and heap has to be one of the most important areas of any allotment or garden. Mine comprises four pallets between the shed and the blackberry bush. The one alongside the path is removable for easy access. I put most things on the heap, don’t turn it and empty once a year round about now.
Thursday morning was cold and sunny, which was ideal, so I borrowed a neighbour’s wheelbarrow and got started.
I picked out the white bindweed roots, along with any other wanted bits, as I filled the barrow. This year I got about ten full three cubic feet loads which I put out on the vegetable patches. Once empty I forked the ground in the bin over, added any un-composted material, put the pallet back and tidied up.
All in all a good morning’s plotting and thankfully not too strenuous. On Friday morning I raked the piles of compost out over the ground ready to dig in at my leisure over the coming weeks. Keeping me company on both days were a pair of robins.
Have a good week!
Flighty's plot 
A very familiar tale! I have 3 bins, all the plastic “dalek” type. I’m going to empty them soon and put the material in my new raised beds.
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Mark I’m sure it is. Good for you. Cheers.
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Oh I have compost envy! I agree with you that the compost pile or heap is the most essential thing on any plot. Having only moved in Autumn we are at the beginning of creating our compost heaps and I could really do with an awful lot of compost to improve the soil in our new vegetable garden. I look forward to seeing how you plot comes along with its latest compost boost. It looks dark and rich and lovely. x
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Liz thanks. Good for you. I’m sure that you’ll soon be adding lots of material to your heaps. Me too. It sure was. xx
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Flighty, how do your pallets fit together please? I’m at the beginning of veg growing etc in new garden and want to put some compost bins in. Ready-made ones seem so expensive for what they are. Any tips gratefully received!
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Artsnplants hello. I use large eye hooks. I took a photo which I’ll email to you along with some details. I hope that helps. xx
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Ha ha, I was going to ask if the robin was following you round. I’m without a compost bin at the moment, I had some at the plot and I also had a dalek type one in the garden but it came to the end of its life and I haven’t yet replaced it.
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Jo they were flitting around all the time I was there that morning. You really should get a bin for the garden, it’s well worthwhile as I’m sure you realise. xx
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How do you put those pallets together? The compost looks wonderful and it must give you a sense of accomplishment to have it spread. When you say you put “most things on the heap”, what doesn’t get put in there?
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Liz I use large eye hooks. I’ll send you a picture next time I email you. It’s as good as it looks and yes now it’s spread over the ground I’m well pleased. Bindweed roots and anything too twiggy is about all I don’t put on the heap. xx
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A good compost bin is a thing of beauty. So very satisfying to spread homemade compost over the garden isn’t it. I need to empty a couple of mine, you have reminded me. Wishing you a good week of plotting. CJ xx
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CJ mine’s hardly that but it’s what comes out of it that’s all important. It sure is. Have fun when you do! Thanks, and you too. xx
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Wow, that is the lowest-maintenance compost heap I’ve ever seen.
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Nikki it’s certainly that apart from emptying it out. xx
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I must do this too! Good looking compost.
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Zoe do it’s so worthwhile doing. Thanks. xx
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I appreciate that you upcycled old pallets to make your compost bin work…I would like to see more folks do this.
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Charlie pallets are probably the most recycled items on allotments over here. People even take them apart and build sheds with them. Cheers.
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Great looking compost. I need to shut down my first pallet bin, next weekend, as its full, and try to make a second bin, out of remaining scraps of wood.
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Jo-Ann thanks. It sounds like you’re doing well with composting. xx
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Lovely stuff! I’ve just extended my compost bin collection with a new homemade pallet one. I don’t turn my compost; I don’t even bother digging it in after spreading it. Do you put cotton/wool clothes in your compost bin?
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Sarah it sure is. Well done. I’ve really only room for this one, but thankfully I’ve never yet filled it up. Good for you. If I emptied it in the autumn I wouldn’t dig mine in either. I have done occasionally. xx
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What an innovative and compact way to do things!
Is there not the possibility of re-introducing unwanted weeds and other gardening nuisances with the heap, since you say you do not do anything with the material that is composting?
xx
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Menhir thanks. That is always a possibility but so far I’ve had no problems. xx
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I love my compost bins too. I have 2 here, plus another 7 at the allotment. It’s time to empty mine as well…
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VP spoken like a true allotmenteer. Good for you. Have fun… xx
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Just popped in to add a link to your post 🙂
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Okay, and thanks. xx
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AWESOME must sort mind out got to downsize as you know but thats just moving one into the back taking it out from the front to the back have a blessed day
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Linda thanks. Take care when you do that. You too. xx
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It’s a job that I’ve still to do – there’s always something, isn’t there? I’ve heard that rats like to nest in warm compost, particularly when it’s not disturbed often, and that would put me off having open compost bins. I like my beehive composter, especially since I can bolt it shut so no-one is tempted to put rubbish in it!
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Caro indeed there is. Mice certainly do, and probably rats especially if it’s an undisturbed heap. I can see why you like yours. xx
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How wonderful to have all that compost, it’s great to create your own isn’t it, so much on the shelves these days is poor.xxx
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Snowbird it sure is, on both counts, As you say bought compost often isn’t that good nowadays. xx
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Well done on the continued preparation of your plot. It will be in fine form for planting 🙂 The robins were probably spying on any goodies that might be turned up in the ‘tasty’ looking category. 😉
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Glo thanks, it was good to make the most of a couple of fair weather days. I sure hope it will. They appeared to be doing just that, and it was good to stand and watch them. xx
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Not surprised the robins were with you, it must be their favourite time of year when Flighty is emptying the compost bin! It looks good stuff, proper crumbly stuff. Yes I’ve got one like yours and two black plastic ones on my plot. You can’t ever have enough compost!!
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Annie I was pleased to see a pair of them. It sure was good stuff. Good for you, and I agree that we cab never have enough. xx
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A lovely job, always a wonderful achievement when opening up the compost bins and seeing what has been made from waste xx
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Joanne thanks, and yes it certainly. And it’s all for free as well. xx
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That looks like some good stuff, Flighty. I bet you’re glad you made the most of the dry weather now another storm has arrived.
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Matt it’s as good as it looks. Yes,it’s always good when I can make the most of such days at this time of year.
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I love compost. I think it is a really magical thing to put all that rubbish into the bin and it turns into such lovely useful stuff. I have 4 dalek bins and a leaf bin at home in the garden. At the allotment my husband built a wonderful set of compost bins by recycling wood found on the allotment. There are three compost bins, two manure bins and a leaf bin.
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Margaret hello, and welcome. I hope that all gardeners do. As you say there’s a touch of magic to what happens. Well done, it sounds like you produce a lot of compost. xx
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Black magic indeed 🙂 I have a compost bin in the garden, a couple at the allotment and a worm bin in the shed. It’s amazing how the robins always appear when compost is being spread. I wonder if they can smell the worms.
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Anna hello, and welcome. Good for you. I think that robins see us and hope that they’ll be getting a treat or two of some kind. Regardless it’s always good to see them xx
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Wonderful stuff, isn’ t it? So satisfying having your own homemade compost to use.
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Chloris it sure is, on both counts. xx
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