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Geoffrey Carr |
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November 2009 Really Good Compost There
are one or two tips to bear in mind if you want to make really good compost. The
first is to work out why you want to commit to making compost. My motivator
is based on the simple principle of minimising the amount of material going
through the Council recycling system. I don’t see the point of letting my
compostable material be carried off in
a diesel powered lorry to be industrially composted using more carbon burning
engines before further diesel powered transport takes it somewhere else. I
can carry out the same operation on my allotment with no burning of fossil
fuels. I also like to know that my compost is comprised mainly of waste that
was grown on the same plot from whence it came. Not a blade of grass, potato
peeling, rhubarb leaf or parsnip top leaves the allotment, (I also recycle
worn out natural fibre clothes in the compost bin too). The
second tip is to not kid yourself that the compost will look after itself and
that you can throw any old garden related material onto it. You will need to
ensure the right combination of waste products is used (refer to last month’s
article) and you will need to turn the compost regularly to optimise the air
flow. So,
if you have decided to take the plunge and get into compost production you
will need to decide what method to use. A pile of garden waste will
eventually turn to compost but the process will be more efficient and
effective if you use containers and use more than one. My next article will explain
how to make a composting system from non returnable wooden pallets. However,
there are many types of compost bins or containers available if you wish to
buy a readymade option. For more information try looking in the gardening
section of Cirencester library or visit the following web sites. The
Community Composting Network, www.othas.org.uk/ccn,
The Composting Association, www.compost.org.uk,
Green Books, www.greenbooks.co.uk,
The Organic Organisation, www.hdra.org.uk. Please
do contact me at www.geoffreycarr.co.uk
if you have any questions. |
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