How to make compost from household waste

[@ceebee2531]

I can’t get enough of watching your videos! It’s truly a joy to see new ones come up. You’re such a wealth of knowledge and so much fun. Thank you!!

[@Glitter221]

Love your gardening videos!

[@SarahPowell-i6j]

I absolutely LOVED watching this video! Thank you x

[@Catherine-Crevice]

Great information Robbie. Thank you 😊

[@nancymencke6980]

You look terrific Robbie🙂

[@CarolBallard-k7i]

So Good! Love this video 😃 🤟

[@MilitzaMaury]

Super inspiring!

[@sallynolan5928]

I have just come across your videos and will subscribe straightaway. You remind me of Keith Floyd - if you remember him - great stuff.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi @sallynolan5928, Keith Floyd, one of my all time heroes! Thank you 😊

[@wendychandler8304]

How utterly fascinating is this - now our wheely bin will have to be upended for all the stuff we can compost. (An old bin has just walked past the window, presumably to be vandalised and used upside-down, with a hole in the bottom.) Thank you Robbie.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Wendy Chandler, an upturned wheels bin! Love it! Welcome to the world of composting, it’s the way to go. It’s amazing how much stuff you can put into a compost bin that gets broken down to very little, just keep filling it up and by the spring you should have a good amount of nutritional stuff for free! Thanks for watching, all the best Robbie

[@wendychandler8304]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 Not a wheely bin Robbie -, an old one with removable lid. Old hands at composting but several years alone meant very little to save: now son here, menu and garden reverted to active, bins crammed. Sudden passion re garden, paths, walling ,trees, nurseries...

[@paulinedellar566]

Great advice as always. Thanks Robbie, you’re an inspiration and will be trying this. Any thoughts on hot bins?

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Pauline Dellar, hot bins are great, a bit pricey but they create compost soo quickly compared to a normal compost bin. I haven’t got one myself, I should put one on my Christmas list 🌻🌸

[@paulinedellar566]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 it’s so good of you to take the time to reply, I really do appreciate it. You’re right, they are expensive, but do look great. Think I’ll add one to my Christmas wish list too. Thanks again 🌻

[@harvindersinghuppal2162]

Piss easy ...thanks for sharing dude

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi harvinder Singh uppal, 😂🤣, it is piss easy!! Always a pleasure getting this information out there, especially about the amount of piss we waste!! Thanks for watching, Robbie 🌻

[@stephaniefritchley9022]

Well, first of all, how lovely to see you again and hear your irrepressible enthusiasm! I’ve not tuned in for a while- been busy in the garden. 😉. I am so pleased you have covered this topic as I have a few things that have been puzzling me with my compost. I have had a compost heap for as long as I can remember and make it pretty much as you have said, although I haven’t thought of adding cardboard and egg boxes so will definitely be doing that from now on. Mine is just an open thing, with palettes on three sides, and the stuff breaks down pretty quickly, it seems. However, once broken down, there is surprisingly little of it and it is absolutely full of red compost worms. In fact, it is not so much a compost heap as a wormery! So then, along I come, wanting to dig the stuff out and use it, but I am faced with the prospect of becoming a mass worm murderer! I ended up not using it earlier this year because I couldn’t figure out how to do it without hurting or killing them. Do you have any ideas? Also, on the subject of roots from pernicious weeds, such as the dandelion and bind weed that you mentioned, my veg plot is overrun with Couch Grass (know as “dent de chien” in my corner of France, according to my neighbour) and Creeping Cinquefoil. I have just spent several hours over the last week, trying to get as much out as possible so have quite a lot of the Couch root in a pile, along with some Cinquefoil root. Can I treat that in the same way you did with the other weeds and get away with it or should I just take it to the déchèterie? Sorry for the incredibly long question but I have been searching for answers for a while. Thanks for all your time and the lovey smile 🪱 🪱🌻

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Stephanie Fritchley, good to hear from you, I hope you are well and enjoying the summer. Right, let’s try to sort out your compost heap. I’ve been on a course! Oh yes, I’m a qualified “master composter”. I’ve signed up for 30 hours of volunteer work a year promoting home composting. I did a bit of public speaking a few weeks ago, I was terrifically nervous (3 is a crowd for me and I’m one of the 3!) but found that once speaking I turn into the guy in my videos, found out I’m quite good at public speaking!. Decided to push myself a bit this year. I’ll get on to your worm problem in a mo, when you say your composting is producing very little product this could be that you are not incorporating enough brown material, the green stuff is so full of water that very little is left once rotted down. Maybe add lots of cardboard and leaves in autumn. Everything does break down to very little but the brown material seems to add bulk. Maybe it’s a question of just composting more stuff to get more of the good stuff. The fact it’s breaking down quickly and you have loads of worms is a very good sign that it’s all working ok. I have found that the time of day and temperature have an effect on the worms, on hot days they appear to come up to the surface but early in the morning the compost is pretty worm free. So, try collecting compost at different times of the day to see if this helps. If you find a ‘worm free window’ get lots out of the heap and store it in a bucket or the like until you need it. The couch grass/ dog tooth! Will rot well in a bucket of water, the ‘five leaf’ cinquefoil also. They may take a few weeks but once they are mushy they can go on the compost heap. I hope this helps and please feel free to ask as many questions as you want, that’s what I’m here for. All the very best Robbie 🌻

