The Edible Gardener

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Most gardeners will tell you their compost is the life source of their garden. For those with an edible garden, composting is important to maintain the health and fertility of our soils, and therefore nutrition in our crops. There are three main composting methods that homeowners can use: compost heaps (including bays and bins), worm farms, and liquid manures.

Bulk garden waste, spent crops and lawn clippings can go into the traditional compost heap, compost bay or compost bin. It is important that the compost receives sufficient oxygen to feed the bacterial driving force at its heart, that the pile has adequate moisture, that it’s layered well and has a good ratio of dry-to-wet matter. It is worth doing some research in order to understand the composting process better to produce optimum results.

The easiest way to deal with kitchen food waste is to use a worm farm. These can be readily purchased from nurseries and hardware stores, though it is easy to make your own using recycled materials such as polystyrene boxes, bathtubs or old rubbish bins. When used well, worm farms don’t tend to smell as much as the common compost bin. You also get the added benefit of a constant supply of worm juice and worm castings, some of the best natural fertilisers you can get (depending on what you feed them, of course).

And don’t forget that a few backyard chooks are very industrious vegetable and fruit waste recyclers.

We can use weeds separately to form liquid manures. Old bins work well for this purpose. Comfrey, nettle, nasturtiums or abundant herbs will all benefit your liquid manure by increasing the range of nutrients and minerals in your solution.

Using a combination of systems can provide you with an array of ready-to-use fertilisers for your food crops.

Happy composting!

Drew Cooper, Edible Gardens
ediblegardens.com.au