Page 18 - ALG Issue 4 2018

General
snippits
Composting:
December to the end of February
As with every season of the year, some sources AGM argue that winter is a good time to start a
The 2019 AGM of the National Allotment Society will be held on Saturday 8 June at:
St Georges Hotel, the Promenade, Llandudno, Conwy, LL30 2LG
Further details can be found on the NAS website and the documents enclosed within this magazine.
compost bin. On this occasion it is suggested that the start of the season is the time to choose because the composting process should be complete when spring arrives. However, as
the outside temperature falls, the process of decomposition will slow, and if below freezing for some time, may stop. If you want your compost heap or bin to stay active during
the winter, it will be necessary to insulate the bin. It is generally recommended that the compost bin is not turned or aerated during the winter months. Concentrate on keeping it warm by the addition of insulations and, even if you are allowing the bin to hibernate, cover it over so as to prevent the contents becoming waterlogged.
Continue adding material to the bin. Help to generate the heat necessary to keep the composting microbes active by adding
more coffee grounds (ask at your local coffee shop; many of the chains are only too happy to give coffee grounds to composters); cow and horse manure help to give the heap a boost; molasses or black treacle (mixed 1:20 with water) can also be added. If autumn leaves were bagged for making leaf mould, some of them can now be diverted to the compost bin as an additional source of carbon rich Browns. Wood ash from the wood burning stove could also be added during the winter to add a different texture to the mix. The vegetable garden can provide tops and trimmings from celeriac, parsnips, swedes and turnips, and will continue through December along with leeks and brassicas. If winter pruning apple or pear trees, shred and compost the pruned wood. Feeding the bin should continue. In January, vegetable trimmings and peelings that may
be available include winter cabbage, cauliflowers, celeriac, kohlrabi, leeks, parsnips and swedes. If grown on an allotment, these should be trimmed on site and the leaves added to the allotment compost bin or heap. Check the swedes; chop, and compost any that have grown too big and woody. The stems of brassicas should be chopped into small pieces using a spade or shredded, otherwise they will be very slow to decompose.
Rod Weston
Check out Rod’s website www.carryoncomposting.com for what to do with your Christmas waste!
What your Regional Representative or Mentor can do for you...
Along with their role on the Society’s Management Board, NAS Regional Representatives deal with local member
issues and offer support to sites under threat of disposal. Regional Representatives are supported in their role by the Allotment Mentors and both can offer advice and support around issues such as where to go for funding, how to set up an association, becoming self-managed, disability access, different ways to promote your plots, working with community groups, what to do about security concerns or setting up an allotment project. Please do not hesitate to get in touch.
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Or telephone on 01594 833308 for more information.
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Compost ready to be harvested