Our New Composting Program

To all our allotment holders and fellow gardeners, our new composting program is now in effect. Even though we had lots of composters, the green waste was not being chopped up sufficiently enough to make decomposition work fast enough. Whole plants do not compost as quickly as ones chopped into smaller pieces. So what could we do? 

 We sent out a message asking gardeners if they wanted to take over a composter to make their own black gold. So far we have over eight composters that are being managed by allotment holders for their own use.

You will know if the composter is for private use of that gardener by the numbers painted on top. This is also the same for West Coast Seeds who have their name on one large wooden composter.

 You will also notice that several composters are displaying this sign. Please do not add green material to these composters as they are full of 'almost ready to use' compost which we hope to use for a new garden. It just needs a few weeks and a few able bodied people to dig it out and place it where we want to use it.

So where are you going to place your garden trimmings? At each end of the composting stations there is a large blue garbage can on wheels. Please place your trimmings in here for now and the directors will chop them up this summer. In the last two weeks the directors have been pulling apart the existing composters and having to re-cut the green material in them and re-layer it. This is a lot of work. If you think you have lots of green trimmings, you could grab a pair of grass shears from the shed and chop them up with that. Its way faster than using hand pruners. 

If any of you still want to manage your own compost, please let one of the directors know. We will gladly assign one to you. 

Upon removing some the composters on the east side we happened upon a bees nest underground. They are still active so exercise caution when in that area. Just try not to walk across the compost base where they are. 

Happy Harvests,

 Kristin