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A More Sustainable Adventure

Comparing cooler with warm composting methods and results

By letter2self on December 27, 2023



How to make and use compost in winter, when it’s colder and there is less material to add. It’s possible to keep adding to your heap, but results will be much slower than in the summer.
My climate is temperate oceanic and the temperature is often above freezing in winter, so the garden still happens, just slowly!

I show you heaps of different sizes, how we turn them once only, and you see the imperfect looking results.
We finish with a look at my wormery, or worm farm. You see how even in cool conditions, thousands of Eisenia fetida (red, or tiger worms) are quite close to the surface and still eating. But less fast than in summer, and soon we shall remove the worm casts beneath them (compost) for use in propagation, see link to video.

00:00 Introduction – including what happens when compost gets icy in winter
00:53 My 7-bay system – I explain how we use it with 5 bays in use mostly
04:02 Some examples of what we add to the heaps
04:25 Having a pipe in heaps to enable an air-hole
05:02 A look at the profile of a heap
05:42 Protecting mature compost from rain
06:25 A look at my pallet bays – including when to cover, and the temperature
08:27 Using a turning tool to get more air in the heap, and mix materials
09:07 Dalek bins, and why I recommend them
09:52 The wormery – I show you the high value compost it produces
13:20 More videos on compost making, and info in my No Dig book https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/product/no-dig

Check out these videos:
Composting from start to finish – https://youtu.be/MCftXbye1AA
Making compost in a Dalek – https://youtu.be/2scvQgm6HFw
Make your own potting compost – https://youtu.be/AcGclgWgtIQ

And my compost knowledge pack: https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/product/pln_compost-understand-make-and-use-klpw0kkr

My website has a lot of free information https://www.charlesdowding.co.uk/education/compost

My Compost book will be published by @dkbooksuk2614 in autumn 2024

You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCB1J6siDdmhwah7q0O2WJBg/join

#nodig #compost #wintergardening

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letter2self avatar features blond woman in navy blue overalls and lavendar blouse with braid, smelling a flower and the text reads Hello There, I'm Danie

I have embarked on a journey to create a more sustainable life for me and my family and I'm using this space to share all the things I've been learning along the way. It's messy and wonderful and I hope you'll join me on this adventure.

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