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Guide to Composting

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Why Compost?

We all put things in our garbage bin that could be put to good use.
Did you know that food and garden materials make up around half of our
household waste? When this waste goes to landfill it is costly to us and it
harms our environment. The good news is that most organic material can
easily be returned to the soil as useful fertiliser, compost and mulch in your
own garden. This will reduce the amount of waste going to landfill by half!

Here is 3 more good reasons to start a compost in your garden.


Your plants will love it!
Compost also improves plant growth, increases the capacity of
the soil to hold nutrients and water, and the ability of plants to
resist disease.

Composting is fun!
Kids and adults of all ages can enjoy the art of composting, and
it is a great outdoor activity to share with the whole family.

Reduce Global Warming!


Around 90% of greenhouse gas emissions from landfills are
a result of decomposing organic material (food waste). By
composting at home, the worms and micro-organisms of your
compost break down food waste, eliminating greenhouse gases
(methane) from the environment.

Composting is natures own recycling system!

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ADAM Principles

A
Aliveness - anything that has grown and been alive
can go in.

D
Diversity - put in a variety of ingredients such as food
scraps, dry leaves, sticks, hair and herbs.

A
Aeration - turn your compost with a garden fork or
spiral turning tool..

M
Moisture - keep compost moist (try the 50-60%
squeeze test).

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Aliveness

Your compost is a living system. It needs worms and micro-


nisms (fungi and bacteria) to break down waste and turn it into
organisms
oil-like co
soil-like compost that becomes a natural fertilizer or plant food.

There is over 4 billion microbes in 1 teaspoon of compost, working


har
rd in your compo
hard compost bin. These creatures are just as important as
the ones you can see. The more micro-organisms your compost
contains,
ns the faster the co
compost will break down and your compost
will be healthier for it.

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Diversity

BioDiversity is the heart and strength of all ecosystems!

Good Compost requires lots of different ingredients. Just like humans,


we need different foods to stay healthy.

The variety of ingredients also helps control moisture and airflow


through the compost pile.

If you feed your compost a variety of food, then your compost


will attract a variety of micro-organisms which are essential in
maintaining a healthy compost.

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Aeration

Just like humans, micro-organisms need oxygen. Aeration is


essential to any living organic system, whether it is soil, water or
compost.

Turn your compost heap once every 1 -2 weeks to let the air in. This
way, heat can be contained inside the heap, allowing the compost to
break down quicker.

Another method of aeration is to add bulky materials to create air


pockets, such as sticks, pine cones or bark chips.

The natural way to aeration is worms, and lots of them! As worms


move about the compost they are shifting ingredients, processing
food scraps, and creating air pockets as they go.

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Moisture

Moisture in all its many forms is the key to healthy vibrant, alive
ecosystems. All living things use and store moisture. We must think
beyond just water.

Your compost should be damp like a sponge, moist but not dripping
wet.

Moisture helps the microbes and nutrients to travel through the


compost. So make it easier for them by maintaining moisture in the
compost.

Food scraps, green grass and leaves, and fresh weeds carry
moisture.

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The Essential Ingredients for a
Good Compost Heap

Feed your compost with a mix of greens and browns

Greens Browns
Fruit and vegetable scraps Straw
Tea leaves & bags Autumn leaves
Fresh grass clippings Wood ash
Coffee grounds Dolomite
Green leaves Wood chips
Vacuum cleaner dust Sawdust
Egg shells Shredded newspaper
Weeds Small sticks and twigs
Manure Bark
Dead flowers Brown paper bags
Hair

Add the greens and browns to the heap in layers. Layer the ingredients in such a way that
moisture and air can get through. If you maintain your compost well, you can add almost
anything to the mix including meat, dairy, cat and dog droppings, and weeds!

Its the millions of microbes in the compost multiplying and digesting the organic waste that
produce heat and speeds up the composting process. If your compost has the right balance
of wet and dry, heat and moisture, then your compost will cope with all these ingredients.
However, if in doubt and you are experiencing composting problems keep these ingredients
out until the compost heap is in balance again.

