Composting – Did you know that the first organised landfill was happening c5000 years ago in Crete?
Now we’re running out of landfill space at a frightening rate, it seems crazy not to compost kitchen & garden waste, thereby reducing the quantity of material needing landfill. Compost (organic matter) added to soil improves the condition of the soil; promoting better food crops and ornamental plants.
What does compost do?
Well, it’s magical as well as scientific: -.
- Dug into the soil it improves the drainage of heavy clay soils and the water retention of sandy ones.
- It’s food for earthworms who do all sorts of wonderful things to improve soil quality, not least helping with the release of essential nutrients from the compost into the soil. This in turn benefits the plants in your garden.
- And remember that even the die-hard carnivores among you eat vegetables and salads. Even if it’s only by the diverse route of through the grazing cattle that were your burger before it was a burger (if you see what I mean!)
- Applied as mulch onto the soil surface, compost can reduce the need for watering; keep plants cool in summer and warm in winter. Told you it was magic…
Plus, the more we compost, the more we reduce the methane gas leaching from landfill into the atmosphere and so help reduce global warming.
How can you compost?
Without getting too technical, there are three easy ways to compost at home and at work.
Composting – the traditional way
Which is by using a compost heap or bin. An enclosed bin works best as the organic material heats up more efficiently and it is easier to keep the compost at the right degree of wetness/ dryness to break down quickly. Compost also needs to be kept aerated, usually by ‘turning’ or careful layering. Two bins are even better – one ready to use, one filling up. Flat bins are available where space is at a premium; and there are many decorative types available.
Composting – more worms
Wormeries utilise worms’ gourmet tendencies and are often suitable where less waste is generated or as an extra to a standard bin. Kids often like to ‘feed the worms’. Brandling worms are generally used – native to the UK, but less of a burrowing worm, so better for this situation. The worms work their way through the different layers of the wormery leaving behind a rich vermicompost. A tap at the bottom layer allows for a nutrition rich liquid to be drained, diluted and used extra feed.
Composting – something a bit different
Bokashi was originally a Japanese system of composting. The above methods use oxygen as part of the composting process, whilst bokashi excludes it.
This system works well in flats and offices where there may not be any convenient outside space. When the bin is full it’s left for two weeks, then it can be added to an ordinary compost bin or dug in to the ground. Two bins are necessary – one in use, one ‘cooking’. As with wormeries there is also a nutrition rich liquid.
What can you compost?
Generally speaking for compost bins:-
- soft garden waste, deadheading etc
- shredded garden waste, small branches and twiggy debris
- lawn clippings
- tops but not roots of perennial weeds
- food waste; but not cooked food or raw meat
- paper or light weight cardboard, such as egg boxes; best shredded
The trick is to keep a balance of wet/ green items and dry/ brown items. This is your nitrogen/ carbon mix, which is essential for good compost.
Bokashi is different and takes all food waste, including cooked food and bones; small amounts of green garden waste. Each layer is pressed down and sprinkled over with a ’bran’ which contains anaerobic bacteria.
Autumn leaves have different requirements. A blog on leaf compost can be found here.
Animal bedding from small mammals can also be composted. It’s generally advisable to have a separate bin for this as it does take longer to decompose. Dog & cat faeces should not be composted.
Most local councils now offer a food waste collection service. It is easy to mix & match this with your own home composting. After all, if you have a garden, does it make better economical sense to buy in compost to feed your plants or to make your own from your own waste?
Do please get in touch if we can help you with a Garden Advice Visit or Gardening Lessons
Related Gardening articles from the award winning Plews Potting Shed
Compost – the smell of a successful Garden
