Compost: What is it and Why use it? Part 1

Compost is decomposed organic matter.

Compost energizes the soil food web, which is made up of microscopic bacteria and fungi, along with earthworms, crickets, and many other life forms. Many fungi form symbiotic, or mutually rewarding, partnerships with plant roots, making it possible for vegetables to feed themselves more efficiently ...

What to Compost.

What can you compost? The following information provides you with a list of items that can go into your compost pile.

From Your Garden:

Leaves (chopped - to speed their breakdown)

Grass (not wet)

Plants & Weeds (without ripe seeds)

Old potting soil

Soft plant stems

From Your Kitchen.

Coffee grounds and filters

Fruit scraps

Vegetable trimmings

Crushed eggshells

Teabags

Shredded paper

The following items should not be placed into the compost:

Dairy products including cheese

Meat, fish (including sauces) and bones

Plastics

Metals

Fats and oils

Pet waste

Remember that a successful gardener builds soil and compost enables you to do that work.

Worm Composting

An indoor worm composting bin will turn your kitchen scraps into odour free nutrient-rich organic material that you can use in your garden or in small amounts add now and then to your houseplants.

You can buy a ready-made composter or build one. To build your own you will need, a worm box, redworms, bedding material and kitchen scraps.

Worm box:

You can use a wooden or plastic garbage can or storage box. Be sure to drill 3 holes (1/4”) in the bottom for drainage. As the worms eat your garbage, moisture is produced so you will need to place a container to catch this liquid, or one morning you will find an unpleasant puddle needing your attention.

This liquid is great for your houseplants so do not toss it away.

Cover the drainage holes with small rocks or gravel, about one inch of gravel at the bottom of the box will do the trick. Cover the gravel with a screen.

Moisten the bedding material. This can be shredded leaves, sawdust, newspapers or peat moss and fill the box about 2/3 full. You can add a ½ cup of finished compost to speed the process along at this point, if you wish.

Now it is time to add the worms which you can order from a number of sources. Red worms are what you need not earthworms. There are a number of good online red worm suppliers out there, and if you do not want to build your own composter they can sell you worms and worm bins.

Cucumber peel, melon rinds, lettuce and coffee grounds are favourite foods.

IMPORTANT: Be sure to bury the scraps in the bedding in order to avid attracting fruit flies.

Over time the bedding will disappear, and the box will become full of worm castings. You can harvest the casting by placing fresh bedding and fresh scraps in just one spot, and when the worms move in you can remove some of the castings, which you can then use on your houseplants or out in your garden.

Be sure to keep the worm box 2/3 full and your worms and your plants will be very happy.