There are a lot of ways to compost and a lot of options if you're looking to purchase or build a composter. The best thing you can do is just think about what you want out of your compost or why you want to compost and start from there. Do you want a nutrient rich additive for your garden? do you it want it fast? Maybe you're looking to reduce your carbon footprint, make less garbage, maybe you want to grow killer tomatoes. Whatever you're looking to do there's a composting method or system that will fit the bill. No matter what system you end up choosing composting is about harmony. A balancing act of temperatures, ratios of carbon and nitrogen, moisture and beneficial bacteria. But it's also as simple as letting things rot and allowing nature to take it's course. Let's say it's an uncomplicated complicated subject. You can go about it simply or you can fine tune it into an artful science. Here are some of my favourite composting methods, how they work and how they can help you achieve what you want out of composting, I say help because most types of composting require some effort on your part. Compost tea: So you want to feed your plans and you want to feed them now. Compost tea is probably the answer. In as little as three days you can have a batch ready to apply to your garden. The method is simple put compostable material (household food scraps) in a fabric bag and tied it up tight. Think teabag, things that are permeable, socks, nylons, burlap sacks. If you have finished compost or manure available to you use that, these can also be purchased at gardening centres or building supply stores. Or use a mix of all three. I even use "green" manure, fresh droppings from my chickens. Once your bag is filled with all that gross goodness and tied up put it in water (preferably non chlorinated). I use a garbage can with 5-10lbs of compost in a burlap sack, and I keep my compost tea going all gardening season simply by adding water as I take out tea for my plants. ...Always keep your compost tea covered or you may end up with some extra surprises... Some people apply it to the leaves as a foliar spray (leaf feeding) but I don't bother doing that, I don't feel like covering my plants edible bits in bacteria, I just watered them at the base with the tea. Occasionally I get some on the leaves, I don't worry about that I just rinse it off with regular ol' water, I just don't leaf feed intentionally. Always keep your compost tea covered or you may end up with some extra surprises (flies love the stuff and will lay eggs in your compost tea, yuck! surprise maggots!). If the weather is warm 15°C or more your tea will brew up in as little as three days. You'll know it's ready when it smells... let's just say unpleasant, and is a little bit thicker than just water. Given enough time compost tea and become surprisingly "soupy", the rich culture of bacteria can make things rather thick. I use a regular watering can to apply my tea. Everybody has a different way of making compost tea and you can't really get your recipe wrong, but if you'd some further instruction look here. Barrel composter: Another "I want fast plant food" method is the barrel composter. In around three months time if done right you'll have a finished compost, black gold. Now the truly well made ones are out of my price range but the compost demonstration area at the BL community garden has a skookum one. It cost around $600 and is made by sun-mar. Of course there are many out there at various price points (the lower end at $100) that offer the same fast track to a finished product, if you're looking to purchase one consider durability, ease of use and size\capacity. ...There are also numerous DIY instructions around the web for all sorts of budgets and needs... There are also numerous DIY instructions around the web for all sorts of budgets and needs. What makes barrel composters so great is that the turning of the compost pile is nearly effortless, turning the compost regularly gets you a final product faster. It's also a self-contained system so it maintains pretty even moisture levels without you doing much to it. Add compostable material and turn that barrel. Every system is slightly different and will require you to learn some things. Personally my lack of experience with the system means I can't offer much more information. I do love the concept and would definitely like to build something of my own. Triple bin composter: Triple been composter can be made almost free out of pallets. You can also opt of course to buy new lumber or you can salvage other wood to create a three bin composting system. Triple been systems are definitely slower probably taking two seasons on average to yield any finished compost. This is how they work, in the first compartment you put your compost garden waste grass clippings etc. As it fills up and starts to break down use a pitchfork to take it from the first bin and place it in the second bin. As the second bin starts to get filled with partially composted matter start pitching it into the last bin. In the end that final bin should be filled with but looks like dirt. The cycle of moving the compost just keeps going always filling the first pitching it into the second and then into the third. ...These are great systems for people with larger yards and larger gardens where you have a lot of compostables to deal with... These are great systems for people with larger yards and larger gardens where you have a lot of compostables to deal with. You can also do a smaller system with just two bins and reap similar results. I have a small two bin in at my home. As with the barrel composter there are lots of DIY instructions online. This system will require a little more interaction then say a barrel composter if things start to get really dry in your bins you're going to need to water it. Be mindful of your design occasionally you're going to want to be able to turn the pile with in a single been if that's difficult you're not gonna want to do it, think ease-of-use. The front of a triple bin system should be able to be fully opened and fully closed with no obstacles for you to manhandle your compost around. As with any system the more you turn it the faster it should compost. Be mindful of the balance with in your pile's, 50/50 nitrogen and carbon (greens and browns, wet and dry material) will give you the best results, this is true in most systems. Tire tower: I love things that are free and something that's plentiful and free in our world is old tires. There's some great things about a stack of tires being used as a composter. First off there black they retain heat heat to a certain extent is great for your compost pile (40-60 degrees Celsius is optimum). Secondly the shape of the tires retains water so you're less likely to need to add water to your pile. And the last thing I love about these, there's not a lot of need to turn them and when you do it's pretty darn easy, take the top tire off put it on the ground beside the tower scoop what composed is exposed in that tire on the ground and follow all the way through to the bottom until the last tire is now on the top of the newly reassembled tower. To harvest the compost disassemble the tower and start a new batch. I like to have two towers going, one with older compost and one with fresh materials. Set up where they can get some sun and you'll