If you are a garden owner here in London who always wonders on the best way to dispose of all your garden waste, then this article is for you. Did you know that most of the waste cleared from your garden can be converted into compost? Compost is organic and very ideal for use as manure on your garden and lawn. Converting the waste into compost is pretty easy and straight forward and the beauty of it is that, you can do this at home! You don’t need to be an expert; making compost from garden waste is something everyone is encouraged to embrace.
Get a nice compost bin; the first step towards converting your garden waste into compost will be to acquire a compost bin. Some home owners prefer to build theirs at home, but you can buy one online; there are many online shops selling them, they can deliver to your home. Once you have acquired the bin, be sure to place it strategically. It should be placed in a dry, well drained area where excess water can naturally drain away. Also, ensure that worms can easily get in the bin to do their work of breaking down the waste.
Know what to put in there; garden waste includes more than just plants and branches that have been trimmed. Rather, it includes kitchen waste like vegetable and fruit peelings, tea bags, waste food, and grass cuttings, and so on so forth. Never put in plastic waste or other waste that doesn’t rot easily. However, experts suggest that adding some few foreign items may speed up the breaking down of the waste. Cardboards, egg boxes, sawdust; these may be slower to rot but they provide crucial fibres and carbon that are needed to hasten the process. Crushed egg shells also help add the minerals in the compost. Never put in items like children nappies, glass, plastic, dog poo, and so on so forth.
Balancing; most people get it wrong when it comes to making their compost using garden waste. One has to delicately balance the green waste and brown waste, for best results. If the compost is too wet with green waste, you can add more brown waste like sawdust or crushed cardboards. Brown waste helps create air spaces in the compost, hence hastening the entire process. Remember, compost making requires not just the input of worms, but also air and the right amount of moisture. Once in a while, mix and turn the waste in the bin so that air and moisture are evenly spread.
Using your compost; once your compost is ready, you will tell by the presence of a dark brownish colour, with a blackish like layer at the bottom of the bin. Well matured compost should have a spongy texture, you can even tell by the wild, earth like smell. The ready compost is high in nutrients and can be used on your lawn, flower bed, flower vases, or kitchen garden. Compost is highly nutritious, and safer to use compared to fertilizers that have chemicals and are artificially made. With compost, you’ll also need to use fewer pesticides. Compost helps improve the soil quality.
Preparing compost can take months or weeks, depending on how experienced you are. In order to hasten up the process, one is advised to regularly add some water in the mixture, and turn it every now and then. Turning the compost helps the micro organisms present to access oxygen and respire properly. If in doubt, feel free to consult a professional gardening expert to advice you on how to exactly prepare a god organic compost bin.