Small Veggi patch? - one for Mrs BB

[woodbloke]

One of my main gardening tasks this summer was to dismantle and take to the dump a disgusting, broken down and very ancient compost bin inherited from the previous owner. I fully expected the contents to be a ghastly slimy mess only fit to handle with rubber gloves and wellies. Much to my huge surprise, the supposed untouchable contents turned out to be a lovely crumbly compost which was far too good to take down the dump so I decided to turn the site into a little veggi patch. It's south facing and a lot of heat is going to be bounced of the back of the shed. I've got a cold frame in the plot as well. The deep bed is about 200mm deep and completely filled with the compost and the cold frame is about the same.
I'm going to put up some runner beans in the larger plot but ideas for the cold frame gratefully received, thought about some dwarf French beans or maybe some dwarf toms.
The sides of the bed are made from 6mm Formica salvaged from my old school many years ago, held in place with some iroko stakes. I'm really quite chuffed with this result as it means that I'm going to get something out of what I thought would be a rotten job that I was putting off till I got a roundtuit :lol: Why don't egg shells compost, they're the whiter bits you can see on the top? - Rob

 

[mel]

dont know much about gardening but
does stuff really grow in pure compost ???
thought that it may be too rich

ill get me coat

mel

 

[wizer]

as long as its had 6 months to rot down then it will be fine. the veg plants will love it, espescialy courgette.

What about chillis and peppers in your cold frame?

 

[Paul Chapman]

If you have a bit of space at the end of the garden, Rob, start your own compost heap. Much better than taking it to the dump - you only end up buying your own stuff back when you buy a bag of compost from B&Q :roll: Grass cuttings are good but mix them with other stuff (anything really except weeds) so that it doesn't get too matted. The longer you leave it the better it gets.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[woodbloke]

wiZer wrote:

What about chillis and peppers in your cold frame?

That sounds very interesting, chillies look good as I'm getting into my curries and I love peppers.

Paul Chapman wrote:

If you have a bit of space at the end of the garden, Rob, start your own compost heap. Much better than taking it to the dump - you only end up buying your own stuff back when you buy a bag of compost from B&Q Grass cuttings are good but mix them with other stuff (anything really except weeds) so that it doesn't get too matted. The longer you leave it the better it gets.

Paul - I've had a compost bin of my own now for about three years now. I opened it up t'other day and if you have another look at the pic, the very dark, almost black stuff on top is mine and the lighter brown compost underneath is salvaged from the old dismantled bin. I went to the dump yesterday to get rid of the old wooden frame and someone there was ditching a load of bamboo canes which rapidly disappeared into the back of the Landy, but not without me first getting a slight 'telling of' from the recycling fachists who were inspecting everything that got tipped into each bin....am I bovvered tho' :lol: - Rob

 

[MrJay]

dont know much about gardening but
does stuff really grow in pure compost ???
thought that it may be too rich

ill get me coat

mel

Girl has a point. Compost and Compost are two entirely different substances. Unlike compost, compost from the compost bin is not a suitable growing medium (though I've had success accidentally growing new potatoes in the compost bin). You want to be mixing that lovely dark crumbly stuff at least 50/50 with some loamy soil, a much weaker mix would be fine. Root crops like 'snips and carrots won't do well in rich soil - you want them to grow deep roots by making them work for their nutrients.

 

[Jake]

Girl has a point.

I think that's called being reverse-Alfed.

Unless my assumption is the one that has been wrong...

 

[ByronBlack]

egg shells should be fine aslong as they are ground down before putting on the pile (so i've been informed by SWMBO)

Good luck with the veggie growing!

 

[Escudo]

you need to wee on it as well.

 

[ByronBlack]

you need to wee on it as well.

I think your getting that mixed up with the neighbours compost heap after a night out on the ale!

 

[MrJay]

Girl has a point.

I think that's called being reverse-Alfed.

Ooops. Mel looks like a girl, but then I suppose Nibbo looks like a Cylon. Sorry Mel.

 

[ByronBlack]

I don't think you would say that face to face

It's just an avatar!

 

[mel]

laugh out loud :lol: :lol: :lol:
mel is a mister
the avatar is trinity from the matrix
no offence taken