COMPOSTING MISTAKES
Costa reveals some common rookie errors and how to avoid them
SAY NO TO RODENTS
“One of the biggest ways that people go wrong is placing too many food scraps into their bin, which is like nectar to rodents,” he says. “The key thing is to get your ratio between carbon and nitrogen equal. If you can, it’s also a good idea to have two bins – depending on the season, you need eight to 10 weeks to make mature compost, which needs some time to sit and mature, so having a second bin allows you to keep adding scraps, while you let the other bin do the ‘making and breaking’ down.”
EXCESS H2O
“Adding too much water is another mistake,” Costa adds. “If this happens, add some shredded newspaper to absorb the excess water. And, equally, having it too dry means that the breakdown doesn’t happen as fast as it should.”
BE PATIENT
Proper composting can take time. “Observe your compost regularly,” Costa advises. “Make sure you have an approximate ratio of 60 per cent green waste to 40 per cent brown and turn regularly with a compost turner.”