The Compost Queen
I have recently taken over maintaining the Caerlaverock compost pile from the last work placement student - a very exciting responsibility...
Composting is vital since it reduces organic waste that ends up at landfill sites, meaning less methane is released into the atmosphere. Methane is a greenhouse gas and so by reducing how much is released, we are able to contribute to the mitigation of the global climate crisis.
On our site compost is used for a variety of tasks including tree planting and hedge laying. Often compost is added as mulch to get nutrients into the soil, conserve soil moisture and reduce weeds, all which aid the productivity of growing plants.
Producing your own compost is possible and easy for everyone. Water, air, carbon-rich materials (wood shavings, dried plant material etc), nitrogen rich materials (food scraps) and a suitable container are the basic items required to start a compost pile. Only a little bit of care is needed to ensure successful composting:
- Regularly turning the pile to keep the soil aerated allowing aerobic decomposition.
- Checking of moisture levels (it should have a consistency of a wrung-out sponge). If too dry water, can be added. Alternatively, materials like saw dust can be added. This is to allow microbial activity and prevent anaerobic decomposition.
- Patience: organic material takes time to break down and can vary greatly depending on what you are composting. But it's worth the wait!
There are many rules you can find regarding composting but ultimately if a moist aerated environment is provided decomposition will occur so try to not get bogged down with them all. Trial and error is a useful approach when it comes to compost and you can always modify the organic matter you use in your compost if decomposition is too slow!
Even without garden space composting can still be accessible to everyone with Bokashi composting. This relies on a fermentation process which takes place in a special Bokashi bucket which has an air-tight lid and spigot for liquid drainage.
So, join us in recycling and reducing our waste by creating your own compost pile. I hope it all goes well and happy gardening!
Words and pictures by Ed (Emily) Dixon
