Composting made easy

MAKE IT EASY ON YOURSELF

I’m outside fighting with an electric hedge cutter. It’s battery has spent the weekend being charged up, but for some reason can’t summon up enough power to get the blades to cut through anything thicker than a leaf before it moans and grinds to a stuttering halt. I thought I was buying a good one when I passed my money over the counter in the shop a couple of years ago, but I was wrong.



Tools sometimes don’t live up to their expectations, or maybe I expect too much. I am therefore resorting to the trusty pair of hand shears; until the co-op opens tomorrow when I can invest in a petrol-powered hedge.


Tools that last a lifetime

As I am on the subject of good tools, John and Mary from Greenhill farm in Malin are taking tool orders from Chillinton and Fruit Hill Farm. You can choose between a wide range of hand held devices from hoes to spades and cutting tools, that will last a lifetime and don’t rely on electricity to power them. You can contact Mary on 086 327 3315 for more information




Easily distracted

One job that can be done without any tools other than a fork is composting. I have just cut a few metres of hedge using the shears and have lost both the interest and the ability to hold the blades up, so, it’s time to check the compost bin to see how the hot weather is helping to speed up the rotting process.


COMPOSTING

The sunny weather recently will speed things up very nicely and if a compost is healthy and well managed, it will only be a matter of weeks before you have a lovely, sweet smelling addition to the veggie beds. Klaus from the organic course gave us a 1 minute guide to making good compost:


1-MINUTE GUIDE TO COMPOSTING


Three sections

If you have the space to create a compost bin with three compartments then all the better. Old pallets will do, John used concrete blocks that were lying around to make his. If you can have sections to remove in between the compartments then this will save you time when the compost needs to be turned.

Turn it.

Every time the heap is turned, micro organisms get a new blast of energy to break the products down. If you have the three sections then turn the first one into the second compartment, the second one can be put into the third and the first compartment can be for starting again. Compost should be ready as it goes into the third compartment.

Balanced ingredients.

Getting the correct mix of ingredients in the bin is vital for everything to rot down and not end up as a gunky mess. (If there is a yukkie residue coming from the base of the compost, this is nitrate pollution, so if we can avoid that, then all the better). Use any organic material but avoid meats if the bin is open (cooked foods and meat attract rats).
Layering.

Layer the compost heap with both green and brown materials. This will dry out the wet bits and wet the dry bits as well as allowing a good air circulation to speed the process up.
Shred the pieces

Smaller material will rot down faster so break things up as well as you can. Tear and scrunch up paper instead of putting the whole lot in together and shred woody materials
Keep moist

It needs to be moist, but not too wet. There will probably be no need to water your bin here in Ireland.


Getting the balance right

If the compost bin has a load of fruit flies or omits an unpleasant smell then the balance is not quite right. Play around with the ingredients to get the balance right. Fruit flies means that things are too wet and the small means that there isn’t enough anaerobic digestion going on. If you have worms in the bin, these will do most of the work for you so try and encourage them by ensuring the compost is touching the ground or introduce some to breed. Pop over to someone with en established heap and get a cup full to start you off. It’s the horticultural equivalent of the friendship cake mix…..


WHAT ARE GREEN AND BROWN LAYERS?

You might have heard mention of green and brown layers in the compost bin (if you read the bit earlier anyway). You split the materials up and if you know what is classed as green and brown you are nearly all the way there to creating the perfect compost. The more variety the better as these are just a few examples….



Green Materials

Grass clippings

Vegetable and fruit waste

Comfrey or nettles

Manure (without bedding)


Brown Materials

Cardboard and paper

Eggshells

Fibrous herbaceous plants

Straw

Shredded hedge clippings

Leaves in autumn

Manure (with bedding)



Remember… Alternate the layers to let the air in…. It’s trial and error so …Good Luck…