On the Coast – Families Issue 104 I February/March 2020 | Page 24

Composting
In Australia, half of the waste we throw
away each week is organic material,
which is food and garden waste.
T
oday, home composting is
encouraged as a way to reduce
the amount of waste that is
buried in landfill. When organic
materials, such as plants, fruit and
vegetables, decompose in the earth, the
nutrients contained within them are
unlocked and are recycled back into the
soil, to be used again by other living
organisms.
Setting up a compost heap (for large
amounts of organic waste)
ƒ Dimensions should be at least one
cubic metre
ƒ Enclose the heap using bricks or
untreated timber
ƒ Leave an access area at the front of
the heap
ƒ Cover to protect against weather, and
to retain heat and moisture
Choosing a location for your compost
ƒ Partial shade and protection from
weather
ƒ At least one metre away from
buildings and fences
ƒ Access to water and good drainage
Re-using your compost material
ƒ Dig into gardens to a depth of 5cm
ƒ Use as mulch on garden beds, or
spread over lawns as top dressing
ƒ When using on gardens, keep compost
away from plant stems and roots to
avoid burning
Setting up a compost bin
(for smaller gardens)
ƒ Plastic bins and plastic or metal
tumblers are available from nurseries,
hardware stores and Councils
ƒ Alternatively, you can use a
200L/44gal drum, or pieces of
untreated timber to construct your
own compost bin
ƒ Make sure the bin is open at the
bottom, to allow worms and other
composting organisms to move into it
from the soil below
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O N T H E C OA S T – FAM ILIES
ƒ The top also needs a tight-fitting lid to
protect against weather, and to retain
heat and moisture
Maintaining your compost
ƒ Always add even amounts of “greens”
(eg. fruit and vegetable scraps, fresh
grass
ƒ clippings and garden prunings) and
“browns” (eg. dried leaves, hay and
twigs)
ƒ Cover with a layer of soil, and add
some water (just to dampen)
ƒ Cover with a hessian sack or old piece
of carpet, or if
ƒ you are using a compost bin, simply
replace the lid
ƒ If you are using a compost bin, turn
the decomposing material every week
using a garden shovel or fork
ƒ If you are using a compost heap, you
only need to turn the contents every
two weeks
Composting with A.D.A.M.
There are four principles that will ensure
success with your compost, referred to as
the A.D.A.M strategy:
Aliveness – Compost is a living
environment. The soil on which your
compost is built is alive with organisms
that will move in and help with the
decomposition of your organic waste
items.
Diversity – To achieve healthy compost
you must feed your compost bin or heap
a well-balanced and diverse diet. That
means equal amounts of both ‘green’
and ‘brown’ organic materials to provide
balanced nitrogen and carbon levels.
Aeration – Turn the pile over every
couple of weeks, or every four to six days
if using a compost bin. Aeration helps
to speed up the decomposition process,
keep nasty odours at bay and minimise
the invasion of unwanted pests in your
compost bin or heap.
Moisture – Keep the compost just damp.
Over watering will ruin your compost.
Moisture is also very important in the
decomposition process, so dampen down
your compost every week or as required.
Remember ‘green’ organic items have
high moisture levels, and so will increase
the moisture level of you compost.
What makes good compost?
The organisms in your bin love to eat the
following:
ƒ Green organic materials, which are
full of nitrogen
ƒ Leaves (green prunings)
ƒ Grass (green clippings)
ƒ Cow, horse or chicken manure
ƒ Food scraps
ƒ Coffee grounds and tea bags
ƒ Hair from your brush and comb
ƒ Seaweed
ƒ Brown organic materials, which are
full of carbon
ƒ Dried leaves and dried grass clippings
ƒ Sawdust (untreated timber only)
ƒ Wood shavings (untreated timber only)
ƒ Hay and straw
ƒ Vacuum cleaner dust
ƒ Newspaper and shredded paper
ƒ Egg shells
What to avoid
There are many organic waste items that
may encourage vermin such as rats, flies
and cockroaches, and will smell when
they decompose. Some items to avoid
putting in your compost heap/bin include:
ƒ Fats and oils
ƒ Meat products
ƒ Dairy products
ƒ Cat or dog faeces
ƒ Man-made materials such as plastic,
steel, aluminium and glass
Source: https://1coast.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Composting.pdf