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I have recently 'inherited' three, three year old large compost bins that have never been emptied or had anything done to them. I had to move the bins, so I emptied them on to the ground and found lots of stuff that has just not decomposed at all and very little useable compost, so I transferred it all to some large, old containers and there it sits, smelling to high heaven, and now water~logged to boot!
Now what to do with it all! I am planning to build 6" and 12" deep raised beds for vegetables later in the year, so I plan to use this as the bottom layer and put fresh, bought compost on the top. Is this the best thing to do? Should I just scrap the whole lot?
Also, my newly started bin is full of fruit flies, and I have identified this from the Flies in Compost Bin thread. However, I'd like to know more about shredded newspaper. As this has ink on it, is this safe to use on vegetables? I've just added some 'other organic matter' by way of a massive rosemary bush that had to go, but what is suitable and what is not suitable for composting? Does a massive rosemary bush upset the balance of the compost in itself? And I mean, it was big, but it had to go as it was taking up too much space on what is to become the vegetable plot.
Sorry, I've just started to ramble now! Hope what I've said makes sense.
One is nearer God's heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth.
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