If you’re anything like us here at the Deakin Community garden, you’ve probably gone through a few emotional stages/ learning curves when it comes to composting. Here are the not so official 3 composting stages: 1)The ‘She’ll be right’ stage: Here, you just chuck all your food scraps in a bucket, pop on a lid and say ‘she’ll be right’. You’re feeling pretty good about yourself, like an eco-warrior who is completely dominating in the sustainability game. 2)The ‘Oh my gosh that didn’t work what have I done wrong’ stage: So, you’ve checked your compost and it’s a smelly, mouldy mush. You can even see some whole apples in there with the sticker still attached! Why didn’t the compost fairy remove the sticker for you? Damn compost fairy needs to earn it’s keep! At this stage you’re definitely feeling that composting is super hard and you want out! 3)The ‘I’ve got my act together now’ stage: Congrats, you’ve figured out that composting requires some technique! That’s personal growth right there! In fact, you’re on your way to having some very decent, nutrient rich soil for your garden in a few months! Seriously though, you don’t have to give up your composting dreams just because you’ve had problems in the past or are unsure of where to start. Here are some tips to get started: 1)Start small: Try not to obsess over chucking every single kitchen scrap you create into the compost. The sad reality is it won’t all fit. It’s a lot better for you, your compost, and your neighbours who potentially have to deal with the smell of an unkept compost. Just start small and only compost what you can handle. 2)More leaves, less scraps: you need a good ratio of ‘browns’ or carbons (brown leaves, straw/ hay) to ‘greens’ or nitrogen (kitchen scraps, green lawn clippings/ leaves, coffee grounds, etc). The exact ratio can differ a bit depending on who you ask/ how quickly you’re wanting to compost. A ratio of around 60% browns to 40% greens is what you should aim for. Avoiding ‘woody’ leaves such as eucalypts as they take forever to decompose. 3)Make sure larger scraps are made smaller before adding to the compost: Chopping up scraps with a knife or, if you’re super keen, chucking it in a food processor. This will ensure your scraps break down properly and quickly. 4)Make sure your browns are covering the top of your compost: It’s important that your scraps aren’t exposed, even if you have a lid (see below how we covered our greens over once we put them in. This creates layers which are ideal). 5)Think about adding some other bits like mushroom mulch to help the process, coffee grounds (considered as ‘greens’) and, if the smell is unbearable (which it shouldn’t be with the right ratio of greens to browns) you can mix in a bit of limestone. Just to make things a little more complicated, there are a few other types of composting that you could consider trying. Whether you use aerobic decomposition (‘normal’ composting) or another type just depends on your needs, such as how many scraps your household produces, how much compost you are wanting to produce and how quickly, as well as what sort of things you are wanting to compost. Bokashi composting: This method isn’t exactly ‘composting’ but a fermentation process. You don’t need any ‘browns’ for this process either, just simply add food scraps to the bin, as well as the ‘bokashi mix’ (containing micro-organisms that induce the fermentation process). Once full or left to ferment for a time, the waste is then buried underground and mixed with soil. You can create a ‘bokashi pile’ and keep adding compost to the same spot. Bokashi bins are also great in that they create ‘bokashi juice’ to fertilise your garden. Pros: -We think this method works well for household who produce a lot of kitchen scraps -The process is really fast, you can have some really nice nutrient rich soil as soon as 3 weeks from burying. -Don’t need to collect no pesky browns, all you need is there and ready to go. -You can compost things you usually can’t when using other methods (meat, dairy, eggs, etc). Cons: -For some people it can feel a little more involved. You have to drain fairly often, and how much juice you get can depend on what you put in your bin. -Doesn’t smell the best (that’s what you get for not using browns) For more info, check out the bokashi website https://www.bokashi.com.au/Bokashi+One/How+it+Works.html Worm farms: Worms farms are so fun! Who doesn’t want to harness the power of thousands of squiggly little creatures to deal with your kitchen waste? They’re fairly similar to aerobic (‘normal’) composts in that they require similar conditions and browns vs greens, but there are a few differences. Pros: -Fairly low maintenance- just need to be in shade in summer so that the worms stay happy. -Can collect compost juice and is the best compost juice around! -No real problems with attracting mice/other pests -Smell doesn’t tend to be as bad as other aerobic composts. Cons: -A lot of worms are needed for it to be effective (around 1000 per person) -Not efficient for a large composting need- okay for 1 or 2 people with fairly low food waste. -A bit gross, or a bit fun if you like worm -Cannot add animal products (unlike aerobic which you can add everything other than meat) -The process is painfully slow (a lot slower than aerobic composting, which is in the middle between bokashi’s (fastest) and worms (slowest). For more info about worms, check out the ‘Worm Lovers’ worm blog: https://www.wormlovers.com.au/ There is no better time than now to get your compost on! Grab a bucket, find some browns, grab some worms, collect your kitchen scraps and you’re good to go!
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The happy Deakin Scarecrow family- Russel Scarecrow, Rita Hayworth and Benny Cumberbale |