How To Make Compost Part 1 - A Place For The Magic To Happen

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How To Make Compost Part 1 - A Place For The Magic To Happen.

Thu 20 November 2008
05:44pm
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You don't get much for free from life but fortunately there are a few things and compost is one of them. It is very easy to make compost at home and making it has some great benefits as it is great for your plants and also good for the environment. As long as you have somewhere to make it, know what you can put in it and you have a little bit of patience you will be well on your way. Our three part guide entitled "How To Make Compost" should enable you to start making some lovely dark rich and crumbly compost for you to use on your garden.

An open heap vs an enclosed heap
You have a choice to make. Do you want an open heap or do you want an enclosed heap stored in a bin or box?.

An open heap is just like what the name suggest - a heap of stuff composting away out in the open. Open heaps should be covered with polythene, cardboard or a piece of old carper which helps to keep water in which helps to keep the composting happening when the weather is dry and to also stop unwanted weeds from growing straight out the top of your heap. Open heaps have the advantage of that they are free to start but can sometimes be an eye-sore if not hidden behind something.

An enclosed heap requires that you either purchase or build your own compost bin or box. Being enclosed means that composting is a bit more speedier as warmth is locked in slightly more. It also means you can control how damp it is inside. Compost bins and boxes also tends to look neater but some of the plastic type bins can look a bit unsightly. They also require an initial investment and some of the pre-made wooden box style ones can cost quite a bit of money. It is best to check whether your local council has any as sometimes they have some very cheap offers for compost bins because they want you to take up recycling. I was able to get my black 200 litre plastic compost bins for £5 each (about $10) delivered from my council. If you are unable to get it from your local council and you are in the UK based you can always try

Greenfingers - Compost Bins and Composting Accessories

Building your own compost box.
You can build your own compost box out of salvaged wood. You do have to be careful though as some types of treated wood may have harmful chemicals used to treat it. This can contaminate your compost and this can contaminate your vegetables. Just build a very simple box and lid with what wood you can find and some nails.

A location for your heap.
To make your own compost you are going to need to choose a corner of your garden or plot which is easily accessible for you to get to, you want it to be close to the kitchen so you actually use it for all your kitchen scraps. You may also want it to be close to where you want the compost to be used unless you have a wheelbarrow. The next thing you definitely should make sure of is that there will be open soil underneath your compost bin. Most compost bins have a big whole underneath and the reason is so that firstly water can drain away and doesn't collect in the bottom (that can get horrible and smelly) and secondly so worms and other beneficial creatures can get into your heap to help out. Another thing you might want to think about is placing it in a sunny location because more sun means more warmth and more warmth means faster composting.