1. Nov, 2019

Bring you pumpkin to the Pumpkin Smash

All lanterns and other pumpkins that cannot be eaten are welcome to the Pumpkin Smash at Stokes Wood Allotments Leicester. The smash will take place on 9th November on the Composting Demonstration site and will be composted on the site. this should allow some to go soft for more fun (mess) when jumping on them in a composting pit. If you bring your pumpkin you can smash it your self and put it on either a pallet compost bin, a plastic bin, Hotbin or wormery. 

if you do not want to smash them yourself we will do it for you. 

If you have an allotment please collect lanterns from other plotholders and bring them along. Schools may also collect lanterns and either bring them to the site or we will collect them from you.

CBBC filmed a segment for Newsround  on the Compost Demonstration site on 29th October showing children from Stokes Wood Primary School having an early Pumpkin Smash. This was shown on 1st November.  We have included a few photos to show the fun your children could have if they brought their carved pumpkins (or those collected at school)  to the Pumpkin Smash  on the 9th November

 
29. Oct, 2019

CBBC visits Pumpkin Smash

CBBC filmed a segmant for Newsround on the Compost site today (29th October). Children from the Stokes wood Primary School demonstrated a number of ways in which pumpkins that had been used for lanterns could be composted including in a post hole or pit, on a pallet bin, in a wormery and in the Hotbin. Members of the puplic are invited to bring their pumpkins to the Stokes Wood allotment site in Leicester on 9th November to join in another Smash. Otyher societies without Comunity composting approval are welcome to bring collect and bring their pumpkins. The will be refreshments available and indoor craft stalls

Details at  http://www.carryoncomposting.com/  or Pumpkin Rescue 2019

28. Oct, 2019

Pumpkin Smash

All lanterns and other pumpkins that cannot be eaten are welcome to the Pumpkin Smash at Stokes Wood Allotments Leicester. The smash will take place on 9th November on the Composting Demonstration site and will be composted on the site. If you bring your pumpkin you can smash it your self and put it on either a pallet compost bin, a plastic bin, Hotbin composter or a wormery. Bring the kids and introduce them to composting.

If you do not want to smash them yourself we will do it for you.

If you have an allotment please collect lanterns from other plot-holders and bring them along. Schools may also collect lanterns and either bring them to the site or we will collect them from you.

We will be making Christmas crafts from natural materials in the Community Building from 10:30 am to 12:30. Pumpkins will be accepted for the smash from 10 am on the day, left on site on any Wednesday morning. The pumpkins can be   smashed during the craft event but we hope to hold the main smash from 12;30

Currently 18,000 tonnes of pumpkin waste end up in landfill every year. you can help reduce that amount.

Refreshments available. Free event with free parking. Wheelchair accessible site. Craft activities indoors. All welcome. Toilets on site.

 
21. Oct, 2019

Cold Winter. Plan to avoid frozen worms

The have been stories in the papers this weekend that we are going to have a very cold winter in the UK this year. While the Met. Office has stated that there is no evidence to support this  and that it is too early to make any accurate predictions it does provide a useful reminder that we should  make winter preparations   for the wormeries.

In the past the advice was  to protect the worms  from freezing by  moving them into a shed or outbuilding, while possibly also providing extra insulation. With the milder winters we have experienced recently I know of several people who have left their wormeries outside with no extra insulation and the worms have survived unharmed

 I leave my wormeries  outside but  wrapped in a triple layer of bubble wrap using the same material to make a removable insulated  cover for the lid enabling me to feed them. A hole being cut for the tap allowing the reservoir to be drained.  I use bubble wrap as it does not get absorb water , is easily removed and can be reused for several years. Believing in a belt and braces approach I also  clear a space in the shed so that they can be moved inside if a prolonged cold period is threatened

9. Oct, 2019

Seasonal increase compostable waste

Plastic sheet or old compost bags are urgently needed to line the walls of the pallet bins and cover the compost in the bins to prevent it becoming waterlogged during decomposition.

The amount of compostable waste produced by the allotment plot holders has shown an increase this week with tomatoes and bean plants being supplemented by flower plants at the end of their season as well as a good supply of weeds resulting in the Reception bin being filled in just a few days. If you do not compost at home this is a time of plenty  to start composting.

 All the waste must be cut by hand into  short lengths  so as to expose a larger surface area to microbial activity  and to make the decomposing material easier aerate by turning  from one bin to the next. This week, for the first time, the reception bin has not been emptied on a Saturday morning but hopefully it will all be cut and sorted on Monday.

 

 

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