4Composting

Green waste

Composting @ Home

EM Composting

Worm Farms

Benefits

Composting at Home

This means throwing things that are biodegradable and will rot down into a compost bin, rather than your rubbish bin. (Fruit and vegetable peelings, dead cut flowers, crushed eggshells, used tea bags, paper and cardboard are all things that can be composted).

Why you should make your own compost?

• More than half of everything we throw away can be composted so it is DIY recycling at its best!

• It is easy and can be creative and fun.

• Modern compost bins mean making compost is hygienic – no nasty smells.

• You’ll be saving money - no need pay for its disposal as rubbish or pay the council green waste fee, no need to buy compost and neighbours may be glad of any compost you don’t need.

Guide to composting - as easy as making a sandwich

The microbes that do all the hard work inside the compost bin need a balanced diet - just like people do.  The best way to make sure this happens is to fill your compost bin in layers as if you are making a pile of sandwiches filled with leftovers.

The Bread (dry stuff) - Scrunched up cardboard, toilet roll cores, twigs, sawdust, wood shavings, straw, paper towels, egg boxes, horse manure etc.

The Filling (soggy wet stuff) - Vegetable peelings, tea bags, leftover bits of fruit, weeds, grass clippings, coffee grounds, old flowers etc.

Too much bread and it will be too dry and chewy for the microbes.

Too much filling and the bread will go soggy and you will end up with slushy, smelly goo.

On top of the bread is another layer of filling, then bread, then filling and so on  (don't worry about having perfect layers, quite often things get mixed together when you collect them and that fine).

The four Essential Requirements for a Healthy Compost Bin

A compost bin is a living system, if you don't look after the microbes, they can't do the job.  Like all living things they need food, moisture, air and warmth. 

Food comes from the materials you add to the compost bin, the bread rich in carbon and the fillings rich in nitrogen. 

Warmth is provided by the sun and during hot weather the composting process speeds up.  Clearly we cant control the New Zealand weather, but if you can place your compost bin in a sunny position it will work faster than being in the shade.

Moisture in the bin generally comes from the filling material (soft sappy stuff, tending to be green in colour) and the air is provided by the bread (materials that have structure tending to be brown in colour).

So a good mixture of greens and browns makes a healthy and fast working compost bin

Things people say about composting at home

I won't do it - it will smell

Not if you get the mix right. Smells are caused by an-aerobic decay, the compost cannot decompose properly due to lack of air, the microbes and insects that do the work slow down or die due to water logging and suffocation.  The compost will go all slimy and start to smell.

Smells are caused by

• Too many "green materials" being added at once, e.g. grass clippings, fruit and vegetable peelings

• Compost getting too wet, e.g. too much rain getting in

• Not enough air.

Solutions are

• Add "brown materials" such as torn up cardboard, scrunched up of shredded paper, junk mail, envelopes and woody prunings.

• Mix the "brown" and "green" things well so that there are no large layers of either.

• Only water the heap if it needs it, the compost should be about as damp as a wrung out sponge, if toy have an open compost heap, try covering it with an old carpet or sack.

• Check the middle of the heap it may be wet, while the top looks dry. Mixing it up a little with a garden fork will even things out.  It will also add air into the compost.

• Too much grass?  Leave fine clippings on the lawn, this will return the nitrogen to your soil (saving money on fertilizer) and also help the soil retain moisture.

The most common mistake with composting is to put to much grass clippings in the compost bin.

• Grass contains a lot of water; it heats up quickly and needs lots of oxygen to rot it down.

• The addition of fine woody material or screwed up paper and cardboard mixed in with the grass ensures that air pockets form in the mixture

• REMEMBER though; it is easier to add air as you go along than to try to add it once you have filled the bin.

I'm worried about my compost heap attracting vermin (e.g. rats, flies)

Your compost heap shouldn't attract vermin if it is properly maintained, check the following points to make sure that you are undertaking composting in the correct way.

• Do not add any material that you're not meant to e.g. Cooked food, Meats and fats

• Ensure all of your kitchen scraps are mixed below the surface. Cover with garden waste or sawdust etc.  Cooked food can be composted using the EM method.

• As an extra precaution, use wire mesh under the heap and turn the compost pile regularly. This will prevent vermin tunneling and nesting.

• A popular trick to repel vermin from your compost heap is to sprinkle cayenne pepper around its base.
   

Can I really compost cardboard and paper, what about the inks?

Anything that was once living can be composted, so cardboard and paper made from wood pulp is perfect for composting.

If you already recycle your newspapers and cardboard, don't compost them.  But there is plenty of paper and card that's not ideal for recycling and which usually ends up in the rubbish when it could be composted.

