Bamboo - Wood ash

[Guest guest]

>You could probabaly live a decent life just

>from what you get in dumpsters in the US or skips in London (I have

>experience, I lived next to the famous Portobello Market in Londons West

>End for a while).

 

This is so right. My whole house (flat) is actually fitted out with recycled

materials from such places.

Where we lived by Croome Court (Caitanya College) there was a man who built

an entire cricket bat factory out of skipped materials.

 

It is of great interest to me to look into the possibilities of collecting

from houses as part of a sponsored effort to help the community in which you

live. Of course it is difficult with languages and other things but the

example is apparently held in Bavaria Germany, where they actually have a

inspector who goes round to see if you are recycling properly. They provide

different bins for different things - you have to comply.

 

>but the leaf mulch is pervaded with pine

>needles which are acidic, and our soil is supposed to be acidic too, so I

>am paranoid about using pine needles in compost (we are getting the soil

>test done next week hopefully.) I have heard in some places that once you

>compost pine needles they become neutral in the process, but I am not sure

>if this

>is the case.

 

At Bhaktivedanta Manor I have been composting pine needles with all manner

of leaves for years. We make excellent leafmould compost which we suggest to

you mix with regular other compost 50:50. It makes excellent seed compost.

We have had 100 per cent germination. Wood ashes, but not coal ash should be

added at a rate of half a pound per square yard of compost to balance

acidity.

 

Pine needle compost.

 

This can be made exclusivley and used as a mulch between strawberry rows as

it has an excellent effect upon their flavour. Also serves as a good

moisture retaining mulch with other brushwoods and foliage.