Composting is our secret weapon to gardening and can be done on any scale from small to large.
We currently live on a medium sized suburban block. The methods we use for composting were chosen for the available space. When we moved into our house the soil was very heavy with clay. In the two and half years we've been gardening and applying compost we have already observed a great improvement in our soil structure.
Why We Compost
We choose to compost for a number of reasons. Adding compost to the garden improves the health of the soil and the plants in it. We add compost on top of the soil and also add it to holes when planting seedlings.
Composting is one way we reduce our impact on the environment by putting our household waste into compost systems. We know exactly what is in our compost and also save money as it minimises our purchases of external compost. We are not fully self-sufficient in this, but every bit helps.
What Composting Methods we use
We currently utilise two methods for composting. We began our composting journey with the purchase of two Subpods. The Subpod uses compost worms to create what is known as vermicompost, better known as worm castings. This method of composting is useful for those that do not have the space required for some other composting methods. The worms and microbes work together to repurpose the contents quickly. The vermicompost is rich in nutrients and loaded with microorganisms that support the soil life.
As we began using more produce from our own garden, we found we had more food scraps and garden waste than we could feed to the worms. We purchased two tumbler style compost bins that we keep behind our shed. These work for us as they are great for a small space composting. Having two allows us to be filling one up as we are resting or harvesting the compost from the other.
What we Compost
There are a lot of different views on what you can and cannot put in your compost. We compost all of our fruit and vegetable waste, coffee grinds, tea leaves, eggshells, and ash from the bee smoker or firepit, as well as a large portion of garden waste. We choose not to add weeds or diseased plants as our composting methods do not develop high enough temperatures to kill them. When we have the room in the compost systems, we also bring in other free kitchen scraps from a local kindy. If you find yourself wanting to produce your own compost but do not have enough of your own material, you can utilise websites or apps such as sharewaste. This app connects people wanting to recycle their compostable materials with those producing their own compost or feeding animals such as chickens.
We like to follow a simple ratio of one-part green material and one-part brown material. We do not produce as much brown material as we do green but try and get as close to 50/50 as we can. For our brown materials, we use paper, cardboard, and dried leaves. We also monitor our compost and if it is getting a bit smelly, that is generally a good sign that we need to bulk up the brown materials. If it is too dry, we know to add in more green material. We also monitor the compost to ensure it does not completely dry out and where necessary, add in some water - especially in summer.
After three to four months, our compost is broken down, well developed and ready to use. We use our compost when planting out new sections in the garden and planting new seedlings. We like to use a generous amount for vegetables as they are heavy feeders.
Making our own compost does not take much time, uses household waste and benefits the garden is so many ways. Composting is affordable and easy to do in even the smallest of spaces!
