Recycled Brown Bin Compost.

[Tha Ulsterscot]

Anyone using this compost on grassland ? I make haylage every year and have no livestock, I'm very reluctant to import Slurry or Dung as in the past I've found that it's a great way to import weeds /docks etc. It seems that at times this compost can be obtained FOC, so just thinking it might be a useful soil conditionert. Woul like to hear some opinions.

 

[deleted user 837354]

I would go with all the slurry and dung you can get. The value of this is enormous- certainly it would more than pay for you to spray every acre for docks every year if you did it.

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

I would go with all the slurry and dung you can get. The value of this is enormous- certainly it would more than pay for you to spray every acre for docks every year if you did it.

I know that there is very little nutrient value in the compost, but it would add Organic matter, and therefore be beneficial to the soil.

 

[deleted user 837354]

I know that there is very little nutrient value in the compost, but it would add Organic matter, and therefore be beneficial to the soil.

For sure, but the muck and slurry whilst it might contain some weed seeds, the value of the nutrients in it will be off the scale (especially given the cost of fertiliser these days) and more than offset the cost of any weed spraying.

 

[delilah]

It seems that at times this compost can be obtained FOC,

There is a reason for that.

There's millions of 'degradable' , 'biodegradable' and 'compostable' plastic bags being sold to the public to put their garden waste in. I forget which, but some of these terms allow the use of plastic polymer interspersed with starch polymer, meaning that when the starch breaks down you are left with micro-plastic.

As with sewage sludge, micro plastics from municipal compost is a ticking time bomb for farmers. At some point that land is going to be regarded as contaminated by the buyer of your produce.

 

[JockCroft]

There is a reason for that.

There's millions of 'degradable' , 'biodegradable' and 'compostable' plastic bags being sold to the public to put their garden waste in. I forget which, but some of these terms allow the use of plastic polymer interspersed with starch polymer, meaning that when the starch breaks down you are left with micro-plastic.

As with sewage sludge, micro plastics from municipal compost is a ticking time bomb for farmers. At some point that land is going to be regarded as contaminated by the buyer of your produce.

Read recently on a Gardening article, complaints about bagged compost thats very twiggy, but also containing broken glass and "Needles". Did not specify what type of needle, but assume not the sewing type.

 

[delilah]

Read recently on a Gardening article, complaints about bagged compost thats very twiggy, but also containing broken glass and "Needles". Did not specify what type of needle, but assume not the sewing type.

The householder can be as careful with their segregation as they like, but once that bin is put on the pavement the night before collection day it can be used by anyone needing to get rid of stuff they would rather not have on their person should plod stop them.

 

[solo]

Farmer near me used to have brown bin recycling on farm but when spread the amount of plastic in it was quite unbelievable. Go and have a good look before accepting it would be my advice.

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

We're on the shores of Strangeford Lough, and when I was at school dad used to cart seaweed into the shore fields and spread it with the rota spreader. It was great for the ground and a good fertiliser, but now, even if we were allowed to cart it off the shore, there is so much plastic in it that it would not be worth the hassle.

 

[bluebell]

Isnt it terrible plastic, more been used than ever we all, including every animal, breath it in and eat it, in a micro form, found all over the world now?

 

[bluebell]

Ulsterscot, how long ago are you talking about when you used to get seaweed for fertilizer, i bet its about 50 odd years, you know what there was a time not that long ago when most "things" that are now made of plastic were made of "natural" materials, examples, bottles, glass, when broken in the sea would get ground down to a natual material, rope/string, bags/sacks, just a few that could still be made from natural materials

 

[Nearly]

Our neighbour puts docks and blackgrass into their green bin.

We had some biosolids with green waste mixed in. It grew a green cover over the pile in a month. Full of plastic and stainless cutlery.
They took it back.

Take a bucket of water and throw a handfull in to see what floats or sinks.

 

[PSQ]

I know that there is very little nutrient value in the compost, but it would add Organic matter, and therefore be beneficial to the soil.

I've spread a fair bit of compost.
First year was about 1300 tonnes, finely screened.
Second year, about 900t, bit they'd opened the screen up to get through the pile quicker as "diesel costs have gone up" and there was a lot of small plastic in it, everything from clothes pegs to sweet wrappers and plant labels etc.
Year 3, I told them I didn't want any, as every time I walk the fields I come back with pocketfuls of plastic crap.

If you actually look at the analysis of compost, there isn't much value in it: somewhere in the region of a massive 50% moisture, 10-15% sand and grit, a chunk of OM that contains around 1% of P&K and grams per tonne of trace elements, but in the grand scheme of things very little is actually being brought to the party long term. It's a lot of work for very little tangible benefit.

 

[deleted user 837354]

As above, there often isn't much nutrient value in compost, though it can be a great soil improver as the organic matter levels of it are high.

 

[Filthyfarmer]

Farmer near me used to have brown bin recycling on farm but when spread the amount of plastic in it was quite unbelievable. Go and have a good look before accepting it would be my advice.

Plus the dog and cat sh*t

 

[Tha Ulsterscot]

Would the composting process not kill any seeds in the finished product?

 

[Sheep]

Depends how well it's been composted really and the method used.

Highly reputable company obv preferred...

Ideal for land that's low in OM%. Gets a bit of biological activity going, but tbh I don't think it's much benefit in high om, nutrient dense ground.

 

[deleted user 837354]

Would the composting process not kill any seeds in the finished product?

Generally, yes, elevated temperatures causes seeds to either germinate, or perish. In AD plants, the increased temperature tends to encourage them to germinate and open up, after which the enzymes around them eat them.

 

[Muddyroads]

This green waste compost does my ground a lot of good. How much comes from brown bins I don’t know, but if i store it in a field for a couple of months, you can see the benefit to the crop in that area for 2-3 years at least.

 

[deleted user 837354]

That is very similar to the compost I have some experience of. I looked and looked and couldn't find any plastic in it. Couldn't find much of anything plant based, either. Just that friable black stuff you have there. Quite heavy, too. Certainly made you OOoooof when the loader dropped a lump of it in.