Compost Duvets Help Worms Work Even Harder

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compost, compost bin, Composting, duvet, gardening works, heat retainer, heat retention

Did you know that Compost Duvets will enable the worms to work harder as the weather chills in all that extra autumnal organic waste?

They will also make cocoons all winter which will all hatch in early spring. This will make a big difference to the speed of composting when spring arrives and you get a huge burst of hungry young worms in the compost.

How they work: like a conventional Duvet in that any heat below causes the stuffing to swell up and provide a physical barrier preventing the natural heat from escaping. This concept has proved to maintain high temperatures within the compost, both day and night. This heat can be maintained for up to 10 days.  It will also keep out frosts in winter so that the worms can work all year round. The Duvet fits snugly into the wooden bins but it can be used on any compost pile.

Our Compost Duvets are available in a choice of two sizes and if you’d like further details simply click here.

Compost Duvets Really Do Help Worms Work Harder and Make Faster Compost

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compost bins, compost duvet, Composting, gardening works, hot bins, wooden composter

Did you know that Compost Duvets will enable the worms to work harder as the weather chills in all that extra autumnal organic waste?

They will also make cocoons all winter which will all hatch in early spring. This will make a big difference to the speed of composting when spring arrives and you get a huge burst of hungry young worms in the compost.

How they work: like a conventional Duvet in that any heat below causes the stuffing to swell up and provide a physical barrier preventing the natural heat from escaping. This concept has proved to maintain high temperatures within the compost, both day and night. This heat can be maintained for up to 10 days.  It will also keep out frosts in winter so that the worms can work all year round. The Duvet fits snugly into the wooden bins but it can be used on any compost pile.

So why not add one to your compost bin and give it a helping hand to make all that lovely compost!

Seven Top Reasons Why Using A Wooden Raised Bed Will Make A Huge Difference

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benefits, disability, easy access, FSC vegetable plots, FSC wooden raised beds, gardening works, grow your own, gyo, raised bed, raised beds, wooden

More and more schools and gardeners are discovering the benefits of growing in Raised Beds. Here are the top seven reasons to use one!

1. You can match the type of soil in your Raised Wooden Bed to suit your plants or if you live in an area with poor or heavy clay soil you can fill your Wooden Raised Beds with a good growing medium.
2. Raised Wooden Beds take the bending out of gardening and provide easy access gardening for the young, old and the disabled.
3. Raised Wooden Beds offer improved drainage which is good news for those that live in an area prone to flooding and also during prolonged wet weather.
4. Crops are easily reached without walking on the soil so there is no compaction meaning less digging and less work.
5. The soil warms up much faster in Spring enabling you to plant earlier crops.
6. They are easy to cover with film, fleece or netting to protect crops.
7. They are suitable for growing a wide variety of Soft Fruits, Vegetables, Herbs, Flowers, Alpines, Small Trees and Shrubs.

Red Tomato Chutney Recipe – Easily Make Your Own

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chutney, gardening works, make your own, recipe, red, tomato

Did you know the word ‘Chutney’ is derived from the Hindu word ‘chatni’ which means strongly spiced? If you like lightly spiced chutney then this recipe is perfect for you

Red Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

• 900g/2lb Tomatoes (firm but ripe)
• 450g/1lb Onions
• 450g/1lb Cooking Apples (weight when peeled and cored)
• 450ml/¾ pint Malt or Wine Vinegar (I used Malt)
• ½ – 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• ½ – 1 teaspoon Ground Mixed Spice
• 350g/12oz Sugar
• 300g/10oz Sultanas
• Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

What you need to do

1. Skin and chop the tomatoes, peel and finely chop the onions and the apples.
2. Put all the ingredients into the preserving pan except for the sugar, sultanas and the seasoning, simmer gently until tender.
3. Add the sugar and stir over a low heat until dissolved then put in the sultanas and seasoning.
4. Simmer steadily, stirring regularly until it is the consistency of a thick jam.
5. Spoon into hot sterilized jars, add a waxed circle and tighten the lid securely.
6. Store in a dark, cool and dry place.

Notes:

1. I made 2.5 times the above quantities in a large stainless steel pan 17cm high x 25cm diameter, this is the maximum volume that can be made in this size of pan.
2. Once the sultanas have been added you need to stir the mixture regularly as they sink to the bottom and can burn.
3. If the chutney is slow to reduce down to a jam consistency, spoon off some of the watery mixture from the top of the pan and sieve out the vinegar liquid returning any pulp to the pan.

Homemade chutneys, jams and preserves make a lovely personal gift, why not plan ahead and give friends/family a home produce hamper later on in the year at Christmas.

Look In To A Whole New World With A WOW – Wooden Observational Wormery

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compact wormery, Composting, gardening works, worm compost, worm nursery, wormery, wow wormery

Charles Darwin studied worms for 39 years and concluded that life on earth would not be possible without them. The main reason is because they increase soil fertility so efficiently, but also because they reduce quantities of plant waste too which is an important part of the life cycle. Let us make your educational experience so much easier and practical and see into the World of Worms with our WOW Obervational Wormery. Watch the worms at work and monitor the wonderful changes they make within the WOW as it turns the waste into compost and garden soil.

The WOW Worm Farm comprises the wormery, observation panel, cover for observation panel and hinged lid. There are no nails or anything else that you need tools for, simply put the pieces in place. We have simplified the options for this fascinating activity so that it’s now as easy as possible. This is worms the way they are naturally in a single area of ground. No special feeds. No moving worms around. No special recovery prescription.

There is no need to buy worms if it is going on to earth but of course you can get some if you want a running start. Realistically the worms will come up from the ground when the compost is softening for them to eat and this is the way to see worms at work naturally. You can use the WOW from the moment it is erected. Just add organic material for composting as you would normally, making sure that there is a bit more brown material than green material if adding fruit waste. A larger version of the WOW observational wormery is available with 600lt capacity.

Make Your Own Red Tomato Chutney Recipe

Tags

chutney, gardening works, make your own, recipe, red, tomato

Did you know the word ‘Chutney’ is derived from the Hindu word ‘chatni’ which means strongly spiced? If you like lightly spiced chutney then this recipe is perfect for you

Red Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

• 900g/2lb Tomatoes (firm but ripe)
• 450g/1lb Onions
• 450g/1lb Cooking Apples (weight when peeled and cored)
• 450ml/¾ pint Malt or Wine Vinegar (I used Malt)
• ½ – 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• ½ – 1 teaspoon Ground Mixed Spice
• 350g/12oz Sugar
• 300g/10oz Sultanas
• Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

What you need to do

1. Skin and chop the tomatoes, peel and finely chop the onions and the apples.
2. Put all the ingredients into the preserving pan except for the sugar, sultanas and the seasoning, simmer gently until tender.
3. Add the sugar and stir over a low heat until dissolved then put in the sultanas and seasoning.
4. Simmer steadily, stirring regularly until it is the consistency of a thick jam.
5. Spoon into hot sterilized jars, add a waxed circle and tighten the lid securely.
6. Store in a dark, cool and dry place.

Notes:

1. I made 2.5 times the above quantities in a large stainless steel pan 17cm high x 25cm diameter, this is the maximum volume that can be made in this size of pan.
2. Once the sultanas have been added you need to stir the mixture regularly as they sink to the bottom and can burn.
3. If the chutney is slow to reduce down to a jam consistency, spoon off some of the watery mixture from the top of the pan and sieve out the vinegar liquid returning any pulp to the pan.

Homemade chutneys, jams and preserves make a lovely personal gift, why not plan ahead and give friends/family a home produce hamper this Christmas.