The Art of Composting

It’s a well-known fact that you can’t run an efficient kitchen garden without making your own compost. You could buy compost but it doesn’t give you the same sense of satisfaction now does it? Since we bought our giant compost bin and kitchen caddy (small bin to collect kitchen waste such as peelings, coffee grounds, leftovers etc) we have been overwhelmed by the sense of ‘doing good’ that composting brings over you. It’s really quite difficult to explain. To think that all the good stuff that we throw away is being broken down by worms and such like so that we can dig it into the soil to nurish next year’s crop. The whole idea of it blows me away. Anyway you can see I’m pretty excited about it. Here is a photograph that Ryan’s sister took when she came to visit over Christmas. I had never thought of taking a photo inside the bin but it makes a great shot, don’t you think?

Category: Advice, Chit-chat     Tagged:

14 Comments on “The Art of Composting”

  1. Our compost bin makes rich dark soil but it takes longer than a year. Oh a tip for you..when its getting full and sweaty, especially during summer, don’t lift the lid off, you’ll get 80million (no exageration honest) disgusting little flies in your face.
    Sadly, I’m moving house and I’ll have no-where to grow things or compost either :( the back yard is small and north facing and the front yard/garden faces onto a street so I’ll fill it with flowers.

  2. Oh thought I’d better say, I got here from one of Lyles links, D4D and your site is ace.

  3. I absolutely agree about composting – it’s satisfying and addictive. I’ve got to teh stage where if I’m at a friends and they’re preparing food and their own peelings will be thrown away, I have asked if I can take them home from the compost. I only do this with pals who already know how bonkers I am, but they still give me funny looks!

  4. Hooray! – welcome fellow composters. Good advice. I also shove in the shreddings from Ryan’s office shredder every now and again. It dissappers over night.

    Oh and I’ve had the fly thing – in the mouth too – yuk

  5. Flies in the mouth? Well, it’s protien I suppose :-) I’m just embarking of the composting route – I have a couple of the plastic barrel composters (free from the local council) and the mistress of the house bought me a wormery form xmas (the worms for which have just arrived!). I’m looking forward to it :-)

  6. oh you’ll love it. As Clare says you get obsessed with watching out for what other people throw away. coffee grounds are good, so is paper. No meat or twigs though. Good luck.

  7. For some reason I’ve been reluctant to chuck ground coffee into the compost bin although I have read about it. Have you been including the filter paper as well?

  8. Hi Asha, our coffee machine doesn’t have filter paper so I don’t put that in. It says in all the books that it’s okay and it makes the bin smell a little bit nicer anyway :)

  9. Even in the dead of winter, the peels go out into the composter, waiting for spring’s warmth to start decomposing.

  10. Great tip about not lifting the lid. Our compost bin is great but you have to just leave it alone in the summer. The UK have some great compost bins and everyone on my estate uses one regularly.

  11. Ms. Carson,
    Good afternoon. I am inteerested to talk to you about the possibility of using the compost picture on your blog as example of the practices that can be used to reduce water nutrient pollution in an otreach website. I would appreciate if you contact me.
    Thanks,
    Janice

    Janice Alers-García
    Ecological and Health Processes Branch
    Health and Ecological Criteria Division
    Office of Science and Technology/Office of Water
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    Phone: 202-566-0756
    Room: 5233CC

    Mail: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
    Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water
    Health and Ecological Criteria Division
    1200 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W. (MC 4304T)
    Washington, DC 20460
    Phone: 202-566-0756
    Fax: 202-566-1140

  13. have already been visiting your blog for three days. absolutely love what you posted. by the way i am doing report regarding this issue. do you know any good sites or forums that I can get more info? thanks a ton.