Now is a great time to get your home-composting systems up and running, but how much do you really know about the art of composting? True or false;
The principle of successful home-composting is based on getting the right balance of carbon-rich ‘browns’ and nitrogen-rich ‘greens’.
The correct ratio of ‘greens’ to ‘browns’ is 1:30.
When you’ve cleaned out your pet rabbit, you can put the used bedding on the compost heap.
You can also put cat and dog poop on the compost heap.
You can put cooked food on the compost heap, as long as it is vegetarian.
You can put all the green waste from your garden on to the compost heap.
You can put toilet rolls on the compost heap.
You can compost old wool socks and jumpers, once you have finished with them.
You must never disturb your compost heap, until you come to use it.
You must make sure you chop your kitchen waste into small pieces before composting it.
Some ‘greens’ for the compost heap
How well did you do? Here are the answers:
The principle of successful home-composting is based on getting the right balance of carbon-rich ‘browns’ and nitrogen-rich ‘greens’.
True: Home-composting is absolutely about getting the right balance of greens and browns, and also the correct temperature, air and moisture levels. ‘Green’ materials that are high in nitrogen include fresh green plant, hedge and grass clippings from the garden, coffee grounds, raw fruit and veg waste from the kitchen. Carbon-rich browns include woody materials, dry leaves, hay and straw, stems, wood-ash and tea-leaves.
The correct ratio of ‘greens’ to ‘browns’ is 1:30.
False: The 1:30 ratio that often gets bandied around actually refers to the optimal ratio of nitrogen atoms to carbon atoms required to feed the micro-organisms responsible for breaking down the waste materials into compost. I myself am unlikely to whip out my mass spectrometer to analyse whether or not the optimal ratio has been satisfied. If the compost heap is too dry and not apparently doing anything, add more greens, water it and turn it. If it is wet, smelly and slimy, add more browns and turn it.
When you’ve cleaned out your pet rabbit, you can put the used bedding on the compost heap.
True: Used bedding from rabbits, guinea-pigs, hamsters and other vegetarian pets makes great compost, assuming that all bedding material is made from natural fibres.
You can also put cat and dog poop on the compost heap.
False: Don’t do it. Don’t put it in the municipal green waste either.
You can put cooked food on the compost heap, as long as it is vegetarian.
False: Cooked food is likely to make the compost heap smelly, slimy and potentially attract vermin. Avoid meat, fish and dairy for the same reason.
You can put all the green waste from your garden on to the compost heap.
False: Not all of the green waste generated by your garden is suitable for composting. Don’t compost diseased plant prunings, perennial weeds, or any weeds with flowers / seeds. Make sure you cut woody stems into small sections to speed up the composting process. Any grass clippings should be added in a thin layer and with a good proportion of ‘browns’ otherwise they make the compost heap wet and slimy.
You can put toilet rolls on the compost heap.
True: Shredded or torn pieces of newspaper, paper and card are excellent sources of ‘browns’ but avoid coloured or shiny paper / card. If you add a large amount of shredded paper at any one time, it’s important to water the compost with the watering can, otherwise it can make the whole heap too dry.
You can compost old wool socks and jumpers, once you have finished with them.
True: At least, in theory. However, only throw them on if you are certain that they are made from 100% natural fibres. Many woollen yarns have a polyester core, and garment seams are often sewn with polyester thread - so these elements will never decompose. Check the label for fibre types and proportions. Once you’ve done that, cut the label out, because it’s also unlikely to be made of natural fibres.
You must never disturb your compost heap, until you come to use it.
False: The compost benefits from being turned a few times a year, with a garden fork, to expose the decomposing material to the air. This enables the bacteria responsible for the decomposing process to access the oxygen they need for respiration, in order to continue working effectively. If you have plastic dalek-style compost bins, they may benefit from having a few holes drilled in the side to improve air circulation.
You must make sure you chop your kitchen waste into small pieces before composting it.
True: Small is beautiful. Small pieces have a larger surface area for composting bacteria to get to work on. Whole carrots, half-pineapples and chunky broccoli cores will never break down in a month of Sundays, however mouldy they are before you throw them in, so chop them up small first. Avoid adding too much citrus peel.
My observations are that stones from peaches, nectarines and avocados, and also egg shells, will probably never break down in a domestic compost heap so I would put them in the municipal waste. Only add completely compostable tea-bags, otherwise you’ll be picking their hollow, mesh ghosts out of your borders for the next ten years. Ideally, switch to loose-leaf tea.
Here is a more comprehensive article on what you can and can’t compost, how and why.