Things to include are old envelopes, ripped up cereal packets, toilet roll and kitchen roll cores, cardboard egg boxes/trays, soiled paper tissues and paper form document shredders.  Avoid frozen food packaging and cartons used to hold liquids as these often have a thin film of plastic or foil that cannot break down.  If you're not sure, put it in anyway!  You can always pull it out of the compost later.

In the old days inks contained toxic heavy metals such as lead and there is still a widespread belief that the inks are poisonous.  They are not any more.  In fact the heavy metal content of compost is usually lower than most garden soils, so by adding compost you are actually improving your soil by diluting any naturally occurring metals.  Glossy paper and card is also suitable.  It is the addition of clay, a natural substance, that makes paper glossy.

What about weeds?

The compost temperature should rise to about 66°C which kills off most weed seeds and diseases.  Weeds tend to be high in nitrogen and can be used as activator layers, especially nettles. Never attempt to compost pernicious weeds such as oxalis, onion grass, convovulus and creeping buttercup.  They simply love compost heaps and will keep on growing.  They are best burnt, made into compost tea or taken to a transfer station.

I have lots of trees, what about Leaves?

Autumn leaves are a valuable resource. In small quantities they can be mixed in with your normal compost, and are an excellent source of carbon, but if you have a large amount, they are slow to rot and are best kept separate from the compost heap.

Once you have collected them, stop them blowing around again, by stacking them in a wire mesh bin, or store them in black plastic bags with small holes punched in. If they are dry, hose them down, which helps them decompose. To speed up the process further, spread the leaves over your lawn and mow over them. This chops them up, and collects them all in one go.

In a years time the resulting Leaf Mould can be used in the garden.

Choosing a compost bin

Composting is a natural process of organic matter breaking down, but you can speed the process up by manipulating the conditions, even if it is just covering the compost heap with plastic or old carpet to trap the heat and moisture in.

However, many people prefer to contain their compost. This looks neater and is easier to manage. Compost bins can be home made or purchased. Whatever your choice, every container should follow a few basic rules; keep the rain out and the moisture and heat in.

Bought containers are made of plastic (often recycled), wood and metal. There are various points to consider when buying or building your compost container.

Strength

A tough sturdy container is crucial. It has to be able to withstand continuous banging from garden forks and spades as you add, mix and remove your compost.

Weight

If you need to move your compost bin around the garden, make sure it is not too heavy and is easy to lift. On the other hand, if it is too light and flimsy it will lose its strength.

Size

This is a personal decision and is totally dependant on how much you intend to compost. Most compost bins on sale, range from 200 - 325 litres.  Choose, or make, the largest container you think you can fill.  Make sure it is not too high for you to fill comfortably. There is no point having a container you cannot use properly.

Keeping a lid on it

Keeping the rain out is essential. Your compost bin should have a lid that can be removed and replaced. Compost bins are usually open at the bottom to allow liquid produced in composting to drain away.

Gaps in the sides

It used to be said compost containers needed holes in the sides to allow air flow into the compost. This in fact just dries the compost out at the sides. Enough air is usually mixed into the heap when new material is added, and as it is turned through.

Easy Access

The top should open up wide enough to add and remove material, and to allow the compost to be turned comfortably. Alternatively, having a removable front is ideal.

Where to site it

Place your compost container straight on to bare ground, not on concrete or any other hard surface. This allows the liquid produced to drain away and lets the all important "chompers", such as worms, into the heap.

Don't hide it away in an inaccessible area of the garden, where you can't use it. It should have space around it for storing and mixing the ingredients and compost.

Having more than one container is often an excellent idea allowing you to have more than one compost heap running at a time. This ensures a good supply of fresh compost.

DIY Bins

Old Bin Cheap and easy. Cut the bottom out of an old rubbish bin, turn it upside down and replace the lid. A small but effective compost bin that can be moved easily.

Cardboard and Wire Mesh This, like the "Old Bin" is a cheap and easy container, however this is a static heap. Drive four posts into the ground, and staple wire mesh (chicken wire) to them. Keep one side loose so it can be opened, to improve access. Line the inside with cardboard, and cover the top with old carpet or plastic.

Blocks / Bricks with Wooden slatted front

A sturdy static compost bin, with a slatted front allowing easy access. But, once built, it is a permanent fixture in your garden.

Sectional Wooden Bin While involving time to originally construct this container, this is an excellent homemade compost bin. Sections are stacked up or removed as required, depending on the size of your heap, and as each section is the same size the lid will sit on any section. It is also easy to dismantle and move, or store away. It does however lack a front that can be opened.

Waste Management Wairarapa, PO Box 444, Masterton New Zealand

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