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I put a lot of prunings from fruit shrubs in addition to vegetable trimmings in the compost heap. Someone told me the other day that it would take a couple of years to compost down - is that right? If so, what can I do to speed it up? There's also a bit of soil in there.

the best way to speed it up is to shred it, or take your pruners and snip all the bits up really small and then put them into the bottom of the heap where they will get the wettest, which will help them to break down.

And pee on them.

Green Aura wrote:And pee on them.

Yep - that's what I do, too!

I've got a whole heap of twigs that need using up; I intend to build another raised bed and will put a layer of chopped twigs in the bottom, before filling up with compost and whatever else comes to hand.

Hmm... I'll just have to be patient, then.

if I don't shred the twiggy bits, they emerge uncomposted ... and I put them round again for another cycle.
Maybe I should soak them first... nice idea

I've had the same problem but have "solved" it by using the twigs as fuel ( great for something like a bread oven and also works well in the barbecue ) and then simply adding the resultant ashes to the soil or compost heap.

Fruittreeprunings are apparently also good for smokingfood. It's supposed to give your food wonderfull flavour. Mind you I've never done it...

Greets,
Roos

No I've never tried it as I haven't got round to building a smoker yet but have in the past chipped up fruit woods as well as oak for a friend of a friend who used it for smoking.

I give fruit tree prunings, they are very partial to apple wood, to my rabbits to chew up, they love them, so you could always find a local bunny

I can remember coming home one day to find my father had cut up some bits of treated roof lath and had given them to the rabbits in an attempt to stop them chewing the doors of the sheds. Seemed to work as they certainly chomped on the treated timber and I expected to find a scene of mass bunny mortality but it didn't affect them at all , indeed some of them were practically ancient when they finally died.

Skippy wrote: indeed some of them were practically ancient when they finally died.

Fantastic stuff that preservative!