the good earth

One of my secret loves, well, maybe it is not so secret as I discuss it with great enthusiasm, is compost. To be more exact, I adore making compost and using the compost that I make to grow my plants. Cheap thrills, and so satisfying!

My Dad used to declare that his compost was "good enough to eat" and I would laugh, thinking what a strange man he was. Now that I am older, and understand the process and the sense of achievement involved, I know exactly what he meant and how he felt as he worked with the fresh earthy soil. To think that nothing but kitchen and garden waste, paper, lawn clippings and cardboard can make rich dark soil that make plants grow brilliantly! Garden magic!

We have only ever had one of those dark plastic containers with a lid. At the moment we have three, so you can understand my enthusiasm for composting.

We anchor all the lids with a brick so that they don't go flying and become projectiles in storms or high winds. I like the little trap door at the bottom that allows me to access some of the older compost at the bottom. They are also easy to move around the yard if you are starting a new garden, or find carrying any weight of soil difficult.

However, they do have limitations. After a while they weather and the plastic cracks, and so after a time they require replacement. A little explanation as to how we ended up with three bin, also - never one to throw anything out when it still has a use, we use the old bins for things like lawn clippings and leaves and use the new, intact bins for mixes that include kitchen scraps.

This reasoning explains the second, draw back with the plastic bins. As they are open at the bottom rodents and toads can access them. Plastic bins also make a wetter mix than open bins made with wood, or chicken wire and so need more frequent aerating and balancing of dry or carbon based materials. We have also had rats gnaw through the plastic to access the yummy kitchen scraps (never put dairy or meat products in the bin as that is like an open invitation to vermin). I am sure that the same thing happens with open wood or wire bins also.  No one wants their neighbours to know that they have unintentionally opened a rat cafe in their back yard!

So, I am saving up for a deluxe metal compost bins. One of those rolls royce horizontal, tumbler models. I am not sure if it will be metal, or plastic as yet, though I am yielding to a metal one. I like the idea of it lasting a long time, and I love the idea of being able to give it a tumble whenever I add something to it. At the moment, I need The Agronomist to aerate and turn our compost, and I would rather have more independence in my composting! I believe the tumbling speeds up the composting process as well. More compost for the garden!

If anyone has an opinion for or against a particular compost bin please let me know. We have the average Australian backyard, so don't have room for one of those large custom made wooden structures with various sections such as one might find at the Botanical Gardens!

Back to my cheap thrills - I have potato peelings to take out to the compost bin!