No Food Scraps

Turning Garden Materials Into Compost in Just 15 Days

At Earthkeepers, useful organic materials don't need to go to waste.

This 15-Day Summertime Compost Method combines garden greens, soil, manure, newspaper and used coffee grounds to create compost ready for use in a little over two weeks.

15-Day Summertime Compost Method

What You'll Need

This method creates a compost pile approximately 1 metre x 1 metre.

The compost will shrink by approximately one-third as it breaks down.

Materials

2 full wheelbarrows of soil
Any type of soil can be used.

3 full wheelbarrows of greens
Use materials such as lawn clippings, flower heads and chopped herbs.

1 full wheelbarrow of torn or shredded newspaper
Avoid coloured leaflets.

3 full wheelbarrows of manure
A mixture of different animal manures can be used.

2 cups of used coffee grounds

You'll also need water for wetting the ground and preparing the coffee mixture.

Building Your Compost

Step 1 — Prepare the Ground

Wet the ground thoroughly before you begin building your compost layers.

Step 2 — Start Layering

Begin with a thin layer of torn herbs and flower heads.

Follow with a thin layer of shredded newspaper.

Add a layer of manure.

Step 3 — Build the Compost Pile

Continue building the compost in layers using:

Manure
Newspaper
Greens
Soil
Coffee water

Repeat the sequence to build the compost pile.

Step 4 — Add the Coffee Water

Mix the 2 cups of used coffee grounds into water.

The Earthkeepers method uses two 20-litre watering cans, giving a total of 40 litres of coffee water throughout the compost pile.

The 15-Day Turning Schedule

Regular turning mixes and airs the compost as it breaks down.

Day 4

Turn the compost for the first time.

Day 8

Turn the compost again.

Day 12

Give the compost its third turn.

Day 15

Turn the compost for the final time.

Then Rest

Allow the compost to rest for 24 hours.

Your compost is then ready to use.

Plants for Compost Making

Earthkeepers recommends a number of useful plants for compost making, including:

Comfrey
Yarrow
Pineapple sage flowers
Stinging nettle leaves
Dandelion leaves
Sow thistle

There are many other weeds, herbs and flowers that can also be beneficial.

When preparing plants for the compost, cut them into small pieces.

Avoid using thick leaves or thick stalks in this quick composting method because they take longer to break down.

What About Food Scraps & Leaves?

Food scraps and leaves take longer to break down than the materials used in Earthkeepers' 15-day compost method.

At Earthkeepers, suitable food scraps can instead be given to animals such as chickens, pigs or goats, helping turn those scraps into manure that can then become part of the composting cycle.

Make Your Own Potting Mix

Once you've made your compost, it can also be used to create a simple homemade potting mix.

You'll Need

½ wheelbarrow of sifted compost

2 large shovel loads of sand

Mix the compost and sand thoroughly and store the finished mixture in a container.

Earthkeepers uses this homemade mix for seed raising and cuttings.

Turning Waste Into a Resource

The Earthkeepers approach is about looking at what we already have and finding another use for it.

Garden clippings, herbs, flowers, newspaper, manure and leftover coffee grounds can all become part of something useful.

In just 15 days during summer, these everyday materials can be transformed into compost ready to return to the garden.