If you have nettles  in the garden, on the allotment site or on the route of your exercise walk they can be picked or cut (wearing gloves) this is the time to start making a liquid feed that will be ready to use  in 2-4 weeks.

Cut young nettles to about 5cm above soil level. Crush the leaves by scrunching the stems in gloved hands or by placing them on a freshly mown lawn and using a mower to chop them.

 Put the crushed nettles into a bucket, it does not matter if some grass is included with the nettles,  weigh the nettles down with a brick and  cover with water. Use about a half a standard bucket full (about one kilogram) of leaves to 10 litres of water.  

Nitrogen-rich nettles are high in silica. As with comfrey tea it is better to use a bucket with a lid to contain the smell. Allow to soak for 2 - 4 weeks. Stir occasionally.  The  liquid should be diluted to the colour of weak tea before being watered onto the plants being fed. If ready the blog click on  the linkfor more  information Plant Liquid Feeds

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This is the first of a series of posts on compost activators. 

Typing Compost activator into a search engine will produce details of numerous products and it may well also give details of other products described as Compost Accelerators and Compost Inoculators. The terms appear to be interchangeable.

 It is generally accepted that if a heap or bin does not  start decomposing, or is slow in doing so, it is likely to be due to a  poor C:N  balance with the plant material containing insufficient  nitrogen. Nitrogen is used by the bacteria to build proteins and reproduce while carbon provides  a source of  food.

Cool Composting

 In cool composting i.e. adding waste  as it becomes available, on occasions  the necessary green/brown balance and moisture level  may not be achieved requiring remedial action to be taken.  Normally  additional Greens would be added as an organic activator to provide additional nitrogen to correct  the C:N ratio and  water or liquid weed/compost feeds added to increase the moisture level. However, if greens are not available blood meal, manure or one of the other activators listed below. Similarly, Greens or other natural activators can be added in the spring to kick start the composting process as the temperature starts to rise. (photo shows a bin with too many Browns  plus fake rats!)

 Most compost activators  stimulate  the composting process to help  start or  speed up decomposition by  providing additional nitrogen and it is this group we will be lookig at first.

This may be required by the composting  microbes when a significant quantity of browns, carbon based materials, are being composted, e.g. straw, hay,  dry leaves, wood chip or related woody materials, making  the addition of  nitrogen necessary to achieve a good  carbon nitrogen balance. The extra nitrogen  should result in increased microbial activity and a rise in temperature. To have a significant effect this temperature will need to be maintained so the bin will need to be insulated  to hold the temperature and addition foodstock will need to be added at regular intervals. If the temperature can be increased by 10^oC there should be a doubling of microbial activity.  Aerated by turning will also help.

 The use of natural activators  in the form of  more greens can be added to give the correct C:N ratio shown below, are free and available in the garden.

Suitable greens will have a  high nitrogen value and be 'easy' for the composting microbes to breakdown.

     The “natural” activators include:

• Green Plants,  e.g. comfrey,  clover, grass clippings,  nettles, or alfalfa.
• Matured manures (fresh or dry) e.g.  chicken, cow, rabbit, pig or less common farmed animals such as  alpaca. The manures may be used fresh but it  preferable rested for a season before use because fresh manure can burn plant roots and leaves.  Horse manure can be used but it may contain pesticides and undigested seeds. Manure can be added as a layer in cool composting, but it should be covered with browns. Some manures are available  dry or in the form of pellets which can be scattered onto the brown layers of a layered system or when adding material to a cool pile.
• Powdered products such as are blood and  bone meal,  have also been traditionally scattered  on kitchen  scraps and garden waste each time these are added to the bin in the UK while in the US, alfalfa, cottonseed, soybean meal are also used. 
• Coffee grounds  are relatively rich in nitrogen (up to  2 percent by volume) while coffee chaff from the manufacturing process contains more. . The grounds can be added to cold composting systems as they become available or they can be mixed with equal parts of grass to make a green layer when preparing a hot compost bin or smaller amounts can be added to each  green layer. The Rodale Guide to Composting suggests mixing coffee grounds with lime.
• Human Urine. Many gardening and composting sites recommend adding urine to the compost heap to help speed decomposition. Containing a relatively low level of nitrogen it consists of  about 98% water which makes urine be readily available to the microbes.  Urine  is probably most effective on dry compost bins.    It is difficult to prevent the compost  drying out if using an uninsulated plastic bin in hot weather rainwater,  diluted urine or a liquid feed made from soaked weeds can increase the moisture  level and give the bin a boost. With cold composting this provides the bacteria with a source of food which can be digested quickly producing heat rapidly. It can also be added toa hot composting material in New Zealand or pallet bins but is not recommend for composting using a Hotbin

The value of buying commercially available Activators continues to be the subject of discussion and differing veiws.  More information is given using the link  Compost Activators (if reading the blog) or http://www.carryoncomposting.com/443725785

To be continued