Using re-cycled Beer and Cider.....

We gardeners are not scared of getting mucky down on the allotment.

To be blunt, if it comes out of the rear end of most animals it is good for the garden. Has anyone smelled chicken poo? How about cows? horses?... you get my drift. One has to keep up with tetanus injections of course. This is so important to improve the texture of the soil, preserving moisture, and providing nitrogen.

Now to the basics. A good compost heap requires Nitrogen and Carbon. Nitrogen is found in green waste such as grass and leaves, and waste liquid....er.. such as re-cycled tea, beer, cider etc. Carbon is found in dry brown matter such as straw, twigs, newspaper and cardboard. A good compost heap should be turned and kept moist. The most apt analogy is that you should aim for a "Bolognaise" sauce instead of a "Lasagne". I have previously mentioned my nettle stew bucket, but next to that is another, half filled with water, then topped up every now and then with re-cycled tea (in my case). Now this is extremely practical, and saves having to tread muddy footprints all over the carpet indoors. Do you get my drift?