Gardening Australia – September 2019

BACK TO BASICS

42 SEPTEMBER 2019 GARDENING AUSTRALIA

Compostisthebackboneofgreatsoil.

It’salsothebestwaytorecycleyour

organicwastebackintotheearth.

1. Choose where to site your compost heap.
   It makes sense to put it close to where you
   are likely to spread the compost (and where
   the goodness from the heap can leach out
   and benefit the surrounding plants). This
   three-bay system is beside the vegie patch
   and is home-built, with removable slats for
   access. The bay on the right takes the raw
   ingredients. When it’s full, they’re moved

intothecentralbin, and eventually over to

theleftbayuntilcrumbly and ready to use.

2.Analternativesingle-heap option that’s

quick, cheap and easy is to get a roll of

galvanised wire mesh, cut it to a length

of 2.3m, roll it into a cylinder, and join the

ends. A couple of tomato stakes will hold it

in place. This one is set up on a vegetable

bed, so when the compost is ready it can

be spread directly over the surrounding

soil. The easiest solution of all is to buy a

compost bin. They are affordable, readily

available and simple to set up.

3. When adding to your compost heap, aim
   for a ratio of four parts brown ingredients
   to one part green. Brown materials include
   dry leaves, newspaper, cardboard, straw
   and woodchip. Green materials include
   fruit and vegie scraps, manure, fresh lawn
   clippings, prunings and weeds. Keep weed
   seeds out of the heap, as well as meat or
   dairy products, pet manure and diseased
   plant material. A corkscrew-style compost
   aerator is just the thing for turning and
   aerating the heap, which helps to speed
   up the breakdown of all the ingredients.

#

3

skill

HOW TO MAKE

GREAT COMPOST

12

3