How To Compost

Studies show that a large percentage of the household waste that reaches landfills, contributing to all the disadvantages and hazards that landfills bring, is composed of kitchen waste. Speaking as someone who's always had a compost heap and can't imagine life without one, I can't believe that people would throw such a valuable resource away...

Pig manure is rich in potassium and ideal for potash hungry root vegetables. However unless pigs are reared organically their manure can have a high copper content from the feed, so it isn�t suitable for the home compost bin and ultimately your veg. (In the UK there are strict regulations about composting if you keep pigs).Although cow manure might be the most perfect for your garden it tends to be much less available than horse manure the addition of which seems to keep my roses perfectly happy!Disposing of our waste is truly detrimental to the environment. The array of energy used to collect, transport and process our waste is all having a negative impact on the planet. Really it seems wasteful to use energy just to get rid of our excess stuff. This is compounded by the impact the waste itself has on the environment at large. Food waste, garden debris and other organic materials often end up in landfill. Because they are sealed under yet more rubbish they are unable to break down naturally. Instead they decompose anaerobically producing vast quantities of methane gas.The benefits of garden composting come in two different guises. Firstly the environmental impact you have on the planet and secondly the creation of something that benefits you, the gardener.Diverting all your organic waste reduces all the energy involved in processing it and cuts methane emissions which are a large factor in climate change. So by using a garden compost bin you really do help the environment.Your compost bin should either be placed on soil, or else dirt should be added to the bottom of your heap. This acts as a "starter" to begin the process of breaking down kitchen waste. For perfect compost, make sure you have some worms in your "starter". You can place bins or a stack on concrete - I had to do this once to stop a rat digging into the compost bin - but dirt is ideal.

And at the end of it all, you'll be left with the richest, blackest organic fertiliser that you can put on your garden. And, contrary to popular expectations, it doesn't even smell too bad!

Author: Nick Vassilev