[@stephaniefritchley9022]

stinky ditch nursery Hell Robbie, Thank you so much for taking the time to reply; I really appreciate it. Are you sure you should have said to ask as much as I want though? I mean, how long have you got? Honestly, if you could cope with a small crowd (2?) do let me know if you ever start running gardening courses. In fact, put me on the waiting list now. So, one more little compost question : you mentioned using wood ash. We heat entirely with wood burners so generate a huge amount of ash. What sort of proportion of the mix would be OK, and what is too much? As for the pubic speaking, I can completely understand how you were OK with that even though don’t like large groups of people - I am exactly the same; currently dreading having to be a guest at a family wedding in September, but give me an apron to hide behind and a job to do and I can cope with any number. Just as long as I have a rôle to hide behind and don’t have to be me. You should do more, I think. I still reckon your enthusiasm is just what is needed to get children engaged with outdoors, nature and gardening. What do you reckon? All the best from very hot France. Steph 🌻🌻🌞

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

@@stephaniefritchley9022 I’ll bet it’s hot in France! It’s pretty warm here so I can’t imagine what it’s like where you are 🥵 sorry for the late reply, I’ve been watering! Wood ash is only to be added to compost now and again, rule of thumb is a thin layer to every 6 inches deep of compost. Too much can mess about with the ph levels and this effects the microbes etc that do the breaking down, so only a bit now and again. I understand your ‘apron disguise’ completely, when I did a few Carboot sales I would wear a set of clothes that were Robbie Phoenix’s, not mine. With made up name and different clothes I can become the character in the videos for the day! Normal me is quite shy, Robbie Phoenix is far more the extrovert. Trouble is it always takes it out of me, always so exhausted the next day. Right, I’d better get on with some more watering, it’s really hot here too, breaking all records with temperature. I’ve been asked by a few horticultural societies to do a talk on cyclamen so may have a go this year, see how it goes 😀, enjoy the weather, from a Mediterranean summered England, Robbie 🌻

[@stephaniefritchley9022]

stinky ditch nursery Hi Robbie, just a quick reply - only just noticed that I typed “hell Robbie” in my previous reply😬 should, of course, been Hello. So sorry 🌺

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

@@stephaniefritchley9022 no need to apologise for typos, it’s the predictive text that does me in. Last year a lady asked me what she could grow from seed in September for some winter flowers. I replied “if you get your winter panties on now you should have a good display for Christmas “ I meant “pansies “ I didn’t hear back from her 🙄

[@jessievanswaaij2971]

Great stuff. I use diluted wee on a lot of plants and containers. I don`t understand whats the big deal. I think artificial fertilizer are yukkie and not wee thats basiciy steriel.

[@noneshere]

We flash burn the yearly tree droppings into charcoal then smash it into a powder on concrete with a 4x4. Then we mix the charcoal powder in a tupperware tub with Alfalfa horse feed and water. Leave it in the sun and churn it daily for 3 days to a week. The alfalfa juice will lock into the charcoal powder. Once mixed to a consistency of runny oatmeal we pour a thin layer over the entire surface of the garden with a kitchen pot. Let it dry 3-4 days then mix it in the topsoil with your fingers the next weeding. Charcoal is amazing stuff but you must " charge " with another nutrient first. The native Indians did it, it was called " terra pretta ". It makes the whole garden smell amazing and the alfalfa wont burn the soil with too much nutrient. Once the charcoal powder is in the soil you won't need to do much fertilizing anymore.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Noneshere, sorry for such a late reply. Using charcoal like you say is all new to me, absolutely fascinating. I’ve had a pretty busy mixed up month but hopefully find some time to get some charcoal made and try this out. Thanks again, I think you may have provided me with several hours of internet research here!!! All the best Robbie 🌻

[@Royaliize]

Hey Robbie. I got a off topic question about cyclamen. First year seedlings, when they die down in summer, u keep Them bone dry or moist? Ty in advance. Im starting to sow this year seeds. Think i Will have around 500 seeds heh. Hope to see more cyclamen videos soon from you. Keep up the good work.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Royalize The Plant Man, I keep mine pretty dry over the summer. I try to recreate the Mediterranean weather allowing them to almost bake for a week or so and then drenching them to imitate summer thunderstorms. I have found that keeping them moist whilst dormant can lead to rot sometimes, leaving them to dry for a week or so and then drenching I get far fewer losses. I really need to get some seeds on the go myself, but first I have to clear space, pot on and clear my nursery beds! Oh well, we are having some beautiful weather here at the moment, it’s light until late and to be honest, I’d only be watching Netflix instead! So, some long days and balmy evenings of cyclamen growing, perfect 🌻 take the best of care and good luck with your new generation, all the best Robbie 🌸

