Cabin Fever and Composting

Posted on 23. Jan, 2011 by Tracey in Veg Plot

Over the past few weeks I have been suffering with Cabin Fever but yesterday I wimped out of the most hated job in the garden – tidying up the compost bin, actually its a job I’ve been putting off for ages and I’ve been quite good at putting it off, for almost a year now. But on the upside the food, plant and soil waste has been composting for a year so should be lovely and rich. Today I decided I was a ‘Woman on a Mission’ to tackle this dirty job, well someones got to do it…

Action Plan Sunday 23rd January

• Decide what vegetable plants to keep and whats got to go,
• Tidy up all three vegetable plots, remove dead plant material, dig over plots and rake soil level,
• Remove Compost Bin from garden, dig home-made compost into veg plots and rake level, any excess gets spread on the flower borders,
• Put all dead plant material into darlek compost bin.
• Measure out plot where compost bin used to be, to price up wood for another raised bed – Yipee!

Foreman 'Ted' Cat

As you can see from the photo, I had foreman Ted (my cat) overseeing things on the plot where he was doing a soil test with his back paws.

Two hours later, exhausted and with beginnings of backache, I have achieved my goals and it feels great and very invigorating, I’m glad that all the hard work has got me somewhere and excited that I can finally add a forth raised bed to my vegetable plans for the new season.

My home-made compost was dark, rich and crumbly with remnants of stringy plant material but its all good stuff, I can’t wait to see my runner beans grow in that lovely stuff. Of course the most important thing is I have saved money by not buying multipurpose compost and fertiliser which usually comes to about £30.

Flower Bed Weeds

This year for me is all about saving money by growing what we usually eat from the supermarket but with better taste and organically grown. In my first year I didn’t buy any vegetables from the supermarket from April to September, my vegetable plot sustained me and the other half and half the office (in runner beans!). If I can do that this year but extending it for longer by freezing or building up stores of vegetables, I will be a happy bunny.

So what will I be doing next week? my 2nd most hated job in the garden – Weeding… I hope its raining..

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Other Posts you may be Interested in:

• 10 Reasons To Start Growing Organic Vegetables in your Garden
• Vegetable Garden Maintenance Jobs To Do Before Spring
• Types of Organic Fertilizers for your Vegetable Garden
• How To Use Organic Fertiliser in your Vegetable Garden

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