Sand for lawn aeration - sharp or not?

[Min]

Yes, I suppose someone who isn't taking care of internal envirionment isn't going to be eco-friendly in the disposal of their needles. Shame for you though.

Round here we have a two weekly 'green' collection that takes away garden waste. When the neighbours put out their bags of autumn leaves I wombled some of them. But my leaf mould and compost never looks as even and crumbly as the stuff on telly. If I tried to mix it with sharp sand and top soil it wouldn't be a very even mix - too lumpy.

Anyway deceided for now to hire a hollow tine aerator and do the holes and sand thing. Then wait till the autumn to scarify and reseed which is when I'll need the peat substitute. Am trying turning my bags of leaves every couple of weeks to see if that makes thema a better texture by September.

 

[Thermo]

keep them moist as well (oh err missus)

 

[2scoops0406]

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[Min]

keep them moist as well

But the methods by which I keep the compost heap moist probably can't be discussed in this forum... but ...

One day I was listening to a so called gardening expert on Vanessa Phelps' radio show. He was saying there was no benefit in p**ing on your compost heap, just convenient if you were caught short.

Ever-keen on recycling and spreading the word, I called up and found myself talking to Vanessa live on radio about the benefits of nitrogen activation of compost heaps through err, particular means.

Then she wanted to know what I said to my 'husband's boss when he comes to one of your dinner parties'. I was too embarassed to tell that unreconstructed middle class woman that I don't have a husband or dinner parties.
Don't mind talking about p**ing on the compost heap but not prepared to discuss personal matters like dinner parties

 

[2scoops0406]

P1ssing on the compost heap helps no end, loads of nitrogen, after all urine is pretty much a urea solution, and is sterile, as long as your body is functioning properly !! No number twos though, and don't tell your dinner guests.

 

[Dewy]

P1ssing on the compost heap helps no end, loads of nitrogen, after all urine is pretty much a urea solution, and is sterile, as long as your body is functioning properly !! No number twos though, and don't tell your dinner guests.

Why no No 2s?
Before water closets were used it was normal in the country for 'night soil' to drop straight in a pit outside the houses and was then transferred to different trenches around the gardens.
This was always in the fallow land so a 4 crop cycle was used with the manure trenches left until the next year.
This was one of the most important forms of manure for smallholders.
Sewage plants sell well rotted human manure and a great many gardeners and allotment holders have used this for many years.
The one problem with it is that tomatoe seeds do not get broken down by the digestive system so the manure will always give you a crop of tomatoes.
Our council has provided green bins for any green waste but I have never used the bin once.
All the household compostible waste goes into a large compost bin.
I have 2 of them into which goes banana skins, apple cores and shredded paper as well as lawn mowings.
One for this year and one from the previous year which is ready for the garden.

 

[2scoops0406]

Human faeces contains a lot of viruses / pathogens, the conditions in the average household compost heap cannot be guaranteed to kill these, so whilst not necessarily a no no, not worth the risk. As I said urine is already sterile.

I know what you mean about the tomatoes though !!!

 

[Scoby_Beasley]

The green water is also an acceptable method to start a new fish tank filtration system off, note this is pre-fish and a definite no-no if you've got a pirhanna in there !