be surprised at how fast you can get a finished compost product. They don't hold a lot so in as little as a single season you'll have something to apply to your garden. If you do set these up in direct sunlight keep an ion the moisture levels though it's not full proof and it may need water if it gets hot. Pile on the ground: You don't need a composter to compost you can just have a compost pile sitting straight on the ground. If you decide to go this route pick a location that's dry, standing water is definitely not your friend. ...piles that are too small won't maintain a good temperature... Try to maintain a manageable size 5 x 5 x 5 feet at the most, something like this should be turned five times a week. It would be better for you to have multiple piles than a gigantic one that you can't turn easily by hand with a shovel or a pitchfork. You could work it like a triple been system three piles one that's mostly broken down one halfway there and one for your fresh materials. You can go smaller to, say 3 x 3 x 3 feet, but piles that are too small won't maintain a good temperature (they're just too small to provide their own insulation) as well a large piles. Make sure the spot you choose to is easily accessible with a hose so that you can add water to your pile if you need to. A crunchy dry pile will not decompose. African keyhole gardens: African keyhole gardens are nice way to compost on a smaller scale. It's a circular garden with a small cut out so that you can access the centre where you can either install a composter like we did at the BL community garden, or more traditionally, wire mesh or branches woven together creating the circular centre where you feed the garden with your compost. You can even find kits rather than building them completely on your own. This is almost like instant results because your compost just goes in the centre and when you water the centre the water permeates the surrounding soil and your plants get fed. Worms are also going to make their home in the compostables in the centre and they're going to inoculate the entire garden with some of the finest compost on earth worm castings, good old worm poop. ...The outer edges of an African keyhole garden can be made out to just about anything you can think of... The outer edges of an African keyhole garden can be made out to just about anything you can think of, rocks, woven branches like willow thatch, or like the one at the community garden, a combination of compostable material held in place with steaks and plastic fencing. If you can make a circle with it, and it can retain soil, it can work. If you choose this route you wouldn't be waiting for compost, it's just going right into the soil surrounding that garden all on its own. Another one of those projects with a lot of do-it-yourself information online. When you're selecting a location for something like this consider what you want to plant in it above all. For the best results you're going to want to create grade. The High Point being the centre, gradually getting lower as it stretches to the edges. But personally I don't think it's imperative unless you're also seeking the water conservation qualities of this garden bed/composter Wire mesh composter: A system for those on a budget, or in locations where it rains a lot. It's just a circle made out of metal fencing. It's pretty easy to care for system not a lot different from compost pile on the ground. To turn it you're going to want to take the wire off the pile turn it, then put it back into the wire circle in a nearby location. Definitely a tidier your look than just a pile on the ground and if you're somebody with freerange chickens there's a little more between the chickens and your future black gold. If you don't keep chickens, they love compost and they get into the piles and steal all the good bits, there are pros and cons to chickens in your compost pile but I think that is a whole other article. Using wire mesh as a composter you get great airflow and drainage which of course comes with pros and cons. The downfall of great drainage and great airflow is you're probably going to have to pay attention to the moisture levels with this a little more than with other systems. But the benefit of that great drainage is you're not likely to overwater your pile which can be detrimental to decomposition, slowing it down or bringing it into an anaerobic environment. Worm bins: I am no warm expert but I can recommend a great book on composting with worms it's called "worms eat my garbage" by Mary Appelhof. Here is quick fact sheet based on the book. The concept is pretty simple in the right environment you can feed worms your household scraps and they will make you exquisite compost. It comes with a learning curve though, personally I didn't find it too hard to overdo things in my warm been over water over feed, but a lot of people find it simple. There are even building plans in the worms eat my garbage book for a coffee table worm been claiming to be totally smell free. It's easy to find a lot of options for just purchasing a bin online. The price range is broad and the options are many. If you're completely new to it skip the expensive system and start with something simple. An easy DIY for your own worm bin requires two Rubbermaid tote that are the same size and a drill (start small if you need a bigger been down the road they're not that hard to make). In one bin you drill holes all the way around the perimeter at the top and all the way around the perimeter at the bottom. You insert the newly ventilated and drainage equipped one into the other put a lid on it -poof- worm bin. Add bedding (shredded newspaper works), worms and household food scraps. ...Now another thing you need to know before you jump in is that not all worms are created equally... Now another thing you need to know before you jump in is that not all worms are created equally. Some worms are composting worms and others are not. Its best to find yourself a source of red wigglers the most commonly used composting worms. These guys can go all year if you overwinter them inside your house. During gardening season they can safely be left outside. Worm bins commonly end up with fruit flies, I was told not to worry they part and parcel with this method of composting. Choosing a location where the fruit flies bother you less, controlling moisture levels and covering the top layer of added compost in the bin with sheets of newspapers will help reduce this issue. There are many other ways to compost your food and yard waste, recycling them into black gold. In fact there's almost too many ways to go about it but this is a selection of some of my favourite ways to feed my plants and to reduce waste. For more in depth information check out the links below.
By Samantha Young-Finch Composting in tires with worms: https://groundtoground.org/2011/06/13/car-tires-for-worm-farm-and-compost-bin/ Lots of info: http://www.compost.org/English/ENGLISH_INDEX.htm Recycling and environmental action planning society (REAPS in Prince George): http://www.reaps.org/ In-depth compost use http://compostingcouncil.org/admin/wp-content/plugins/wp-pdfupload/pdf/1330/Field_Guide_to_Compost_Use.pdf
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Gardening info
here you will find how to info from us and around the web Archives
March 2017
Categories |