Make your own Compost

Compost is one of nature’s secret ingredients, think of it like a super food for your garden. While we humans sit back munching on our blueberries and salmon (hopefully not all in the same mouthful) we can rest assured that we’re reaping the nutritious benefits of the food we digest. The very nutritious equivalent for the garden is some rich, wholesome compost.

Compost isn’t something you need to spend lots of money on; in fact, you don’t really need to spend any money on it… but it does speed things up if you do. Quality compost derives from some organic matter that has fully decomposed and been recycled into very tasty garden food. Organic matter such as bio degradable food waste which can consist of vegetable peelings and fruit skins make up some of the best compost but the whole decomposition period does take some time.

To make your own compost you will first need some space outside as making compost inside doesn’t work as well… it’s also smelly and rather messy. Find a spot outside and know that that is the spot dedicated to your compost pile. Now, there a few ways to go about creating a compost pile, you can literally create a pile of kitchen waste in a heap that will rot and decompose but there are a few negative points with this method. Although this method is the cheapest it doesn’t leave your compost protected or close off any rotting kitchen smells, it also looks rather unsightly to guests of the house and garden.

Another home composting method is to use a container of some sort, either an open top one or a fully contained container. My personal preference is to use a compost ‘bin’ that has a removable lid designed to make adding more waste matter as easy as possible. An open topped bin will have some of the problems I mentioned above.

Once you have decided on your bin, bucket, pile or pit you need to start adding to it. Think of anything that you don’t want from your kitchen vegetable or fruit preparation and throw it in. Items like tea bags, egg shells and fruit pips are perfectly fine too. One thing to note is that the finer the waste matter the quicker it will turn into compost – if all of your bio degradable kitchen waste were shredded it will breakdown quicker and compost easier.

The next stage is to ensure you keep topping up your compost collection. Making your own compost is magical in this way as every time you throw waste in it seems like the pile is shrinking. No matter how much you put in the next time you get back to it you’ll see it’s all vanished. Fret not, there aren’t compost waste thieves out there waiting to raid your pile when your back is turned… this illusion is simply decomposition in action. Certain insects will be attracted to your pile as it provides a fantastic source of food for worms, flies and other creepy crawlies – so keep going and you’ll soon have your own amazing compost heap.