Regarding the weather, we’ve been reasonably lucky so far this Autumn. I’ve still not had to worry about wearing a coat while working out in the garden (except for the wet days) but today was the first day I felt the winter cold approaching, and if I can feel it, then the plants will be feeling it too. It’s mulching season and I am patiently awaiting a delivery. As soon as it arrives I’ll be tucking all the perennials into bed, and if anything is going to keep you warm at this time of year I can confirm, shifting several tonnes of mulch will do it!
The dahlias are still flowering profusely and I have decided this year I won't be lifting the tubers. I’ll wait until the first frost shows signs of damage on their leaves and then cut them right down before covering them over with a thick layer of mulch to protect them. We do everything we can to garden as sustainably as possible here but I’m afraid we’ve not yet got our own mulch ready. I was delighted this week to find that the pile I've been creating for compost is now nicely heaped in a brand new system of bays. This new system will allow us to have two heaps on the go and a third bay will be used for turning. Of course, there are many methods of composting but I do believe a regular turn of the heap helps to speed the process up.
My recipe for perfect compost;
Ingredients
40% nitrogen-rich organic waste - that’s things like veg tops, green leafy material, grass clippings, peelings, annual weeds (not your perennials and nothing that’s gone to seed ideally, although if your heap is massive and you can ensure it reaches a temperature of at least 55 degrees then give it a go). All the soft, lush compostables.
60% carbon rich materials - these could be wood shavings (hamster bedding is superb!), wood chippings, ripped up cardboard, dry leaves and stems, and other, woody organic materials, ideally chipped or torn up into bits.
No cooked food
No meat, eggshells or dairy (this heap is vegan!)
No animal poo please, unless you're cleaning out your hens in which case, go for it.
Method
- Chop all your waste up nice and small and add it to the heap. Ideally you want your heap to be at least 1.5m x 1.5m but it is possible to work on a smaller scale.
- As and when, turn it. Once a month is good.
- Repeat steps one and two until you notice that what you’re turning has now become precious compost.
Hints and Tips -
- Ants - If you find you’ve got ants in your compost bin, don't panic. They’re telling you that your heap is too dry, give it some water and the ants will probably move on and if not, they won’t do any harm, in fact, they’ll be helping create little pathways through your compost allowing air to circulate. The microorganisms doing all the hard work need the oxygen.
- My compost is slimy - too much nitrogen, you need to increase more carbon-rich ingredients.
- My compost is stinky - not enough aeration. Turn your heap more regularly and don’t let the heap become sodden. Cover your heap to protect it from rain if it needs drying out a little.
- Rats! - No cooked foods remember, and if they still make their way in just keep turning the compost. Rats don’t like it when their environment changes. The more you disturb them, the more likely they are to move on.
- My compost isn’t composting - hmm, it’s probably too dry, add more nitrogen-rich, green matter and some water. You want your heap to be damp, like a wrung out sponge, but not soaking. You might also need something to act as an activator, see hint number 6.
- Comfrey - You’ve probably heard of making comfrey tea fertiliser and I would recommend this if you can stomach the stench. You can supercharge your compost by adding leaves and stalks straight to your heap too and it will also activate the composting process for you. Just be aware, if you’re foraging for comfrey then it self seeds readily and you don’t want seed heads in your compost. If you have space, plant yourself a small comfrey patch of your own. Order a few root cuttings of ‘Bocking 14’ this is a sterile variety and means you can throw the whole plant in without worry. You don’t need a large patch of it either, it’s vigorous and will quickly grow back.
- Snakes - Lucky you! You have a thriving, biodiverse environment and you should be delighted. Grass snakes will sometimes lay their eggs in compost heaps around June - July time. If this is the case then you’re absolutely fine to keep adding things to your heap but don’t turn it. You’ll need to wait until at least October, and maybe even the following Spring before you can use your compost. A small inconvenience for the pleasure of having such a fabulous guest.
You’ll be spreading your own homemade, sweet-smelling, nutrient-rich, crumbly compost, packed full of beneficial fungi, bacteria and soil life, onto your beds in no time. It’s one of the most satisfying things you can do in the garden.
Now let me talk to you about vermicomposting .......oh and then there’s hot composting and bokashi…not forgetting direct composting, oh and then I can tell you all about soil science…
Like I said, I love it.
