Trailoftears

I'm sorry to hear the oucome.But if you can get it done for the budget,I guess its viable.After all-whats a new equivalent now-4 figures no doubt.

Sorry,bit off topic.But DOGS-and worse their owners-its "dont worry I've looked all over the lawns and cleared it all up".Yeh right!*#Also,their idea of clearing it up is smearing it all over the bloody lawn areas.Ive still got to cut the grass/clean my decks and God forbid I miss a bit and it gets into the mower wheel treads thence into my vehicle 😤Forgive the pun,but people really need to get their (and Fido's) shit together.

I've nowt against cats tbh-got 1 myself.BUT,when doing a strimming job in rough grass on a Monday morn in your nice clean clothes and getting plastered in it in finely graded particles from your boots to your steel visor-Then I am NOT a happy chappie! That's when I instinctively know its gonna be one of those weeks....

Nice=pretty much everything else in moderation.cardboard ripped into bits when wet is really good.Nothing wrong with grass clippings-in moderation.Coarse grass is fine to use-more air in it?the usual household scraps.fairly large amounts of 2" privet clippings is great (green and brown)wood ash-scattered-not 10 soggy buckets of it all dumped in the same spot! Windblown apples are ok within reason,say 2 buckets scattered-not 13 barrowfulls.The last cut of grass mixed with leaves-preferabbly leaves that colour up, after being mowed is lovely.

Naughty=ecxrement from meat-eating animals.Meat/fish waste (rats)-tho they turn up and birth in some hard winters anyway.Perennial weeds-anything with a tap root is a no-no.apricot/peach stones.Eggshells hang around for ages,unless crushed first.Teabags-usually plastic cased now.Stuff thats really woody-cabbage/broccoli stems etc-though ok if you crush them up with a mower/lawn tractor.so-called biodegradable plastic bags.I think they are the main offenders?

Connected to a 12v battery? 👍

I'm asked time and time again-'how do we keep cats out of our garden'.Whist I (internally) suggest air rifles/gin traps-My general diplomatic answer is-you can't.I do know how to stop them crapping in your prize tubs containing tulip bulbs/baby bedding plants-short wiggly lengths of barbed wire (try burying that tigger),or perhaps more humanely short holly sprigs set vertically.Some Years ago you used to be able to buy bags of Lion poo-now I BET that put the fear of God into them!

Agree re: the comments above with wood ash,hardwood residue is q.potash rich.Coal-aargh!Feel free to occasionally slash in/on your pile-but NOT when your female employer is in the general vicinity 😳

3 connected wooden bays for me, which allows for rotation.Ideally all with hinged wooden lids which allows control over drying/wetting.Each bay 4-5 ft square.top of each heap covered with carpet offcuts to keep the wee beasties warm and snug.If no carpet available-flat cardboard boxes are good.If money's tight wooden pallets work ok for back/sides/inner partitions.each box gets a front face of slats of 6x1" for ease of removal/monitoring readiness. Remember TOM-temp+oxygen+moisture. Or WAM-warmth/air/moisture.

I forgive you-absolutely.However,in the 'next place' it might not go so well.There will be ample heat and turning aplenty too- indeed I'm seeing rotation,hot bonfires,skewers etc.Remember-there's still time to mend your ways.... 👹

Wow,now that's a handsome devil 👍

Absolutely,again,given the size/variety of materials/temps are good,You've now created a little World,an ecosystem,a varied community who are all bent on feeding and living harmoniously in an incredibly efficient manner.Whe you think about it the last thing they want is some lunatic with a pitchfork laying waste to their painstakingly constructed World!

