For the average gardener, the easiest way to cope with most soft waste is to make a “high-fibre” compost heap. The method described here is based on that developed by the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) in Wales, in the UK. Green kitchen and garden waste and paper and card are essential ingredients. Any paper or card you add to a high-fibre heap should be crumpled to make irregular, three-dimensional shapes. Egg boxes and toilet-roll tubes are perfect without any pre-treatment. Start with a layer of paper and card to improve the drainage at the base, then just add paper and green waste as it comes along – no need for any distinct “layering”.
The only rules are to make sure that you have approximately equal volumes of paper and green waste, and not to add pure green waste in a layer more than 15cm (6in) deep.
понеделник, 18 януари 2010 г.
петък, 15 януари 2010 г.
Raking them in
The traditional advice on composting tree leaves is clear and unambiguous: don’t bother. Leaves from trees are low in nitrogen and calcium and high in carbon, especially in tough, indigestible stuff like lignin (the main component of wood) and tannins, so they are best kept away from the compost heap. Yet not all tree leaves are the same, and the usual advice is founded on the assumption that gardeners can’t tell them apart. The real story, for gardeners who can tell them apart, is that leaves of some trees are tough and slow to break down. However, other leaves are much richer in nitrogen and calcium and make a useful addition to the compost heap.
Good leaves Ash, cherry, elm, lime (linden or basswood), maple, poplar (cottonwood), willow.
Bad leaves Beech, birch, hornbeam, oak, sweet chestnut.
Good leaves Ash, cherry, elm, lime (linden or basswood), maple, poplar (cottonwood), willow.
Bad leaves Beech, birch, hornbeam, oak, sweet chestnut.
неделя, 10 януари 2010 г.
Compost for realists
Woody waste can cause such trouble that I’m going to start out by assuming you don’t have any. Later, we will see what can be done with woody waste, but first let’s consider what you can do realistically with the soft garden and household waste and lawn mowings.
петък, 8 януари 2010 г.
The trial heaps were
• a standard, slatted, wooden bin bought from a large DIY chain store, with a volume of 0.75 cubic metre (26 cu.ft)
• a typical, local authority plastic bin, of 0.3 cubic metre (11 cu.ft)
• an open heap, also sized about 0.3 cubic metre (11 cu.ft)
All contained the same mix of typical garden waste: large, woody material was chipped and smaller material was shredded. The trial was started in late autumn: although the weather at this time is too cold to be ideal for compost-making, it is one of the few times that many gardeners will have a large quantity of waste material available.
The trial heaps were compared with the main heap at the RHS Garden, Wisley, which is enormous – at least 30 cubic metres (1,060 cu.ft). Despite air temperatures below 10°C (50°F), the temperature of this heap quickly rose to around 70°C (158°F). After two weeks, the heap was turned and the cold air admitted briefly reduced its temperature to below 50°C (122°F). But it was soon back up to over 60°C (140°F) again, and remained above 50°C, with monthly turning, for several months.
No such luck for the trial heaps. None ever achieved more than a few degrees above air temperature, with or without turning. Probably because of its larger size and better insulation, the wooden bin was the best of a bad bunch, and the plastic bin was slightly warmer than the open heap. Crucially however, none got anywhere near a temperature that would kill disease pathogens or weed seeds. So much for the bad news.
• a typical, local authority plastic bin, of 0.3 cubic metre (11 cu.ft)
• an open heap, also sized about 0.3 cubic metre (11 cu.ft)
All contained the same mix of typical garden waste: large, woody material was chipped and smaller material was shredded. The trial was started in late autumn: although the weather at this time is too cold to be ideal for compost-making, it is one of the few times that many gardeners will have a large quantity of waste material available.
The trial heaps were compared with the main heap at the RHS Garden, Wisley, which is enormous – at least 30 cubic metres (1,060 cu.ft). Despite air temperatures below 10°C (50°F), the temperature of this heap quickly rose to around 70°C (158°F). After two weeks, the heap was turned and the cold air admitted briefly reduced its temperature to below 50°C (122°F). But it was soon back up to over 60°C (140°F) again, and remained above 50°C, with monthly turning, for several months.
No such luck for the trial heaps. None ever achieved more than a few degrees above air temperature, with or without turning. Probably because of its larger size and better insulation, the wooden bin was the best of a bad bunch, and the plastic bin was slightly warmer than the open heap. Crucially however, none got anywhere near a temperature that would kill disease pathogens or weed seeds. So much for the bad news.