A reminder of the rules and facilities on the allotment in relation to composting…
The communal compost area is managed by volunteers, mostly during our monthly stewardship mornings. It takes a lot of work to sort and maintain this facility, so please consider helping out when you can.
It should be noted that this facility is primarily for composting waste material from communal areas and from small (less than 2.5 rods) plots. We do not have the space or the resources to compost all members waste material. If you have a full size plot, please build your own compost area and manage your own waste – your soil will improve and so will your crops!
Compost Bins
Compost bins are located to the left as you come in through the main gate, just behind the pizza oven. Generally just one of the three will be in use at any time. Please only put in organic matter from your plot. You can add Couch Grass, plants which form a tangled mess, or anything else that will easily rot down. Please make sure to remove any seed heads and no Mare’s Tail or Bindweed.
Do not put in any woody material. Woody material should be burnt, either on your plot or the communal fire when it is open, or it can be put by for the pizza oven in small amounts (see below).
If the bins are covered that means they are not in use, please do not put material onto the covered out of use bin/s
If the bins are full you will have to dispose of the material on your plot or off site.
Compost produced from the bins is available to use when it is ready.
Bonfire
There is a shredder for woody material like brambles and twigs, please ask or email the committee for further information.
Between October and April, you can add small dry, woody materials to the communal bonfire pile in front of the pizza oven. Do not add material here during the summer.
A reminder that you may burn material on your own plot but only between 1st October and 30th April. Please only burn dry material, be considerate to neighbouring plot holders and nearby residents, and never leave a fire unattended. See section 5.7 of your Tenancy Agreement for more info.
Everything Else
All non-compostable materials should be removed from the allotments. This includes glass, plastic, metal, stones, fabric materials like weed suppressant etc. Anything else which can’t be burned or composted, including anything with fungal infection, such as tomato blight.
More Info
Here is a link to the National Allotment Society advice on composting: nsalg.org.uk/growing-advice/composting