The trick to easily made composts is to have all the ingredients on hand, the bins close by the vegie patch and a hose near by. Easy peasy!
2 types of compost bin
- A simple, 3 sided, pallet bin
A couple of pallets slid over stakes do the job perfectly. Air is super important for a healthy compost, that’s why black plastic bins are off the menu. An open front makes it easy to add ingredients and then at the end, take the compost out. Situate this bin in the edge of your vegie garden, to benefit from the fertile run off and keep it right there where you need it.
- Free range compost piles
A free standing compost pile is how I begin my vegie beds, and pave the way for citrus or avocado trees. Make the compost, cover it over and leave it to time and biology.
Keep compost making ingredients close by
The bulk of your compost will be made with garden waste, but you need 2 other ingredients close at hand to take your compost from good to great – mineral rich herbs and lots of carbon (dry stuff).
- Alongside your bin, stash piles of carbonaceous ingredient, like leaves, straw or woodchip – these are super important in your compost heap and they need time to breakdown. Collect matter in a regular way so that you never run out.
- Grow a selection of homegrown mineral rich herbs in the vegie garden edge, so they are right on hand for brilliant compost. Apart from comfrey that is – though she is a mineral rich superstar, don’t plant alongside your vegies or compost bin – she needs to be further afield!
And that’s it! Your easy peasy compost setup is good to go. Lets make compost!
