Composting

We all put things in our garbage bin that could be put to good use. Food and garden materials often make up around 60% of household waste. When this waste goes to landfill it is costly to us and it harms our environment. Fortunately, organic material can easily be returned to the soil as useful fertiliser, compost and mulch. Compost improves plant growth, increases the capacity of the soil to hold nutrients and the ability of plants to resist disease.

Composting is like baking a cake, you need ingredients, preparation and time.

There are no hard and fast rules but a few basic principles.

A good compost has the right balance of Moisture, Air, and Diversity.

• Moisture - If the compost is too dry, the ingredients will not decompose. It is best to keep the compost moist but not wet.
• Air - The particular microbes that break down organic materials without smelling bad, need air. Ensure your first layer is dry twigs to allow air to flow through.
• Diversity - To get the best compost, diversity is a key, the more varied the ingredients the better! Generally, there needs to be a range of "greens" such as fruit and vegetable scraps, fresh lawn clippings, farm manure or garden weeds which are all high in nitrogen and "browns" such as dry leaves, woody twig clippings, mulch, sawdust, paper, straw, dry grass and wood ash, all high in carbon. Other materials that can be composted include tea, coffee grounds, old potting mix, vase flowers, egg shells, hair and vacuum cleaner dust!

Once you have your ingredients, simply pile them all together into your compost heap or bin and keep damp rather than wet. Turning the ingredients every 2 or 3 weeks will help speed up the composting process.

Download a copy of our Guide to Composting booklet, or call the Education Team on 9970 1194 for a free copy to be sent to you.

Worm Farms

Easy, cheap, friendly and even if you have very little or no garden space, you can still compost your fruit and vegetable scraps by using a worm farm. Earth worms turn organic matter, like fruit and vegetable scraps into fertiliser which can be used in the garden or to feed your pot plants. A worm farm is odourless and requires very little maintenance.

Worms Love to Eat:

• Fruit and vegetable scraps and peeling
• Tea leaves/bags and coffee grounds
• Crushed egg shells
• Vase flowers
• Vacuum cleaner dust
• Moist shredded paper and cardboard

Download a copy of our Guide to Worm Farming booklet, or call the Education Team on 9970 1194 for a free copy to be sent to you.

Mulching

Nature provides it's own mulch in the form of leaf litter and decomposing organisms. It is much the same in our suburban garden, with mulch made up of leaves, decomposing plant material and grass clippings. Using the resources you have on-site saves money and maintenance! Mulch suppresses weed growth, retains moisture and gradually returns nutrients to the soil.

Grass clippings are best left on the lawn because they retain moisture during these times of drought. But if you have already collected them, add them to your compost bin to partly decompose the clippings, this will reduce the viability of weeds and seeds in the mix, then you can add the composted material back to your garden as a fertiliser for your plants!

Free Kimbriki Eco Garden Workshops

The Eco Garden is a place to learn how to apply organic gardening principles into your everyday gardening. This includes composting, wormfarming, mulching and low-waste organic gardening.  For more information on when the next workshop is being held contact Kimbriki Recycling and Waste Dispostal Centre on 9486 3512.

Learn How

For more information and resources on eco-gardening available to residents and schools, contact the Education Team on 9970 1194.

Updated: 14 April 2011