Shop compost

Discussion in 'NEW Gardeners !' started by Gary J Bradford, Sep 4, 2020.

  1. Gary J Bradford

    Gary J Bradford Gardener

    Joined:
    Sep 3, 2020
    Messages:
    23
    Gender:
    Male
    Ratings:
    +74
    Hi all, can I add flower cuttings, tea leaves, fruit and veg offcuts etc to shop bought compost or will it not break down properly?
    TIA
    Gary
     
  2. JR

    JR Chilled Gardener

    Joined:
    Jul 19, 2020
    Messages:
    954
    Gender:
    Male
    Occupation:
    Retired oil magnate
    Location:
    Cotswolds
    Ratings:
    +2,381
    Hi Gary,
    All those can be added to your compost heap. But i wouldn't add it to 'shop bought compost' thinking that you can use it now.
    If you add it, then the whole lot would need to go into the composter well mixed in order for it to rot down over winter.
     
    • Agree Agree x 4
    • Like Like x 1
    • Friendly Friendly x 1
    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

      Joined:
      Jul 3, 2006
      Messages:
      60,996
      Gender:
      Male
      Occupation:
      Retired - Last Century!!!
      Location:
      Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
      Ratings:
      +117,282
      If you're talking about just mixing it in with the compost before potting up things then I wouldn't do that. It's usual to add them to a compost heap for them to rot down with the compost. This can take from months to a year depending on the type of compost heap.
       
      • Agree Agree x 4
      • Like Like x 1
      • Tinkerbelle61

        Tinkerbelle61 Happiest Outdoors!

        Joined:
        Aug 16, 2020
        Messages:
        256
        Gender:
        Female
        Location:
        Woodbridge Suffolk
        Ratings:
        +697
        Morning all

        I remember my nana (back in the 60’s) used to empty her teapot with tea leaves straight onto the flower beds, grandad, who was the gardener, didn’t seem to mind so I always assumed this was okay to do (although I’ve never done it as everything in our garden is in pots...and probably my green tea leaves are not the same as heavily stewed strong Irish tea leaves!) :)

        Tink
         
        • Like Like x 5
        • shiney

          shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

          Joined:
          Jul 3, 2006
          Messages:
          60,996
          Gender:
          Male
          Occupation:
          Retired - Last Century!!!
          Location:
          Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
          Ratings:
          +117,282
          Hi Tink,

          Tea leaves have always been good for putting on the beds or the compost heap but not so good if you leave them in the teabag. Most teabags are made of plastic but some aren't.

          Coffee grounds are a more contentious subject. There was heavy publicity some years ago that they are good for the garden but there are thoughts that this may have been put about by coffee shops that wanted to get rid of their used grounds.

          In general they're supposed to be OK in a compost heap (adds some nitrogen and other minor chemicals) but not in quantity. Unused grounds are quite acidic but used ones are only slightly acidic so shouldn't be too bad if used sparingly. There have been some experiments with them and some flowers and veg have been seen to have stunted growth. They're also said to deter slugs etc. around plants but all experiments so far (there's only been minor ones that I know of) seem to have found it has little effect - except that ants don't seem to like them. :noidea:
           
          • Like Like x 3
          • JR

            JR Chilled Gardener

            Joined:
            Jul 19, 2020
            Messages:
            954
            Gender:
            Male
            Occupation:
            Retired oil magnate
            Location:
            Cotswolds
            Ratings:
            +2,381
            Cripes shiney i didn't think my tea bags were made of plastic?
            Please tell me it's not true because I've been bunging them in my composter all year.
            I rather hoped they were made from hemp or some other natural source.
            I'm going straight to see mrs JR now to get our supply investigated.
             
