Making and using compost is the cornerstone of organic gardening.
The finished product is rich, dark, crumbly and sweet-smelling. It is made of recycled garden and kitchen waste, and can also include paper products. It is used to feed and condition the soil and in making potting mixes. Around 40 per cent of the average dustbin contents are suitable for home-composting so it helps cut down on landfill too.
Making compost is often considered to be complex but all you need to do is provide the right ingredients and let nature do the rest – however, a little know-how will help you make better compost, more efficiently.
Where do I make my compost?
There are a variety of bins on the market but they are all just a container for the composting process. A bin is not strictly necessary – you can just build a heap and cover it over with some polythene or cardboard. However, bins do look neater and are easier to manage. You can build your own, buy one from any number of suppliers, including The Organic Gardening Catalogue, or get one cheaply from your local council – contact the Waste and Recycling Department at your local council for more information or visit the recycle now website: www.recyclenow.com
Garden Organic members can find out about making or buying a compost bin or box in our factsheets:
* Building a Compost Box
* Buying a Compost Box
Access to these factsheets requires members' password.
Find out more about Garden Organic membership here.
The ideal compost bin is:
* easily accessible
* has no gaps in the sides and may be insulated with cardboard or straw
* has a lid or cover
And is located:
* in a sunny or semi-shaded position
* directly on the soil or turf
* away from water-courses
* Anything that was once living will compost, but some items are best avoided. Meat, dairy and cooked food can attract vermin and should not be home-composted.
* For best results, use a mixture of types of ingredient. The right balance is something learnt by experience, but a rough guide is to use equal amounts by volume of greens and browns (see below).
* Some things, like grass mowings and soft young weeds, rot quickly. They work as 'activators', getting the composting started, but on their own will decay to a smelly mess.
* Older and tougher plant material is slower to rot but gives body to the finished compost - and usually makes up the bulk of a compost heap. Woody items decay very slowly; they are best chopped or shredded first, where appropriate.
Compost ingredients
'Greens' or nitrogen rich ingredients
Grass cuttings
* Urine (diluted with water 20:1)
* Comfrey leaves
* Nettles
* Grass cuttings
No comments:
Post a Comment