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Creating compost

Cherie
Finding My Feet

Creating compost

We've just moved from Sydney to Tassie into our first home after years of living in a dark flat with equally damp dark garden. I now have a beautiful sun drenched front and back garden with very happy roses and vegie gardens to build.  I've bought a good compost bin but want to be sure I'm getting the most out of it and not just using it as a storage unit for rotting scraps etc.

 

Can anyone give some advise on how best to use it.  I could go to the compost sites but thought I'd check for real life experience.

 

Cheers

Cherie

 

Compost_steaming_-_detail_2.jpg

  

Jason
Community Manager
Community Manager

Re: Creating Compost

Welcome to Workshop @Cherie and congratulations on purchasing your first home. This must be such an exciting time for you. I'm confident the Workshop community will be keen to help with information, advice and inspiration for all the projects you are likely to tackle around your new home and garden. Thanks for joining us.

 

Composting is a great topic for your first post. I'm sure many other community members will also be keen to learn more. Fortunately, there are many keen gardeners here on Workshop that will be happy to share their suggestions, including @CathM@timjeffries@Dale and @Branchy249.

 

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Jason

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Kermit
Amassing an Audience

Re: Creating Compost

@Cherie


This should help get you going....

 

greygardener
Becoming a Leader

Re: Creating Compost

What kind of compost bin did you buy @Cherie?

Re: Creating Compost

Hi @Cherie welcome to the workshop. :smile:

As @Jason says I'm a bit of a gardener myself. For compost I do this:

- Lay a bed of grass clippings from lawn. Helps to keep the pile warm and rotting.
- I will take half the dirt from a garden bed. A literal half not the top half. All the way to the bottom and spread the remaining half.
- To start off, if this is your first pile, just top up the bed with vegie potting mix and stir.
- Back to your compost pile add the dirt.
- Add a layer of hay or straw.
- Add a box of worms.
- Feed then food scraps until you cycle the beds again.

This uses the old principles of leaving soil fallow to rejuvenate. You're speeding it up with the worms and scraps.

Re: Creating Compost

Highly recommend aerating your compost. Check out this simple method for a quick solution http://littleveggiepatchco.com.au/blogs/news/8144159-compost-aerator
CathM
Cultivating a Following

Re: Creating Compost

Being a huge fan of composting, I love to hear of others who enjoy it too!! Being a busy mum and biz owner, I've found the most sustainable way for me to keep up with my love for gardening, while growing fresh food, I've taken the quick and easy approach to doing a few things...and composting is one of those things!
I now use my 'in-garden' method, where I use a regular garbage bin, remove the base and set it up IN my veggie gardens. I find then I have fresh compost ready to use just where I want it, I don't have to move it around the garden anymore! (happy face!!)
I have three or four bins on the go at once, some are for adding ingredients to, others are resting and almost ready to empty.
Here's a link to my article on the super easy ways to set up this system. Just grab a good quality bin from Bunnings and remove the base, drill a few airholes and you're ready to go!!
http://soiltosupper.com/do-you-know-how-to-compost/
Enjoy!
greygardener
Becoming a Leader

Re: Creating Compost

Remember to recycle your leaves everyone.

 

https://www.workshop.com.au/t5/Gardening/Recycle-your-leaves/m-p/2965

 

Re: Creating Compost

Please use a flyscreen to wrap the bottom of your compost bin, up to half of a meter.
This will stop rats and mice to use the bin as a nest or a feeding ground.
Good luck!
bluebec
Building a Reputation

Re: Creating Compost

I tend to fill mine up with vegetable scraps, paper towel, and stalks of plants from the garden (pumpkin, tomato, corn, etc).  I add a bit of soil every now and again, usually from the potato crop as that soil really needs enriching.  I keep it moist by throwing a bit of water on it when required, and I just watch ALL THE WORMS that love my compost bin.  They're the best bit in my opinion.

 

I'm also using compostible bags in my compost bin to save on cleaning.  They don't break down as quickly as i like, but aren't too hard to separate out from the soil when putting it back into the garden bed.

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