Composting!

Why?

-  Nutrient rich soil conditioner

-  Returns nutrients that have been

removed by harvest

-  Way to use raw materials for making

compost

- Reduces landfill waste

 Principles

—  Anything that has an organic source

—  Green vs Brown production ratio 2:1

 Location:

—  Shelter from wind and hot sun

—  Use black material to absorb heat

—  Make it big enough for materials

 Principles of making
compost:
—  The smaller the items are, the quicker they break
down

—  Bury food scraps

—  Materials must be moist, but not saturated

—  Air must penetrate material

—  Turn over pile to move outer material to centre

—  Cover from winter rain

—  Allow centre to get hot, up to 70 degrees C, then

turn over, use compost themometer

—  Add materials in layers to control proportions,

brown, green, and soil
—  Add layers of “tired” garden soil
 Is compost ready?

—  Colour is dark brown to black

—  No recognizable material is visible

—  Texture is loose and crumbly

—  Has earthy smell

—  Pile is 60% of original volume

—  Screen out material that will not decompose

 Why compost?

—  Rich in organic matter that needs replacing

—  Good source of trace elements