I have to admit it is a bit bizarre writing about compost when I know I have committed every composting sin under the sun and will probably continue to do so. I have had my compost heaps full of maggots. But eventually the maggots all died and the compost was OK anyway. I have gone to my compost heap and found little nests of rats settled down for the winter. I never had the heart to kill them and would just gently remove the compost for tree planting or making veggie beds. Eventually the moggies or kookaburras got a nourishing feast and the rats never came inside. I have put old chickens and spaghetti bolognaise in the compost and had it really stink. A good case for applying more straw. I have left compost heaps for months without turning them or watering them. But in the end there was always some good compost on the bottom to use in the garden. So its really hard to go seriously wrong with compost. Nevertheless there are ways to achieve composting perfection.
Why Compost?
Composting is good for two reasons:
- >It is a way of preventing garbage from being carted to landfill – wasting fuel in transport and destroying bushland for landfill sites. Forty per cent of household waste is organic and can be composted. Kitchen scraps and garden waste are the easiest kinds of compost material to get hold of.
- The second reason for composting is to improve your soil. You can add compost to veggie beds, drop it into holes where you are going to plant new stuff or spread it round as mulch. Compost is terrific in any of these situations.
How to Achieve Composting Perfection
First choose your spot. Lay down a layer of twigs, small branches or something to let in a bit of air on the bottom of the heap. Save kitchen scraps in a nappy bucket and put them on the compost when it’s getting full or begins to be revolting, whichever happens first. As you do this cover with some straw or leaves (about a hand width) and a bit of manure and soil – say half a bucket. If you have a lawn and save grass clippings put them in too – not too many at once because they mat together and choke things up. Also put in garden clippings after breaking them up a bit. Every week or two turn the pile over to aerate it and make sure it is moist but not wet. Put a cover over if it is raining constantly. Turning compost will also keep the rats out. The best compost pile is about a metre cube but you’ll still get results with a much smaller one.
If you are seriously into feeding yourself from your own backyard you could end up with about four compost heaps and you will be out every day scouting the neighbourhood for ingredients – bales of straw, manure from horse stables, seaweed from the outfalls at Eraring, other people’s lawn and garden clippings and so on. Don’t try to do this, hold down a full time job and look after a set of young kiddies. However it is perfectly possible to gradually plant out a garden by using just one compost pile and taking your time. It’s also easy enough to make soil for a particular project with layers of your own compost and layers of manure, straw and garden clippings.
Containing compost
Compost can be created in special plastic containers that can be bought from the Council. This will keep out rats and contain any smell. For total minimalism just get one of these and just hold your nose as you throw in the kitchen scraps each week. It will still work. Another way of containing a compost heap is to create one out of star posts placed within wooden pallets as compost walls. The gaps between the boards will allow air to circulate.
Making do with composting
Dig a hole and throw everything organic into it. Cover with dirt and leave for six months. Alternatively, just spread your food scraps around the garden and cover with straw. Either of these methods will avoid unsightly smelly problems and still improve your soil and reduce landfill.