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Fact Sheet #1 – YOUR GUIDE TO – HOMES TRADITIONAL COMPOSTING What is Traditional Composting? Why Traditional composting is simply the method of breaking down organic materials (kitchen and garden waste) in a large container or heap. The decomposition occurs because of the action of naturally occurring bacteria and fungi. Small invertebrates, such as Composting has many benefits for earthworms and millipedes, help to complete the process. the environment: Composting can convert kitchen and garden waste into dark coloured soil in a matter of a few weeks or months. Traditional • it saves valuable landfill space composting is only suitable for composting kitchen scraps if you • it can be used as fertiliser have a good amount of garden pruning’s (including grass clippings, • it improves the condition of twigs, dry leaves, mulch etc.). If you don’t have much in the way of soils. garden pruning’s, a worm farm would be a much better option (see Fact Sheet 2: Worm Farming). How Composting Works There is nothing mysterious or In composting, provided the a wide variety of invertebrates complicated about composting. right conditions are present, the present. In fact, there is a mini Natural composting, or natural process of decay is sped food web in action. Some decomposition, occurs all the up. In these conditions, bacteria creatures, such as springtails, time in the natural world. and fungi feed and multiply, millipedes, mites, slugs and Organic material, the remains giving off a great deal of heat. earthworms, feed on the partially of dead animals and plants, is In well managed heaps, this broken down materials. Other broken down and consumed by temperature can reach as high as creatures, such as spiders, decomposers (mainly bacteria 60°C in the central core. centipedes and cockroaches, prey and fungi) and eaten by small While the temperature remains on the plant feeders. invertebrates. high, invertebrates are not The nutrients, that were once present in compost heaps, but present in these remains, are when the temperature drops, the returned to the soil or water, invertebrates enter the heap from where they are able to support the surrounding soil and complete the growth of new plants. This is the process of decomposition. natural recycling. In a pile of mature compost, there may be How to ALIVENESS - Compost needs living organisms to break Compost A down the waste and release the minerals and nutrients needed to make rich soil-like compost. Each living organism Follow the ADAM principle for in the compost has a different but important role to play in creating the right conditions for good compost. Some of the good compost. living organisms, such as bacteria, are too small for you to Good compost comes from see. But they are still very important. ALIVENESS, which is created DIVERSITY – Compost needs lots of different ingredients by having DIVERSITY, a D to keep it healthy. Different ingredients make sure the variety of materials, e.g. leaves, compost has all the right minerals and nutrients. Anything small sticks, twigs and food that has lived once can live again in your compost. scraps, hair, dust, teabags, with AERATION to aid the A AERATION – Compost needs air or it will become smelly. process. Not enough air and Turning the compost adds the air needed to ensure no the compost will become bad smells. smelly, the right amount of MOISTURE, not too wet not M MOISTURE – Compost needs water to live. It should be too dry, is necessary for the moist but not dripping with water. compost to live. t Recipe: ompos Easy C Method: choosing when onsider c o t things - bin ompost c Ingredients: the or f position a 1. Choose position: bin a ompost • C dry s, ained dr ell pruning’ w up twigs, • en ok r • B clippings, ass gr h, y mulc sunn es, • v lea hose s o er t w flo close erials • t ma oody w or mulch f o e ag spaper or w st ne or f orn T oom • • r ompost c finished f o e ag aps or st cr erial S or t f ma ood F oom se • r oar c • f o ) s er fing tional) our f op f ( o om tt dust bo width the the on cleaner about ) spaper acuum m, w V ne • (10-15c and er es y v la a lea ut tting P dry po rich 2. ( prunings, ompost twigs, c heap. inished sticks, the F up • e, en ough ok thr (br manur w , flo er o t lift air s dynamic w allo soil, his T mix, heap. the f o . er start a ) c t as e w a str ompost c finished f o t e buck a dd 3. A er t a • W heap. the aps scr o t ood aps f f o scr tional) t e op k ( ood f buc bag dd A ery v e essian 4. or H F • c.). t e full, es, is v lea bin h, the mulc til ( un tion ta tinue e on eg C v f o erial. er t it y la e ma v a ir ha A dd ther A o ou • y or 5. when tion ta e