Composting

An Easy Household Guide

Nicky Scott

• Editorial: Green Books
• Año: 2012
• ISBN:
  9780857840714
• Categoría: Biological Sciences
• Categoría: Ecology

This easy household guide tells you everything you need to know about composting, from the different containers that are available, and what to put in them, to how to use your compost and what to do if you want to get more involved in the process. Composting includes an A-Z on how to compost everything from ash to weeds; advice on how to compost in small spaces, information on bins and wormeries and getting more involved in bigger community schemes.

 

1

Why make compost?

There are lots of good reasons to make compost:

•	A third to two-thirds of the average dustbin contents can be composted, so you can make a big difference.
•	Making compost lightens your dustbin and stops it smelling.
•	This means that less is sent to landfill, which in turn means that less noxious liquids and greenhouse gases – especially methane – are produced.
•	Composting saves you money – no more peat-based compost will need to be bought!
•	Compost improves all soils – it opens up clay soils, and holds moisture and nutrients in light and sandy soils, reducing the need to water and fertilise.
•	Compost helps make healthy soils, and healthy soils lead to healthy plants (and people and animals), which are less prone to pest and disease attack.
•	Lastly – it’s fun, easy and very satisfying!

 

2

Compost Happens!

If you still need convincing how simple and quick making compost can be, try this simple demonstration. Be ready to be amazed!

1. Save up some cardboard and paper: toilet roll centres, ripped-up cardboard boxes, cereal boxes, scrunched-up envelopes (minus the windows), kitchen towel – all those bits and pieces which are difficult to recycle.

2. Mow the lawn.

3. Mix or layer grass cuttings and cardboard/paper together thoroughly. Roughly half and half by volume; if in doubt, err on the side of putting in more cardboard/scrunched paper. If layering, aim to get the layers roughly about 25mm (1”) thick, but don’t be too fussy – just don’t put the grass on too thickly!

4. Put in a pile or in a compost container; this can be anything which will contain the heap – it could be a plastic compost bin bought from the council, or it could be a home-made bin made from pallets or scrap wood etc. Repeat every time you mow the lawn.

5. Sit back and wait for compost to happen!

It’s as easy as that!

If you don’t have cardboard or paper around, this will work even better with woodchips or shredded-up garden clippings. The key thing to remember with grass cuttings is to mix them with something absorbent – and preferably something which will add structure and allow air to percolate during the composting process. Woodchips are ideal.

3

Getting started

I’VE GOT MY COMPOST BIN – WHERE SHOULD I PUT IT?

• Put it anywhere that is convenient, but easily accessible from the kitchen.

• Putting the bin in the sun will speed up the composting process, but it will still work in the shade.

• A compost heap is best sited on soil, but will work on concrete, providing there is some drainage.

• Worms will find their way across tarmac and concrete to colonise your heap! They will like it even more if you have a good bedding layer for them to colonise: moist, scrunched-up cardboard is ideal to put in at the bottom.

• However, if at all possible, place your bin directly on the soil: it’s much easier, and encourages the soil micro-organisms to get to work.

WHAT DO I PUT IN IT?

‘BROWNS’

•	Bits of cardboard, scrunched up paper, loo roll centres, kitchen towel, dried leaves, small woody prunings from the garden, woodchipping shreddings etc.

‘GREENS’

•	Fresh uncooked fruit and vegetable peelings, garden waste (grass clippings, green leaves, soft prunings, etc.)

WHAT CAN’T GO IN MY BIN?

(See A-Z section for what to do with these)

•	Glass, tins, plastic – these will never compost!
•	Cooked food, meat and fish, cheese fats and grease (they can attract unwanted visitors).
•	Roots of any...