Compostable packaging

This has been known for some time, compostable packaging does not compost in a garden compost heap. And most households lack a compost heap, let alone a well made one. The compostable packaging is destined for an industrial biodegrader.

This has been known for some time, compostable packaging does not compost in a garden compost heap. And most households lack a compost heap, let alone a well made one. The compostable packaging is destined for an industrial biodegrader.https://t.co/4vAs8Q2X9n#compost #coffee

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) November 4, 2023

No excuse for takeaway coffee cups, sit and relax at the coffee shop with the coffee served in glass or ceramic.

Compostable coffee pods are problematic, jam the machine, don’t breakdown on the compost heap. I am though finding they are improving. And can always throw back on the compost heap.

With aluminium coffee pods, you need a gadget to invert the pod and extract the spent coffee grounds. Stack the depleted pods, throw in the recycling bin. The spent coffee grounds scatter on the compost heap or on the garden.

With the compost heap, I find accepted wisdom can be ignored. It is not necessary to turn the heap. Need a mix of materials, stick in a fork to loosen the compost heap.

#compost #packaging #recycling

Lawn repair and compost bins

Compost forked and lifted, Grind compostable coffee pods added.

More work to repair damaged lawn.

compost bins #compost #garden pic.twitter.com/EbVLTY9bBS

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) August 3, 2023

compostable @grind coffee capsules compost bins #compost #garden #coffee pic.twitter.com/az4UlnYdDj

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) August 3, 2023

apples #garden pic.twitter.com/T1jiocStyX

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) August 3, 2023

apples #garden pic.twitter.com/OvjREos0X5

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) August 3, 2023

compost bins #compost #garden pic.twitter.com/ol6jC32KLX

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) August 3, 2023

lawn repair #garden pic.twitter.com/Ew3Qs2FNJm

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) August 3, 2023

lawn repair #garden pic.twitter.com/VOE7rcVvLq

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) August 3, 2023

Lawn repair

Another row of soil and compost, raked.

Today, grass seed sown.

Ordered: compost, grass seed, compost accelerator.

Lawn repair

Each day a row of soil and compost.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday Monday … break due to rain … Sunday.

Hard work.

Then sow grass seed.

Chafer beetles lay eggs, the grubs eat the grass roots, birds dig up the lawn to eat the grubs, leaving looking like WWII tank battle has taken place.

Weeks of heavy rain, followed by a hot hot dry  spell, the ground cracked.

Dig out compost from compost heap, and soil from the vegetable patch, spread on the damaged area.

Will then need reseeding with grass seed.

Never had a problem with chafer beetles before. Is this due to the hot dry summer last year, climate change.

Chafer beetle

The beetles lay eggs, out hatch grubs that eat grassroots. The grass dies. Birds dig out the grubs making the lawn look like a tank battle has taken place.

Chafer beetles

The beetles lay eggs, out hatch grubs that eat grassroots. The grass dies. Birds dig out the grubs making the lawn look like a tank battle has taken place

Lincoln Cathedral has sowed affected area with wild flowers. #LincolnCathedral #Lincoln pic.twitter.com/RQoC85n7BO

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) July 14, 2023

Wildflower meadow Lincoln Cathedral #grass #meadow #Lincoln pic.twitter.com/Y6oQOnYtoN

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) July 14, 2023

Wildflower meadow Lincoln Cathedral #grass #meadow #Lincoln pic.twitter.com/evyzDW3EnY

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) July 14, 2023

Wildflower meadow Lincoln Cathedral #grass #meadow #Lincoln pic.twitter.com/uEKQf6Ylmy

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) July 14, 2023

The damaged area at Lincoln Cathedral has been turned into a wildflower meadow rather than attempt to restore the lawns. At a guess they have sowed with wild flower seeds.

I would turn the entire area into a hay meadow.

It explains the problem I am having with the front lawn. Destroyed by chafer beetle, then the birds digging for grubs.

When I walked on the lawn it appeared to be floating. That would be the roots destroyed.

Now a lot of hard work to restore

Compost and lawn repair

Lawn overgrown, vegetable beds overgrown,, lawn in serious need of repair.

Dig out compost, spread in damaged areas.

I noticed today, large areas cracked like drift out mud flats. Not good. I should have started spreading compost over this area. .

Garden compost and lawn repair

Digging out compost heap and spreading on damaged lawn. I don’t think I have enough.

Parts of the lawn cracked, like dried out mud flats.

I bought grass seed earlier in the week. Do I sow now? Too hot and dry ?

Lawn not been cut for three weeks. Do I leave as a hay meadow, let seed, then cut end of June?

Vegetable beds overgrown.

Digging out compost and repairing lawn

Digging out compost heap, spreading on damaged parts of the lawn.

Garden compost and lawn

As I thought when I dumped compost on the bad patches in the lawn last Wednesday (too waterlogged to rake), the rain (that and the birds), would spread it around.

This morning, a repeat of the exercise, dig out the compost heap and toss on the lawn. Not as waterlogged as a few days agou. I could have raked, Decided not to, let nature do the work. When I dug deeper, waterlogged.

I must buy lawn seed. Not possible last week, heavy rain. I need to seed the lawn. Should have been weeks ago, before turns hot and dry. But first, the gardener spike the lawns.

Garden compost and lawn

Half an hour or so this morning, digging out the compost heap and dumping on the lawn.

Compost dug out dumped on the lawn. Too wet to rake. Let the rain do the work. pic.twitter.com/2V81r4Fcow

— Keith Parkins (@keithpp) May 10, 2023

Only partially rotted and too wet to rake. I will let the rain do the work.

I had to keep rescuing compost worms.

What I suspected two days ago, I did not find many coffee capsules, they are in the semi-rotted compost. But even here, not many. I toss them into the new compost heap.