Director, Horticultural Business Solutions Inc. COMPOSTING Frances L. Chandler, Ph.D Director, Horticultural Business Solutions Inc.

What is composting? Production of a useful material from organic waste Tiny micro-organisms break down useless material into valuable material which can be used to amend soil texture and fertility Vermiculture uses earthworms to produce vermicompost The California Red earthworm is the best type for composting

Why make compost? (Slide 1 of 2) It is in the national interest, since waste disposal is critical About 50% of landfill waste is organic and can be composted Up to 19% increase in sugar cane yields have been obtained by adding compost From a personal point of view, it is a cheap form of fertilizer for your garden

Why make compost? You are contributing to protecting the environment (Slide 2 of 2) You are contributing to protecting the environment You are enriching the soil and improving the health of the plants on your property Vegetables and fruits fed with compost will themselves be beneficial to human health

Benefits of Compost to the Soil Returns the major elements – nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus, as well as trace elements, to the soil These elements are later released for use by plant roots Improves soil aeration and drainage Improves tilth …. lightens heavy soils and gives very sandy soils water-holding capacity Reduces erosion May be used as a mulch to help conserve moisture

Why Some People Avoid Composting They think: It will smell It will harbour flies and rodents It will be too much work This is not so, as long as the correct materials are used in the correct way

How to Make Compost Compost is made all the time in nature. The resulting material is absorbed by the soil, and plant roots use the nutrients You can use as simple or as sophisticated a method as you wish The simplest, but not the most attractive, way is to dig a hole and deposit your kitchen scraps and garden clippings into it A more attractive method, but just as simple, is to use some type of container to hold the waste material and allow composting to take place

Types of Composters A stone structure with a mesh platform through which the compost falls and is collected at the bottom. The front can be made of wooden slats which are removable for easy access to the finished product The more sophisticated composter is shown here

Types of Composters A bank of tyres, with a wooden cover These are inexpensive and easy to use and are not an eye sore in your garden. They are covered and have air vents

Requirements for Making Good Compost Air, moisture and organic material A good mix of “green” (nitrogenous) and “brown” (carbon) material 2 parts green to 1 part brown works well A good mix of “wet” (kitchen waste) and “dry” (garden clippings) The finer the material the quicker the process will be Addition of a little inorganic fertilizer or animal manure will help to speed up the process Turning of the material every week helps to speed up the process (from 8 months to 2 months), eliminate odours and matting, keep the pile aerobic

Collecting Your Materials Place a plastic bag or container in or underneath your sink Place eggshells, tea bags, vegetable peelings, paper napkins, stale bread, coffee grounds, etc. in the container Empty this every two days or so into your composter Collect grass clippings, leaves and small twigs in a pile in the garden. If larger branches are used, they should be shredded before placing in the composter. Do not use meat, dairy products, grease or bones. They will smell as well as attract rodents and will take long to break down Do not use weeds which have seeded

Siting Your Composter Near backdoor or in garden Near source of water Out of full sun to prevent overheating On bare ground for good drainage Away from large trees Roots will absorb nutrients from compost

Think of compost as an investment in the soil and plants around your house. The “bank” is the natural environment and your investment is “black gold”. The dividend is a cleaner, healthier planet.

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