TOOLKIT
COMPOSTING: WASTE = FOOD

STEP 1: HOW TO MAKE A COMPOSTER

Here are 3 possible ways of many:

1. Convert an old plastic rubbish bin into a composter by drilling about four rows of holes 4 to 6 inches apart all around the sides and cutting off the base for drainage.
2. Make a wire mesh bin by using 12 feet by 3 feet galvanized chicken wire or hardware cloth.
3. Build a wooden bin from 4 used wood pallets or other scrap wood.

STEP 2: HOW TO COMPOST

1. Put your composter in the garden on bare soil, not paving or decking. It should be somewhere that is easy to get to all year round. Composters can be got from local authorities or garden centres. Alternatively they can be built yourself [see Step 1: Make a Composter]
2. Composting needs a balanced diet - just like us! Try to add equal volumes of green (soft) and brown (tough) materials. Soft, wet materials include grass cuttings, tea bags and uncooked vegetable peelings that won't successfully compost on their own. Tough items are harder, drier materials such as straw, paper and hedge cutting.
3. Composting works best if you add lots of materials at once. Chop chunky and large items into small pieces to speed up the composting process. Try to ensure that your compost stays moist but not wet - when squeezed in your hand a few drops of water should be produced. Add water if it is too dry; cover and add dry material if too wet.
4. Add soil, finished compost or a compost accelerator (young nettles are excellent at this job) to help speed up the composting process.
5. Remember to keep adding a good mixture of materials. Agitate the contents with a garden fork to keep the air flowing through the material. Do this every couple of weeks during the summer and every month or so in the winter.
6. Your compost is ready when it is dark in colour and has an earthy smell. Depending on the time of year and materials used this can take anything from six to eighteen months. The finished compost will appear at the bottom of the heap.

STEP 3: USING THE COMPOST, COMPOSTING TIPS AND PROBLEM SOLVING

The compost can be used in the garden as a soil conditioner or mix it with sharp sand and soil to make a potting mix. If your compost is 'chunky', simply spread it over your garden beds as mulch.

The Composting Process - Heater and Chompers

Composting is a natural two stage process which converts organic waste into a valuable material for the garden.

In the first stage, bacteria and fungi - the heaters - utilise the softer waste as a source of food. A well made heap should generate heat and reach 60 degrees - about the temperature of a hot cup of tea. It should not smell unpleasant. For a good compost heap you require:

• a soft green material to provide nitrogen
• a good supply of air
• some moisture
• tougher material to keep the structure open

The heap will eventually cool down after 4 - 6 weeks and at this point chompers take over the composting process by consuming the tougher material. The chompers are larger invertebrates, such as worms, centipedes, beetles and woodlice. The end result is dark, rich, fibrous compost - that costs you nothing.

Composting Tips

• always mix soft green wastes and tougher material
• add large amounts of materials in one go - the bigger the heap the better it will heat up
• turn your heap regularly, at least once a month, to maintain a good supply of air
• leave the heap for 6 - 12 months after it has cooled down to allow the chompers to do their work
• only put compostable material on your heap
• don't give up if it does not work first time
• use your compost for making potting compost, mulching weeds and improving your soil

Problem Solving

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