#composting — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

DoomsdaysCW @[email protected] · 2026-08-12 · 20:16 UTC

I'm all for #HotCompost, but sometimes, it can be too hot!

Can #Compost Catch Fire? What to Know About #SpontaneousCombustion

"Spontaneous combustion in compost and mulch systems is a real and well-documented fire risk associated with the natural heat generated during decomposition. While composting is generally very safe when managed properly, large or poorly maintained piles can create conditions where heat builds faster than it can escape. In rare cases, internal temperatures may become high enough for materials to ignite without any outside spark or flame source."

Keeping one's compost pile we helps to prevent that from happening. The article goes on to say,

"Why Heat Management Matters

Heat itself is not the problem. Heat is a normal sign that decomposition is occurring.

The concern develops when:
- Piles become excessively large
- Airflow becomes restricted
- Material dries internally
- Temperatures remain unchecked
- Heat accumulates faster than it dissipates"

Learn more:
https://www.letsgocompost.org/post/can-compost-catch-fire

#SolarPunkSunday #Composting #CompostSafety

#hotcompost #compost #spontaneouscombustion #solarpunksunday #composting #compostsafety

DoomsdaysCW @[email protected] · 2026-08-12 · 20:16 UTC

I'm all for #HotCompost, but sometimes, it can be too hot!

Can #Compost Catch Fire? What to Know About #SpontaneousCombustion

"Spontaneous combustion in compost and mulch systems is a real and well-documented fire risk associated with the natural heat generated during decomposition. While composting is generally very safe when managed properly, large or poorly maintained piles can create conditions where heat builds faster than it can escape. In rare cases, internal temperatures may become high enough for materials to ignite without any outside spark or flame source."

Keeping one's compost pile we helps to prevent that from happening. The article goes on to say,

"Why Heat Management Matters

Heat itself is not the problem. Heat is a normal sign that decomposition is occurring.

The concern develops when:
- Piles become excessively large
- Airflow becomes restricted
- Material dries internally
- Temperatures remain unchecked
- Heat accumulates faster than it dissipates"

Learn more:
https://www.letsgocompost.org/post/can-compost-catch-fire

#SolarPunkSunday #Composting #CompostSafety

#hotcompost #compost #spontaneouscombustion #solarpunksunday #composting #compostsafety

Spanish Garden @[email protected] · 2026-08-12 · 12:35 UTC

Tie up, mark up and net up

The above exhortation may seem like the motto of a bondage convention, but no, it’s just August in the garden. The heat is phenomenal and all my plant are suffering heat exhaustion, I am rushing around trying to keep everything alive without selling my soul to the water company. My already exorbitant water bill is so high that I go out to meet the postman and hide the bills from Cruella (my wife).

12th August 2026. Things I have been doing lately.

Net and dry figs
Tie up flopping plants
Mark blooms for next year’s seed
Pot up some spider plants

Net and dry figs. I absolutely love figs, but unfortunately so does every bird on the Costa Blanca so it is necessary to net them. The key to netting figs is to get the timing right. If you leave it too long and the fruit gets too ripe, the birds will happily strip the tree in a couple of days.

I have two fig trees, one of which I have espalied up the wall of my outside kitchen. As an experiment this year I decided not to net the big tree, but instead pick fruit daily to minimise bird predations. When netting figs or any soft fruit it is important that you use small mesh netting as if you use anything larger you are likely to find perplexed birds hanging upside down in your nets every morning. The photos below shows the correct size net and my espalied fig all netted up.

It is important that your net goes right down to the ground

Fortunately I just got netting in time as the birds had already been at the big tree and a bit of the espalied as can be seen from the photos below. I gave these spoiled fruits to the chickens but they got chicken diarrhea and Cruella accused me of poisoning her girls.

Drying figs. If you have heavily cropping fig trees you will never be able to eat them all fresh without upsetting your stomache. So your choices are give them away to friends or dry them for use later. As I love figs, not a fig leaves our premises, all the surplus are dried.

Drying figs in the sun is very simple. First get yourself some mesh trays to place your figs on. Then cut all your figs in half and place them on your trays cut side up (you never need to turn them over). Then place your trays on a table in the sun covered by a mesh protector (otherwise the birds will get them). It should take about two days in this weather to fully dry your figs. Once dry put them in a container in your freezer and use them when you wish.

A very important stage in the drying process is to place the bottom of the legs of your drying table in water otherwise ants will quickly find your lovely figs. The water barrier is very effective, I just cut down some milk or orange juice cartons to make my water barrier. The photos below show the full process in action.

Tie up flopping plants. By now all your annuals should more or less be in bloom or very close to doing so. To keep your plants looking their best and healthy you will need to begin the process of staking up floppy plants.

I have been selecting seeds from my Marigolds for over 10 years and now have plants that easily grow over a metre tall. This height means they can get a bit floppy and need staking. When staking always make sure that you tie your string around the stake and then make a figure of eight with the string around the plant stem. In this way you will stop the stem being chafed by the stake in the wind; and if possible use a twine not a smooth string. The photos below show my almost daily staking activity.

Mark blooms for next year’s seed. Growing next years flowers from your own gathered seed is immensely rewarding and will mark you out as a gardener rather than a plant shopper. And it couldn’t be easier I will show you the start of the process now and I will return to collecting seeds later in the year.

The first step is to mark up those flowers heads that you think are the prettiest, best shaped and from strong looking plants. Once you have decided on your selected blooms then place a strip of masking tape just under the flower. This will serve the purpose of showing you that it was a lovely flower even after it has gone old and shrivelled. The other purpose of the masking tape is to stop you deadheading the spent blooms. The photos below show the start of the process in my garden.

Pot up some Spider plants. Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are an old favourite and are often found hanging neglected in bathrooms etc. But they are an excellent plant for cleaning the air in your home. They became famous after a NASA study found they could remove certain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as formaldehyde, from sealed test chambers. Now I am not saying they make a huge difference, but in a bedroom etc they are easy to grow and are fun.

You can easily take cuttings from spider plants as they throw off hundreds of their little pups. Just snip some off and settle them into well drained compost and leave them in bright but sheltered space for a couple of weeks till they root. Once you see growth you can move them into your chosen position. See photos below.

#composting #flowers #garden #Gardening #horticulture #plants #pruning #seeds

#composting #flowers #garden #gardening #horticulture #plants

Spanish Garden @[email protected] · 2026-08-12 · 12:35 UTC

Tie up, mark up and net up

The above exhortation may seem like the motto of a bondage convention, but no, it’s just August in the garden. The heat is phenomenal and all my plant are suffering heat exhaustion, I am rushing around trying to keep everything alive without selling my soul to the water company. My already exorbitant water bill is so high that I go out to meet the postman and hide the bills from Cruella (my wife).

12th August 2026. Things I have been doing lately.

Net and dry figs
Tie up flopping plants
Mark blooms for next year’s seed
Pot up some spider plants