NorfolkGreg

At 09:09 this morning I decided it was a good time to take advantage of what the #wind had done overnight. A lot of #duckweed had accumulated in one of the bays in the #lake
visible from out lounge window.

With the aid of a angler's net attached to a long pole and a rake I managed to make a good stab of removing the weed along with some sludge and twigs found on the bed of the lake. It's now in a number of piles on the bank. I'll give it a day or two to allow #invertebrates to crawl back into the water and then move the piles to the #compost bins.

Mar 24 at 12:07pmWeb
Show threadNorfolkGregMar 24
I was hopeful that the #lake would stay clear of #duckweed for a while, but after I'd cleared the bay that was full of it I realised that the wind was bringing in more from other parts of the lake and the #bay would soon be full again.
Show threadNorfolkGregMar 24
Guess what! The bay did fill up again so, this afternoon, I spent more time removing #duckweed from the #lake. Look carefully and you'll see the nearest and furthest piles are larger than in the earlier photo.
Show threadBroadforkMar 25

@gregc It feels like a never ending journey sometimes but a good one. You must make an awful lot of compost with the set up and surroundings you have.

What will you use all your compost on?

Show threadNorfolkGregMar 26

@Broadfork
I just wish I had a good answer to that question or one that might impress.

Around COVID time we had a #raisedbed constructed. The trouble is the #Muntjac. The #deer eat everything, so that's been unused since that first #season. (You can also blame wife's health as a contributory factor.) It's also used in a few window boxes, but that's about it as far as convention goes.

Dare I confess that a lot is mixed with the chippings we generate from storm damaged trees and those that have died and is spread on the paths. The soil is basically peat and as it dries footsteps grind it away exposing tree roots that become a trip hazard. The original idea was that it might help create smooth grass paths, but in such wooded conditions there's little sun and ground that's much above the water table dries out too much for grass.

My wife has suggested giving it away or selling it, but I'm very reluctant to let anything go off site. The ground's low enough as it is.

Show threadBroadforkMar 26

@gregc Using it to mulch the pathways sounds a good use of it to me.

Gifting some of it to a local gardening charity or similar would also be a nice gesture.

Best wishes to your wife’s improved health.

Show threadNorfolkGregMar 26
@Broadfork
Just realised, yesterday I failed to include the photo of the #compost bin after adding the contents of the three piles of #duckweed and #dredgings.
Show threadNorfolkGregMar 28
@Broadfork
Have spent just over an hour skimming more #duckweed off the #lake. Here are the #before and #after photos of the barrow before the contents get tipped in the #compost bins.