March 2011. Compost is mixed with stable manure, which is delivered twice a day from the Royal Artillery Barracks in St John’s Wood, being 50 cubic m each week. A concrete trough surrounds the compost heap to allow water and other liquids to drain away. It is then pumped back into a tank and used to moisten the compost heaps once again. Using in house compost saves Kew about £500,000 a year. Herbaceous compost is a mix of 1 part compost to 1 part manure, acting as a soil conditioner and Woody compost comprise 3 parts wood chipping to 1 part manure and acts as a surface dressing. It takes 8 weeks to turn wood chippings and vegetation to mulch. The internal heat reaches 60 degrees, killing all weeds and seeds (including Bindweed, but not Knotweed). Japanese Knotweed is left out in the sun to dry up. Kew have recently built a viewing platform to enable visitors to see the compost works, and used Customs confiscated illegally imported Indonesian hardwood.
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