Simple composting for dummies

by David Armstrong,
March 12th 2010

I enjoy composting. I get a great feeling of satisfaction when I fork the stuff that's been cooking for a few months into the wheelbarrow and then onto the (mainly) vege garden. But I don't have the time or the desire to do it fully scientifically.

Many times I've read articles in the papers advising on how to compost, but I always become distracted once it starts getting technical. So many percent of carbon, another percentage of nitrogen, some fraction of kitchen scraps.

Trouble is, when I'm tossing stuff on the brewing heap, (a) I can't remember these figures, (b) I can't remember which constituents are carbon-based and which are nitrogen-based, and (c) what I'm adding at the time is what I have ready to add to the pile at the time. If I have a load of grass clippings (which I believe is a nitrogen type) to dump, I can't go looking around for something of the carbon group to add as well to keep the balance.

Now I'm sure that people who do it scientifically make fantastic compost. But I can say that you don't need to be too fastidious. I'll tell you how I manage it without stress and still come out with some pretty good results. This is the result of more than 20 years of trial and error.

For a start, I settled on a two-heap system (that's it in the photo). I bought a simple inverted-bucket type in black plastic and a lid, plus a cheap timber assembly from Placemakers. All fresh stuff usually goes into the plastic bin.

The only rule I apply (learnt from bitter experience) is that there should be no more than two or three catcher-fulls of lawnmower clippings at one time. Clippings quickly get smelly and slimy if the mix is hot and they are all in one large clump. So if you have a heavy lawncut producing excess clippings, toss the rest straight on the garden around shrubs for simple mulch.

Into the bin goes lawn clippings, all kitchen scraps (collected and emptied every day or two from all uncooked kitchen waste), most ordinary weeds, and chipped/shredded material from our mulcher/shredder (more on that shortly). In warmer weather, if I have a pile of kitchen scraps to toss on top, I try to push it down below the top surface so that it doesn't encourage flies more than necessary.

One thing I haven't used which is often recommended is paper (a great source of carbon, I read). I've tried to tear newspaper pages into strips but they still seem to be intact (but dry and yellow) months later. One day I may buy a paper shredder and that may do a better job.

For the past 8 years I've used a shredder to get rid of pruned cuttings. I find this a very satisfying activity - feeding in a nasty rose cane and seeing it shredded into nice, easily composted chips. After trying the high-speed chipper type of machine for a few years, I switched to what they call the "silent shredder", which is far superior for all sorts of reasons. They're a little more expensive but certainly worth it. They don't go blunt within a few hours, don't get clogged with wet stuff, handle much larger materials, and are much quieter and safer to use.

So that's the initial stage of composting at our place. I do try to mix the types of materials as much as possible, but mostly it's just whatever goes in next. As weeks pass, the amount going into the bin goes on and on, as the material collapses inside it.

Beside the plastic bin is the open wooden container. When stuff has been in the bin and compacted and cooked (yes, sometimes it can get pretty hot in there), it gets forked into the open pile, there to stay for one or several months more. In time, both containers fill up, but in a small garden this takes long enough for good compost to result.

Now, a few tips which I've found from experience helps.

• In summer months, every week or so, while passing the heaps, I grab a watering can and empty half a can of water on each. This certainly helps cooking.
• I also mix into the open container (not the plastic one) a few spadefulls of soil from the garden (often from the area that the compost will be delivered when ready) and sort of fork it around to mix into the top layers. This seems to help break down the leaves and wood chips more rapidly and assist in bulking, specially if watered a bit.
• I use the fork every couple of weeks (or whenever I'm passing the heap and have a moment to spare) to mix up the open heap a bit.
• I place a rough arrangement of bits of timber on top of the open heap to keep the heat in a little better and control its moisture a bit.

When the time comes to spread some "final" compost, I tend to fork it out from one side of the open heap, leaving a pit there. Then when transfering half-cooked stuff from the plastic bin I fork it into that emptier half before mixing the lot up. That way, I don't end up always taking from the top only and leaving layers below that are there for too long and become wetter and muddier. And the older stuff being mixed with the new arrivals helps make a more homogeneous mix that breaks down more quickly.

And how long do I cook it for? That's easy: when both bins are full, I fork out some or all of the open heap. It may not always be quite ready yet by the standard of the composting purists, but generally it's pretty good, and it means I can get on with the cycle again with some new raw materials.

I'll welcome any comments and tips from others who enjoy being amateur composters.