Compost

November 9, 2011 Gardening Gals Uncategorized

Compost is any form of well decayed organic matter.  It is a living culture like yoghurt.  It is a colony of micro-ogranisms that convert organic matter into humic acid, locking up the nutrients in very large molecules that are not readily water-soluble. 

This means they do not get leached out of your soil as soluble fertilisers do.  The nutrients are not “force-fed” to plants as they take in water.  Plants can absorb and digest the nutrients as they need if for healthy growth.

Making compost is a process of cultivating these micro-organisms.  They need water, air, lots of carbon rich food, not too much nitrogen rich food, micronutrients, an acid environment and heat.

5 tips for better composting:

1. Add kitchen waste – fruit and vegetable matter, egg shells (crushed), tea bags and coffee grounds
2. Keep your compost aerated – turn it 2 or 3 times a month
3. Don’t add meats, fats, bones, fish, dairy products, cooking oil or wet grass
4. Keep the compost as moist as a squeezed out sponge
5. Too much of any one material will slow down the composting process.  Keep a mix of materials

Your plants will be happy and healthy in no time with organic compost and you will be helping reduce the amount of landfill