15 DAY SUMMERTIME COMPOST METHOD
INGREDIENTS
Size: 1m x 1m (compost will shrink by one third only.
Materials:
Two full wheel barrows of soil (any type)
Three full wheel barrows of greens (lawn clippings, flower heads and chopped herbs)
One full wheelbarrow of torn or shredded newspaper. Do not use colour leaflets.
Three full wheel barrows of manure. You can use a mixture of animal manures.
Two cups of used coffee grains.
METHOD
- Wet the ground before adding composting layers.
- Cover with a thin layer of torn herbs and flower heads.
- Scatter with a thin layer of shredded newspaper.
- Add a layer of manure.
- Build the compost pile in a three level sequence. i.e. manure, newspaper, greens, soil, coffee water i.e. Coffee grains mixed in water = two twenty litre watering cans. (40 litre was in total)
TURNING/MIXING/AIRING SEQUENCE
- Turn the compost on the fourth day
- Turn four days later
- Turn four days later
- Turn three days later
- Allow compost to rest for 24hrs.
Compost is ready to use
HOME MADE POTTING MIX
Half wheel barrow of sifted compost. Mix in two large shovel loads of sand. Store in a container.
This is useful for seed raising and cuttings. The potting mix can be adjusted for
PLANTS THAT ARE VERY GOOD FOR COMPOST MAKING
Comfrey, yarrow, pineapple sage flowers, stinging nettle leaves, dandelion leaves, sow thistle. There are many more weeds, herbs and flowers that are beneficial. See my Companion Gardening book.
When preparing plants be sure to cut them into small pieces.
Don’t use any thick leaves or thick stalks.
FOOD SCRAPS AND LEAVES take longer to break down.
Give them to chickens or pigs or goats to eat and turning manure.