[@CarolBallard-k7i]

I am going to start another compost in the corner of my property, layering the green and brown. I was so shocked at the cost of bags of compost for sale at the hardware store near me! I can do this myself with what I have already... I am so mad at myself for buying compost in the past... NOT going to do it anymore!... and... I am gonna pee on top for a little extra.. Bahahaha

[@anaaguiar7807]

Great video, very informative. So how do I recycle the compost to use in planting seedlings in the spring? I was told and have tried heating the compost in a low temperature oven for about 30 minutes to (sadly) kill off insects to create safe non-infesting compost for mixing in with aerating mixture to use in seed starting in my greenhouse.

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Ana Aguiar, I did a short vid about how to make a potting mix from homemade compost a couple of weeks ago if that’s any help, it’s basically topsoil, sand and compost in equal parts. Younger plants don’t need too much nutrition so add a little less compost to the mix that larger more established plants that love lots of food. Seeds really don’t need nutrient rich compost, in fact it will do them harm. The seeds themselves contain enough stored energy to get them going. I’ve done a vid about how to make a seed mix, it’s sand, topsoil and peat substitute (or recycled hanging basket soil from the previous year) in equal amounts. Bottom line with adding nutrients to plants is- nothing (or very little) at the seed stage, a bit more when potting on seedlings and more again once they are grown. I don’t sterilise my compost to kill off any bugs, no, no, no!!! They are all part of the whole, we tend to think that the plants we are growing are somehow separate from the natural world around them whereas they are just as much a part of it as everything else. The bugs in compost are critters that either eat each other or rotting material, not stuff that’s growing so, in my opinion, only add to the biodiversity of the garden. Mind you, bugs that eat our plants are all a part of it too, it’s been going on for millions of years, it’s how the world works. The best way to deal with bugs I’ve found is to introduce a predator bug to eat the ones eating your plants, adding to the ecosystem of the garden rather than taking something away. Gardens have become such sterile places with us humans choosing what stays and what goes, the natural world has had this sussed long, long before we came along. If we allow nature to do it’s thing a balance will be found, sure you may have a few nibbled leaves but that’s a good thing! Sorry for the long winded reply! But it’s something I’m very passionate about, working with nature rather than killing the bits we think are a problem. The fact is without any doubt that we are the problem, bugs and all nature knows best 🌻🦔🐞🐝🐛🪲🦋. I hope this is of some help and I’ve managed to change the way you look at your garden a little, it’s all about the big picture, all the best Robbie 🌻

[@anaaguiar7807]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 Robbie, thank you so much for taking the time to reply. Your wisdom is valuable. My concern with insect was that they would be in the greenhouse. Now I will watch your video and adjust my seed starter mix and go from there. Just came across your channel and love it. I will be sharing with friends. Happy growing!

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

@@anaaguiar7807 glad to be of help. The bugs in compost, if introduced to a greenhouse shouldn’t be a problem, even the slugs that live in compost! Slugs have such a bad reputation but it’s only about 3 or 4 types that eat living plants, the majority eat rotting matter and fungi. Little yellow lemon slugs and leopard slugs are a good thing to have. Like I said, for me it’s all about the big picture, we as gardeners can be part of the solution, the custodians of the natural world rather than a problem. Embrace the leopard and lemon slugs and watch your greenhouse clear up and fungi automatically! All the best of luck Robbie 🌻

[@anaaguiar7807]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 just started some dwarf kale in our cold frame and had four eaten 🫣. They don’t seem to be touching spinach. Are insects composting my kale? What to do?

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

@@anaaguiar7807 it could be a number of critters eating your kale. Have a really good inspection to see if you can find any slugs or snails hiding in your cold frame. It could be caterpillars, could be small beetles. The fact that you say some have been completely eaten indicates slugs or snails to me. The way I get around bug problems is to grow lots and lots of plants, at least that way some have a chance of getting to maturity before being decimated. You could also try moving the to another location, that may help. I’m afraid that growing plants attracts bugs, just gotta work some way of living with them. I hope this is of some help, all the best Robbie 🌻

[@Catherine-Crevice]

I have yuccas in my garden. Are the brown leaves suitable to compost? We have so many at the moment ☹. Thank you 😊

[@stinkyditchnursery750]

Hi Catherine, perfect for composting 🌴🌴, the leaves are quite fibrous so may take a bit to break down, maybe. Best of luck Robbie 🌻

[@Catherine-Crevice]

@@stinkyditchnursery750 thank you! 😊😊😊