Making your own compost is easy. Good compost is every gardeners gem and some would say they couldn’t get their hands on enough of it.
If you are just interested in recycling the kitchen scraps then a heap or bin system may not be called for. By creating a trench in your vegetable garden or decorative gardens you can bury your kitchen scraps. Once the soil has sunk back down you will know that the organic material has decomposed creating a great planting space for veggie seeds or seedlings. You may even be surprised what pops up from what you have buried. Carefully transplant any seedlings that emerge to a more suitable position and watch them grow.
Regardless of your approach creating your own compost is easy, once you understand what’s involved.
What is soil?
The soil is a living organism and its health is vital to the success of your plantings. When we understand what ingredients make a healthy living soil it is then easy to make the adjustments required in your garden.
What this magnificent system is made up of:
The soil base: This essentially is the earth itself. It can be clay to sand and it contains minerals.
Living organisms: This includes micro organisms and macro organisms.
Air: Soil life needs to breathe so good oxygen concentration is important.
Water: Needed by soil life and of course your plants. It’s essential that your compost is not dry nor is it too wet and smelly. A healthy organic smell should be present.
Organic matter: Provides food to living organisms and adds to the composition of the soil allowing good penetration of water and plants roots.
Humus: The last stage of decomposing organic matter. This is where nutrients become available to plants.
Each of these soil components play an important part and are equally important to the structure of the soil and its vitality. Organic matter breaks down to humus with the help of air and water which is when vital nutrients are released providing a natural plant food. Living organisms such as earth worms play their own very important role with the tunnels they create.
These tunnels allow the exchange of air into the soil and valuable rain to be able to penetrate deep into the soils structure. This deep moisture encourages your plants to become deep rooted which makes them healthier as they are able to access more constant moisture levels and nutrients. The earthworm feeds on organic matter and contributes another natural plant food via its excretion. So you can see how important it is to have each component present and actively working for the health of the soil.
Regardless of what soil base you are starting with, with the addition of compost you can transform your soil into the most fertile soil imaginable. Compost can be used as mulch or better still combined into your soil with a weed suppressing mulch layer to the top surface. Organic sugar cane (for vegetable gardens) & hardwood mulch, a chip or bark (for decorative gardens) provides the best barrier for weeds. Without a doubt over time you will improve the soil that you have and you won’t believe how easy it is to get started.
Choosing a position.
You will need to decide where the best place is to position your compost area. Full sun is imperative as the creation of heat is what is needed to assist in the breaking down of the material added and will ensure that any seeds/bulbs will be killed. It is important to place your system on the earth not on a concrete pad or alike to allow good drainage and the ability for organisms to access the pile.
What type of system?
What you use to create your compost area will depend on how much you want to spend and if you are planning to feed large amounts of garden waste through your system. You can just make a pile in the corner of the garden, pulling it apart once a year to remove the compost but this option can encourage vermin and look unsightly.
It’s important to consider how you are going to remove the final product from the bottom of your system and though homemade composting bins work well (like plastic rubbish bins) commercially produced compost systems make the process very easy for you. When choosing your system consider how much you are going to be feeding into it and how quickly and easily do you want the final product.
What to put into your compost?
Decaying matter of all kinds including grass clippings, leaves (not too many gum tree leaves as they take a long time to breakdown), shrub trimmings (but not thick stems), kitchen scraps, egg shells, coffee and tea grounds, animal manure, old potting mix and ash from a fire are all very valuable. Any plant or animal material is great just not meat, fatty waste or bones.
It’s also important to avoid adding perennial weeds, corms and bulbs. Along with the organic matter listed, occasionally add some lime (dolomite) and a couple of handfuls of blood and bone. Water the heap occasionally and if needed push several air holes into the heap to allow good air exchange. A smelly heap means too much moisture and not enough air so correct this accordingly.
When is the compost ready?
Depending on your chosen system it may be very easy for you to gauge this. Your final product should be beautiful, crumbly, black compost that has a nice earthy smell. If this isn’t the case then your compost might require some more time to breakdown or the addition of matter.
Things to remember.
· Must have full sun.
· Must receive a good combination of the materials listed.
· Combine grass clippings with other materials otherwise they will compact together and stop water and air exchange.
· Occasionally water or better still, allow your system to get some natural rainfall.
· Aeration is essential!!
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