eg v f o depending ts e k der or buc ner o y an tw tur in add erial ompost t ma C add • can ou y ely tiv mind. in erna alt or principles sity er div the eeping k ailable v a e. moistur enough e ensur o t , essary nec if , er t a w dd 6. A stirring. e or moistur ning the tur y b tain e air r dd A helps 7. this – spaper w ne f o er y la or bag hessian with er v o 8. C (if flies. er t a w the out adding eeps y b k and moist eep K aps. y scr earth ood f and e esh mor fr y an smells add t no ompost do c full, the is and speed bin will hen ) visible e W e mor ar no aps ( scr eek w ood a f e no onc til un ) ompost c essary the nec tirring S eeks. w 8-12 e tak will this – ther ano up ess. t se oc pr can the ou Y up den. gar the the on while use or f bin eady e r activ one e ompost v c ha ou y finished so w no is ooking, t c I is ompost c this while bin ompost c ompost. c its turing ma is ther o TRADITIONAL COMPOSTING What you CAN add What NOT to add to a compost heap: to a compost heap: • Vegetable and fruit scraps • Meat and dairy products • Fallen leaves (in layers) • Diseased plants • Tea leaves and tea bags (paper bags only) • Metals, plastic, glass • Coffee grounds • Animal manures (especially the • Vacuum cleaner dust droppings of cats and dogs) • Soft stems • Fat • Dead flowers • Magazines • Egg shells • Large branches • Old Newspapers • Weeds that have seeds or • Grass cuttings in layers underground stems • Sawdust (not from treated timber • Bread or cake (may attract rodents) e.g. treated pine) • Bones • Wood ash • Sawdust from treated timber (e.g. treated pine) Compost Containers and Heaps There are many types of containers that you can use to compost at home. Some of these are: • Plastic bins with ventilation holes or slits • Plastic bins without ventilation • Metal drums with holes punched in the side and with the base removed • Rotating drum units (tumblers) • Enclosures made from timber (planks or sleepers), bricks or chicken wire. Using If you prefer, you can make compost in open heaps, but they Compost should be covered with either a plastic sheet or some hessian to • Compost is ready to prevent the heap from drying out in hot weather. You could even use when it is dark and bury kitchen scraps in holes in garden beds. smells earthy (no sharp ammonia smell). In Ground System • Place compost around An alternative option is to obtain a pipe or cut the bottom the DRIP-LINE of plants out of a bucket and place it two-thirds into the ground. (where the water falls Simply place your fruit and vegetable scraps in the pipe and off the plants leaves). worms will come from afar to consume your waste. This • Keep compost away method has the benefit of enriching the soil around it and from the stems of is ideal for vegetable gardens or nutrient loving plants. The plants. pipe or bucket can be moved around as required. You will need a lid on top to keep the moisture and heat in and the light out. TRADITIONAL COMPOSTING Composting Troubleshooting 1 Smelly compost 3 Too dry Three things could cause smelly compost: Compost should always be spongy, and • too wet squeezable. • not enough air Fix it by: • too much food • Adding water • ‘other’ materials (meat or dairy etc.) Fix it by: 4 Composting too slow • Stirring in dry leaves, mulch or soil. Usually happens if compost is too wet or too • Turning the compost to get more air in. dry or not enough heat. • Adding two or three handfuls of garden Fix it by: lime or dolomite. • Mixing food with shredded newspaper • Adding newspaper and turning (if too before adding to the bin. wet). • Adding water and turning (if too dry). 2 Unwelcome visitors • Stirring in some dynamic lifter, old compost or grass clippings. Ants, cockroaches, flies, mice or rats Fix it by: 5 Not heating up • Ensuring food is covered by vegetation / Fix it by: mulch • Add more NITROGEN material – e.g. • Adding lime and turning the compost to young grass clippings, blood & bone, discourage ants and cockroaches etc. • Keeping meat out of the compost • Check MOISTURE level - (dry heaps • Turning the compost regularly don’t heat up!) add more water when mixing • Mix the heap more regularly with spiral mixing tool • Add a handful of lime or dolomite Compost can kill weed seeds if hot enough, but it takes at least 60 degrees for 3 days. An easier and safer way to dispose of weeds is to make a compost tea – put weeds in a bucket with water for 2-4 weeks. This increases the nitrogen and Weeds? works as an activator to build up the heat then add to compost heap. For more information, contact Council’s Sustainability and Waste Team (07) 577 7000 sustainability.waste@tauranga.govt.nz
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