2009 Omlet cube and run for sale

[Lesley]

Following from the mentions in the wheelie bin thread........

 

I've been meaning to come and post for ages about the Council Compost. A large part of our land was a former quarry and is land filled - we cannot dig any of it as it is full of concrete/stone/brick etc. so we have to bring in topsoil and make raised beds for any fruit or veg growing.

 

The last 30 tons of topsoil we had was a mix of soil and Council Compost - it looked lovely!

BUT........it introduced bindweed One weed we didn't have

 

I won't be ordering any more of it

[Old Speckled Hen]

When I lived in the London Borough of Richmond you could get council compost delivered free, deposited in your garden in a great steaming heap.

Here in Kendal you have to drive to collect it yourself from Lancaster and it's £2.50 a bag.

Would the Bindweed have been in the topsoil? Rotten stuff Mind you, they do say not to put perennial weeds into compost but I throw everything like that into my council bin

[Egluntyne]

Interesting that you should say this Lesley....we had similar at work a few years ago with some soil we bought (not from the council I hasten to add 0 and some months later found ourselves looking at a newly planted bank of flowers, including Japanese Knot Weed.

 

That was a right old performance to fettle.

[Lesley]

We've had topsoil from these people before - but of course, it always comes from all over.........and usually grows weeds. This was the first time we've imported bindweed to a place that didn't have any . It could have been in either the soil or the compost.......but I know what I used to put in my green wheelie bin as well

[chickenanne]

I thought that council compost heaps were enormous, and the size meant that they would reach temperatures that would kill off most perennial weeds: far bigger, and therefore far hotter, than domestic compost bins, so far fewer weeds can possibly servive.

[WitchHazel]

I thought that council compost heaps were enormous, and the size meant that they would reach temperatures that would kill off most perennial weeds: far bigger, and therefore far hotter, than domestic compost bins, so far fewer weeds can possibly servive.

 

That's exactly what I was going to say. You shouldn't put perennial weeds in home compst because the pile doesn't reach a high enough temperature; but in proper compst heaps (like they have at Kew), it's fine because the compost gets so hot.

 

Maybe the Council isn't very good at managing their compost heaps?

[Charlottechicken]

I've never heard of council compost

[Lewis]

I've never heard of council compost

No nor me, they're hiding it from us Brummies.

I found :

The garden waste goes to composting facilities near the city and is composted on a large scale to be used for agricultural and landscaping purposes. This is why we cannot take anything in the green sacks that isn’t compostable and why we cannot use biodegradable sacks due to the potential littering shredded up sacks could cause.