HOW TO COMPOST

If you’ve got the recycling thing down pat, the next challenge is to start composting. The average household creates more than 90kg of kitchen waste every year – why not put it to better use? By composting, you keep your food waste out of overflowing landfills and you’ll be making your own natural garden fertiliser – minus the harmful chemicals.

While there are options to create an open-aired compost heap in your garden, compost bins can neatly store and make compost. Their structure allows for quicker decomposition of the organic matter and they are compact, which

helps if you have limited garden space. Compost bins use a combination of proper aeration, moisture retention and the correct temperature to turn your leftovers into fertiliser, perfect for garden greenery! WHAT TO COMPOST • Browns:

Dried leaves, twigs, egg cartons, coffee filters, and shredded brown paper bags, newspapers, serviettes and paper towels

• Greens: Vegetable peelings, fruit scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, and garden waste such as green leaves, grass cuttings and plant trimmings

• Grains: stale bread, cereal, pasta, rice

• Herbs and spices

• Nuts

The goal is to feed your pile with all the right things to create an ideal environment for the microorganisms to break it down and create fertiliser. Greens are rich in nitrogen and protein – they heat up the compost, speed up decomposition and help the microorganisms multiply. Browns are rich in carbon and carbohydrates – they bulk up

if you have a big garden...

GARDEN VIEWS ECOMPOSTER (R1398) KETER, TAKEALOT compost, allow air to filter in and act as a food source for microbes in the compost.

The ideal ratio is three parts browns to one part green – but you don’t have to follow this strictly. If your compost isn’t heating up or is too dry, you can add more greens; and if it’s starting to smell or gets too wet, add more browns.

WHAT NOT TO COMPOST

• Think vegan: Strictly no animal products in your compost! You can’t compost butter, meat, animal fat or dairy products.

• All paper must be shredded before going into the compost bin. Avoid glossy and colourful paper.

• No pet poop

• No glass, plastics or metal – those can be recycled!

Your compost is ready when it is dark brown, has a crumbly texture and smells like soil. It takes four to six months to fully decompose. Once it’s ready, you can start sprinkling your fertiliser over your lawn and shrubs, and mixing it into your vegetable gardens and flower beds.

if you have a small garden...

COMPOST CONVERTER (R890) FIRST DUTCH BRANDS, BUILDERS.CO.ZA