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Well, I finally got Rick to turn the compost and I screened it, and from 1 pile we got 6 - 10 gallon containers of compost and there's still 2 more piles to be screened!

I will continue with it tomorrow, but my back has had enough for today.

We're terribly behind with everything, but should be able to get a lot done in the next few days if the weather holds.

We've got a lot to do and all the help I had lined up has vanished like a puff of smoke, so theres just Rick, myself and Rolly, our sweet tenant to do all this, and we're gardening for Rolly's Mum too.

Plus planters to fill for a friend in Victoria and a bit of roto-tilling to do yet.

Ah well, we finally have a heater for the greenhouse and can finish certain plants in there or in the house if need be.

Lois
I edited this to read 6 containers because I posted before I got finished

Ah, I got Mr Grubby to give our compost a good stir last weekend, and a rat jumped up at him!! He had to do something unpleasant with a pitch fork while I distracted our 2 year old and attempted to keep 4 very interested hens away...

having a small space my compost is in a container - but no matter how much I water it there are still ants in it Grrrr

Try using a tighter lid on your container. I use a small bucket from a restaurant. It was a mayonnaise bucket and has a tight sealing lid.

Thanks YG
It has a firm lid but lots of holes in the base - aquired through the local authority and it's supposed to compost All kitchen waste (cooked food, meat, bones, fat, oil, everything!!) as well as garden waste. It's a trial run and they want me to report on it in September, supposed to 'hot compost' but needs to be stored in shade - maybe I haven't got it shady enough, it's difficult to find a place for it in a narrow front garden.

My other compost bin which used to be a plastic dustbin is in the back yard and is ant free

Try some peppermint oil in it, or round it - ants hate it.

Meat is a NO-NO in compost, ditto for fats, fish is okay,eggg shells and tea bags, but your council is nuts if they said to put your meat scraps in.!

Lois

I put meat scraps and fat in mine - both cooked and raw... when Cat decides to catch something they get laid to rest in the compost...and I have no problems.
I think they are supposed to attract rats but we don't get rats here so Also my compost gets really hot, we have the biggest bins the council could provide, I think they are about 2 cubic metres.

Green Aura wrote:Try some peppermint oil in it, or round it - ants hate it.

Thats the thing - I'd totally forgotten that, thanks

Edit bytheway THISis the compost bin

Almost all that compost has been used on the garden now and though we're behind, things are growing well.

The spaghetti squash grew through the fence and I've got to train it back, and theres enough spinach to feed an Ish size army.

95 tomato plants ( after the deer ate some) , We are going to have enough tomatoes for an Ish size army too!

We're going to freeze strawberries today, and probably some rhubarb too.

After I harvest the potato plant in the other compost heap I will screen that pile and put it on the garden in the fall.

We are managing okay without Rick, but he'd better hurry up and get back, there's lots of weeding to be done and he's going to do a lot of it.

Talk about irresponsible-taking off at the height of garden season!

So he'll get a good dose of responsibility when he gets back to remind him where he is supposed to be at all times!

And if any of you out there with counselling degrees can think of a better way to punish a 54 yr old man with the mentality of a teenager, I'm open to suggestions!

Lois