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Four Easy Steps to Follow:

1. Choose the site


Place your compost bin in a well-drained, semi-shade position of your garden. A
compost bin in full sun may dry out quicker, a compost bin in full shade may be much
slower to break down.
One of the keys to choosing a site, is to decide where the compost will be most easily
accessed. Make it easier for yourself to add daily food scraps, so place the compost
somewhere close to the kitchen door, rather than way down the backyard.
2. What to compost
Your compost needs a mixture of rich organic materials such as food scraps, fresh
grass clippings, weeds and manure, and dry materials such as twigs, brown leaves,
straw, shredded paper and wood ash.
Follow the list of essential ingredients for a good compost heap and think Diversity.
Basically anything that was once living can go into the compost, but to get started,
avoid the questionable ingredients such as meat and dairy.Once your compost is
underway, then add these items in small amounts and see how it goes.
3. Layering
To build compost, start with a thick layer of coarse material, such as twigs and mulch.
Follow with a thin layer of food scraps, then a layer of green grass clippings or other
greens such as leaves or weeds, then a layer of manure. And so the process goes.
4. Maintaining your compost
To maintain the layering method, each time you add food scraps, add a layer of dry
material such as brown leaves, shredded newspaper, and a layer of manure or fertiliser.
On average once a week, add a bucket of water to the compost. All living creatures
need water, even the micro organisms, so keep your compost as moist as a sponge,
but not too wet!
It is important to add air to the compost so it doesnt smell. You can do this by turning
the compost with a garden fork or spiral tool, or by placing an aeration pipe or two into
the heap.

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Common Compost Problems and
What to do About Them

1. Smelly Compost
Your compost can start to smell if it gets too wet or if there is not enough air in
the heap. A common cause is putting in too much food waste and not enough dry
ingredients.

Increase aeration by;


Adding more coarse material like leaves and sticks. Mix the heap more regularly with spiral
tool or garden fork. Change the site if necessary, where your compost is sitting may not be
well drained enough.
Decrease moisture;
This will happen naturally as you increase aeration. If food scraps are already too wet, dont
add any extra water to the mix.

2. Unwelcome visitors
There are millions of friendly critters in your compost which help to break down
the food waste. However, the larger ones are not welcome, so heres how to
reduce the attraction factor for vermin.

Keep the heat moist, vermin do not like a damp environment!


Increase aeration to heat up the compost pile.
If in doubt, leave them out! Reduce the amount of suspect ingredients that you put into the
compost such as meat, dairy and bread.
Add some wood ash, lime or dolomite. These are natural ingredients which help to
re-balance the composition of the compost.
Always cover food scraps, both with a layer of soil/ dry material and a lid on the compost
bin. This will reduce the attraction factor for vermin.
Put chicken wire under compost bin and fold up the sides around the bin. This will
stop any larger critters such as mice and rats being able to get through.

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3. Slow compost
If your compost is slow to break down, it could be lack of air, water or heat. There
are good ways to make great compost quicker!

Compost maybe too dry;


Add water, remember to give your compost a good soaking every 1 - 2 weeks.
Compost maybe too wet;
It might not be getting enough air to breath, so use your spiral mixing tool or garden fork to
turn the heap and loosen the material.
Compost not heating up;
Add more nitrogen-rich material, such as manure, young grass-clippings, or blood and bone.
Turn the heap and add water. This can speed up the composting process.
Make sure you have an even amount of ingredients;
Wet & dry/ food scraps and vegetation waste.
Keep your compost covered with a lid.
You can also use a hesian bag or some insulation material on top of the heap for extra
insulation in winter.

Make sure your compost has enough worms. 2000 is a good start.

Where to use your compost material

From your compost bin Compost material Drip line around tree

In potted gardens Lawn top-dressing


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Notes;

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Notes;

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Contact Pittwater Councils Waste Education Team if you would like more information on
reducing your household waste through composting and worm farming, recycling and green
cleaning. Telephone: 9970 1194 Email: EC Education_Team@pittwater.nsw.gov.au

Contact Kimbriki Recycling & Waste Disposal Centre for Free Eco Gardening Workshops,
Recycled Garden Products (mulches, soils and potting mix) and Compost Bins ($45)
Telephone: 9486 3512 Email: kimbriki@kimbriki.com Web: www.kimbriki.com

PO Box 882, Mona Vale NSW 1660


Phone: 02 9970 1111
Email: pittwater_council@pittwater.nsw.gov.au

Environmental Compliance / Printed on recycled paper / Date: September 2007 / ECWRHA07

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