Composting 101
It’s the stuff that makes a garden sing. No matter what type of soil you have, it gets better every time you add compost. PHIL DUDMAN shares his tips for making ‘nature’s gold’
Making compost is easy, and it’s free. Our households and neighbourhoods are loaded with organic materials that can be converted into nature’s gold. All you need to do is pile them up, add moisture, then stand back and let nature do its thing. If you’re prepared to put in a little more effort, the materials will break down more quickly, which means you can be putting your compost to good use much earlier.
bins, bays or barrels?
The simplest way to make compost is in an open pile on the ground, but it’s much tidier to contain the materials in a closed bin or bay. There are many commercial compost bins available, normally made from heavy-grade plastic. Some come with a small door or removable panel at the bottom, allowing for easy harvesting of the finished compost. Most types come with a lid to keep animals out. It’s also a good idea to bury the base 10cm or so to stop rodents getting in.
You can also make a compost bay from recycled materials, such as fence palings, timber pallets, corrugated iron or wire mesh. Include a removable front in your design for easy access to the pile, and add a hinged timber lid to stop hungry animals jumping in. Add a few aeration holes in the sides, and cover all holes and gaps with small-gauge wire mesh to stop hungry rodents getting into your compost. That goes for airholes in commercial bins, too.
If you want something that’s reasonably mobile, consider using a compost tumbler. This is basically a barrel on a stand, with a few tiny holes for aeration and a small door for adding materials and removing finished compost. It also has a handle or some other system for turning the barrel, which allows easy mixing and aerating of the materials. Some compost tumblers include a ratchet system that makes it much easier to turn heavy loads. Tumblers with dual chambers allow you to fill one side with materials while the materials in the other side are breaking down.
how many bins?
Clearly, the more bins you have, the more compost you can have on hand. You need about 1m2 of ground per bin. If you have room for only one bin, your best choice is either a dual-chamber tumbler or a bin with a door that allows you to harvest the finished compost from the base.
With two bins or bays, one can be full and breaking down the materials while you’re filling the other. When you have three bins, the third one is likely to contain finished compost that’s ready for use as needed. If space is not an issue, consider including an additional storage bay to hold materials (bags of manure, dried leaves and so on) to be used for making the compost.
where to put them
Place your compost bin or bay directly on the ground so all the organisms that help to break down the materials have easy access to the treats. Choose a site that’s shady, well drained and reasonably level. While a well-maintained compost system shouldn’t smell, there’s a chance it will at times, so don’t place it where neighbours are likely to complain. For convenience
and practicality, I’ve placed mine at the far end of my vegie-growing area. Every time I deliver materials to the compost bay, I have to walk past my vegie patches. It’s a great way to keep an eye on everything and regularly respond to any issues with pests, watering and other needs. And when I need compost for one of the beds, it’s at hand.
what can be composted?
Most things that were once living can be composted: leaves, grass clippings, plant trimmings, fruit and vegie scraps (including citrus and onion), animal manures, tea leaves, coffee grounds, newspaper, cardboard and woodchips. Don’t put pet droppings in your compost, as there’s a risk of spreading diseases, and don’t include meat, fish, bones, dairy and oil, which attract cats, dogs and rodents. Also, avoid adding weed seeds and bulbous weeds that might survive the composting process and be spread around the garden.