            • Agree Agree x 2
            • Jiffy

              Jiffy The Match is on Fire

              Joined:
              Aug 25, 2011
              Messages:
              11,168
              Occupation:
              Pyro
              Location:
              Retired Next To The Bonfire in UK
              Ratings:
              +31,458
              Most do have plastic in them
               
              • Friendly Friendly x 2
              • Agree Agree x 1
              • Informative Informative x 1
              • JR

                JR Chilled Gardener

                Joined:
                Jul 19, 2020
                Messages:
                954
                Gender:
                Male
                Occupation:
                Retired oil magnate
                Location:
                Cotswolds
                Ratings:
                +2,381
                Arghh!
                Well my boss has looked at our supplier.. Sainsbury red label de caf.
                Online it states in a 2018 post that they were reviewing the 'small amount of plastic' used in their bags.
                I'll be asking them if they've excluded it by now because their current online statement says 'paper bag widely recycled'
                It just shows that as a consumer you have to be on your guard because i never knew about this.
                The last thing i want is satans goo in my garden or allotment.
                 
                • Agree Agree x 2
                • Friendly Friendly x 1
                • pete

                  pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

                  Joined:
                  Jan 9, 2005
                  Messages:
                  47,698
                  Gender:
                  Male
                  Occupation:
                  Retired
                  Location:
                  Mid Kent
                  Ratings:
                  +84,315
                  Tea is good around acid loving plants, tanic acid or tannin has an acifying effect over a period of time.
                   
                  • Like Like x 3
                  • Informative Informative x 1
                  • JR

                    JR Chilled Gardener

                    Joined:
                    Jul 19, 2020
                    Messages:
                    954
                    Gender:
                    Male
                    Occupation:
                    Retired oil magnate
                    Location:
                    Cotswolds
                    Ratings:
                    +2,381
                    That's good... I'll put spent tea leaves around my blueberry bush in a routine fashion then.
                     
                    • Like Like x 2
                    • Gary J Bradford

                      Gary J Bradford Gardener

                      Joined:
                      Sep 3, 2020
                      Messages:
                      23
                      Gender:
                      Male
                      Ratings:
                      +74
                      Thanks for the replies all
                       
                      • Friendly Friendly x 1
                      • Tinkerbelle61

                        Tinkerbelle61 Happiest Outdoors!

                        Joined:
                        Aug 16, 2020
                        Messages:
                        256
                        Gender:
                        Female
                        Location:
                        Woodbridge Suffolk
                        Ratings:
                        +697
                        It does make you wonder about the compost that is sold by the local borough councils (recycling centres), I haven’t been since pre-lockdown but I am sure it’s advertised for sale there. Is this made from the collected food waste and green waste? If so there must be teabags wrapped with “Satan’s goo” in it?

                        Tink
                         
                        • Agree Agree x 1
                        • shiney

                          shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

                          Joined:
                          Jul 3, 2006
                          Messages:
                          60,996
                          Gender:
                          Male
                          Occupation:
                          Retired - Last Century!!!
                          Location:
                          Herts/Essex border. Zone 8b
                          Ratings:
                          +117,282
                          I don't think the councils sell it as 'compost' but as 'soil improver' since one of the councils got pulled up, many years ago, for calling it compost. They do the best they can but can't sort through all the green waste. :noidea:
                           
                          • Agree Agree x 2
                          • Useful Useful x 1
                          • ThePlantAssassin

                            ThePlantAssassin Gardener

                            Joined:
                            Jun 6, 2012
                            Messages:
                            444
                            Gender:
                            Female
                            Occupation:
                            NuttyFruitCake
                            Location:
                            East Sussex
                            Ratings:
                            +1,016
                            @JR
                            Watch the tv programme that was on last week (probably available on iPlayer or some such) The Hugh Fernley Whit??? series about the continued fight against plastic. Anita Rani takes all leading brand tea bags into the lab for testing and shows just how much of a tea bag is plastic. Its opened my eyes. It was shocking!
                             
                            • Informative Informative x 2
                            • Like Like x 1
                            • JR

                              JR Chilled Gardener

                              Joined:
                              Jul 19, 2020
                              Messages:
                              954
                              Gender:
                              Male
                              Occupation:
                              Retired oil magnate
                              Location:
                              Cotswolds
                              Ratings:
                              +2,381
                              Ah yes i saw that listed but didn't get round to watching it.
                              I'll try catch up.
                              We've got Hugh's River cottage veg books and i did follow those series.
                              Thanks for the tip!
                               
                              • Like Like x 2
                              Loading...

                              Share This Page

                              1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
                                By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
                                Dismiss Notice