As to turning (he shudders at the very Idea). Assuming you roughly know what your at-dimensions/materials etc. Picture this scene of domestic harmony.Its Saturday night,Your wage-slavery stint is done.The work boots are off and you lovingly cradle your 3d tin of lager within your horny hands,she who must be adored and humoured is on her 3d large glass of pinot grigiot (the 3d glass seems to help kill the awful aroma emanating from your wool-rich clad feet). Little Johny and Mary stare avidly at their smartphones/tablets and are blessedly quiet.In the background the large T.V drones providing a moving background to stare vacantly at.In short-all is well in you and yours World. Suddenly,Your house is ripped from it's very foundations,a massive rheumy eye glares at you through the window in a malevolent way.Suddenly the whole dwelling is sharply turned upside down then back up-several times.Not content with this,this massive alien entity shakes the whole entity back and fore rather like a recalcitrant ketchup bottle.Well,by now the booze has gone for a burton,the t.v. is history and leaving aside the manifold broken limbs all round,it now falls to you to gently remove state of the art tech hardware from your children's orifices.

* counter! 😳

Good Compost making is rather like your diet/sex life-variety is the spice of life.Over-indulge in just one facet/component and it becomes both tedious-and all too soon-couner productive too 😉

This what I slightly feared,Concrete bays/turning with low loaders.Turning!The horror-THE HORROR.He walks away shaking his head sadly whilst brushing an inadvertent tear from the corners of his eyes.

You sir,are obviously a philistine. 😳☹️

You sir,are obviously a philistine. 😳☹️

Those little black plastic jobbies are really efficient possibly because most are black,so presumably 'cook' the contents really quickly.The flaps for emptying are pretty crap-but at least give you a view of the stage of breakdown.I just lift the whole structure off and go from there when its time.

And as to hedgehogs-which struggle of course-leaving aside the road carnage.I know of only 2 animals that are effective killers-tho there are possibly more.A terrier will watch and wait,as soon as the wee creature eventually re-opens its body,they pounce,again and again etc.The best killer tho is the badger,I work at a property with a huge network of setts,its fairly routine to walk the woodland paths and find hedgehog skins inverted and tossed aside like discarded banana skins.Whilst I'm not into the lets kill badgers coz of tb gig,They are like us-opportunists/omnivores.Curlew /pheasant/duck nests-all eggs gone.Really big lamb bodies in the woods completely beheaded-they just take the Brains-best bit.They dont mess about!

I'm starting to rant here-but if I spend 20 odd mins on my knees painstakenly planting say,100 lettuce/salad plants at a customers then find nxt morning they've been scoffed by adventurous,bold molluscs-I'll not be a happy bunny-in fact I'll be something like an extremely pissed off were-bunny,and slug pellets will be used albeit sparingly.Ive been schlepping around gardens/veg patches for many/many moons-I've yet to see a single bird/hedgehog imbibe them.On the other hand, I've picked up literally dozens of broken-knecked birds outside conservatories.Not noticed any popular movement to start ripping out the pvc monstrosities yet tho?

And of course,this IS the issue with being environmently friendly-everyones into it until their ethics collide with their pockets,wants needs,etc. I look after a few mansions/farms etc with extensive grounds.Many of which have extensive gravel drives/turn arounds etc.Some owners mention their ethical concerns with me 'spotting' these hard surface areas with glyphosate treatment.So here's your choices then,would you like me to spend my entire morning visit on my hands and knees (in an effin rage)and I'll not be back matey/or shall I call up my extensive team of victorian urchins who given a shilling an hour will fall to this menial task with much gusto?Or,shall I spend 10 minutes spotting your gravel areas which will keep it clean for approx.A month 🤔🙄

Still-tho its not entirely fair,I DO think its up to us 'pro's to attempt to educate them-they know the score ok-and dont wish to look 'uncool',they know-we know its their issue-not ours tbh,I find its easy enuff to shame them.My line is-do you really WANT to make 4 or 5 barely fluffy helpless Song thrush chicks starve not 5 metres from your kitchen window?Do you,Do you REALLY want that to happen-honestly? 🤔

Absolutely,you respectfully point out the 'recommendations',which most customers 'get',on the other hand some of my customers completely freak out seeing an inch of growth on their usually extensive privet hedges.Its like the 'omg-there's yellow blooms on my lawns',the day after you've just cut them!O.c.d issues I fear-how DARE stuff grow 🙄

Never mind the rats nest aka the covid 19 thread-lets get REALLY controversial here-how do you do yours-turn/not turn merchant?Ideal size?no.of bins? Grass in/noway? Bring it on....