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compost is a wonderful recycler whereby living organisms are reprocessed and become food for new life. Good compost can be purchased from nurseries or soil merchants, but DIY compost is definitely cheapest, and for the organic gardener it's obviously the best.
Starting compost is simply a matter of collecting your kitchen scraps, gathering them into either a compost heap or a compost bin, and letting nature take its course.
But is that really all there is to it?
Well, no. Sometimes the simplest composting methods produce the best results, but unless the conditions are just right your mixture will not turn into the dynamic mass of bacteria, enzymes and fungi necessary to break down plant fiber and turn it into good, friable soil.
There are many different composting methods and these will vary according factors such as climate, situation, and even a particular gardener's philosophy. But these methods really only fall into two main groups:
- Anaerobic compost
- aerobic compost
Anaerobic compost is created in closed containers such as spinning compost drums, composting trenches, sealed pits and garbage bags.
The closed bin retains nitrogen and carbon more efficiently than an open compost heap, but the mixture tends to be more acidic. When you open your composting container the mixture will often be very smelly. If this is the case it's quite okay. It simply means the compost isn't ready yet, so leave it a while longer to let the magic happen.
Anaerobic composting is much slower than other methods as the mixture is cooler and will therefore take longer to break down. If you decide to go this way the best time to begin is summer when the heat will speed up the process and your compost will be available more quickly.
Tip: If you have no suitable container, simply leave your vegetable scraps in a black plastic bag in the sun.
Aerobic compost needs air to help it along. Any compost pile or bin without a lid would fall into the aerobic category. When you first create the heap you should add layers of wet and dry material, and then turn it regularly to allow the air to penetrate.
Positioning
Compost needs moisture, heat and oxygen. Keep the compost pile in a spot where you can easily add water if it begins to dry out. The mix should be moist, never too dry or too soggy. The ideal spot to build your compost heap is under a tree where the sun will break through at intervals. Too much sun will dry the heap but too little will keep it wet and soggy.
Making it happen faster
Shredded compost materials break down faster than those left in large pieces, so chop up kitchen scraps and break up any large garden cuttings etc. with a spade or a shredding machine.
You can buy commercial compost activators if you're really desperate to get the process going, but there are also a few natural additives to help the micro-organisms do their job.
These include:
- Layers of comfrey leaves to speed up decomposition and add nutrients.
- Chamomile flowers, another natural additive said to speed things up.
- Yarrow, also said to help things along.
To increase the nitrogen content, add dry chicken manure or fresh grass clippings. Turn the heap as often as possible to give it extra air.
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