Have you been panicked into putting half your waste into the trash can instead of the compost bin? Pretty much every week an article seems to be written on things you CAN’T compost. The truth is, pretty much everything that has recently lived is compostable. It IS true that some things are more difficult to …
Composting Myths Debunked: The Truth About ‘Non-Compostable’ Items Read More »
Have you struggled to get your compost heap hot before? Chances are you have missed one of the six keys to successful hot composting. Or quite possibly you’ve become disheartened after listening to instructions to turn your heap every other day, or build a huge pile. (As Joseph Jenkins noted in The Humanure Handbook, the …
The Five Rules to Successful Hot Composting (or How Anyone Can Hot Compost) Read More »
15th March, 2023 The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Doctrine has launched a fierce attack on eco-friendly human composting and water cremation, labeling these modern, sustainable burial practices as disrespectful to the dead. The Bishops are standing their ground on this divisive issue, insisting that the Church must protect the sanctity of the …
24th March 2023 The UK government has faced criticism for its “bitterly disappointing” decision to delay a ban on peat-based compost for the professional horticulture market until 2030. While the ban on peat-based compost for private gardeners is set to go ahead in 2024, environmental campaigners have slammed the delay in the professional sector ban, …
Peatlands Destruction Continues As UK Government Bows to Professional Growers Read More »
Compost science is a fascinating topic, but getting a decent grasp of it online often means wading through realms of densely written material. Simply put, science-based articles on compost are rarely written for the layperson. So when I was recently offered a copy of “Compost Science for Gardeners: Simple Methods for Nutrient Rich Soil” for …
When I started this post, I thought about calling it something like 17 ways to get your compost hot. But in reality, when you build a compost heap, you (mostly) don’t provide the heat. Instead, you provide the conditions for heat to be generated. (I say mostly because you can help kick-start compost bins through …
17 Effective Ways to Insulate Your Compost Heap or Bin Read More »
When a compost pile is built correctly, you shouldn’t have many problems with flies. In fact, The Composting Handbook notes that composting is a great way to reduce the number of flies on farms. What’s more, a few flies are not really a problem. In fact, they can even provide a benefit for the compost …
14 Effective Ways To Prevent and Control Flies In Compost Read More »
To grow food in our modern civilization, we mine phosphate and potassium. We ship them across the world. We lose some, and use a lot of energy, in the process. These minerals are essential for making artificial fertilizers – fertilizers that have changed the world! Multiple times we have feared that our world faced mass …
How Humanure Could Change The World (If We Don’t Turn Up Our Noses!) Read More »
I have a good few books on compost in my library, and the now stained and worn copy Humanure Handbook, Shit in a Nutshell is one of my favorites. Firstly, there’s the breadth of the book. It could easily have been a narrow polemic on the need for humanure, but instead, the book takes you …
Humanure Handbook Review – You’ll Never Think About S**t In the Same Way Again Read More »
Air is one of the keys to making compost. In fact, some studies suggest even a temporary absence of air can lead to a reduction in compost quality. In a previous article, we took a look at the role of oxygen in compost. That was the more sciency, technical aspect (but super interesting – do …
Biochar is under-used in compost, but there’s some promising research suggesting that it can help with everything from helping us to create faster, better compost to helping the environment. In this article, we’ll take a science-backed look at how biochar can help speed up the composting process, and what the benefits and drawbacks of using …
How Biochar Can Help Improve Compost Speed and Quality Read More »
Have you ever wondered what does the heavy lifting in your compost heap? The answer is a single-celled microscopic organism that comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be found living in virtually every ecosystem on Earth – bacteria. These microscopic microorganisms are truly tiny (about 500 million times smaller than the …
I love using (the right kind of!) ash in the garden. I use it as a barrier around young tender plants to deter slugs, as part of a mix to make highly effective homemade fertilizer and to adjust the pH of the soil before planting brassicas. (I’ve even started to ask friends to keep leftover …
Is Ash a Good Addition to Compost? An Evidence-Based Answer Read More »
Hot composting is fun. The first time you feel the heat coming off your compost, or when you insert a thermometer and realise you could bake a potato in it, can be quite exciting! However, hot composting does need (a little) skill and, depending on the method you use, more effort. It can also be …
Hot v. Cold Composting: Which Method Is Right For You? Read More »
I didn’t scream. Honestly. It was more of a gasp. (A manly one, I might add. A claim I can make in the confident knowledge that I was the only person at the bottom of the garden.) I’d opened the lid to my compost bin, and there was a humongous rat staring at me. It …
Composting is a magical process that has been used for thousands of years to improve the soil. Still, there was a time when people worried about what was in compost – in fact, at one point gardeners often sterilised compost before using it. However, in recent years, composting has also been recognized for its ability …
Are you trying to decide which type of compost is best for your gardening needs? With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to determine the right choice. In this article, we’ll guide you through the various types of compost and their uses. We’ll also explore the factors to consider when selecting a compost, …
Next time you walk in a forest, try bending down and taking a handful of the soil. You’ll find it dark with a delightful smell somewhere between rich earth and old leaves. These leaves are full of nutrients – the very nutrients that can be used to grow huge trees. And in the autumn, there …
Leaf Mold Magic: How to Use Fallen Leaves to Improve Your Garden Soil Read More »
Free Air Space (abbreviated to FAS) refers to the air pockets created in compost piles. In many guides to composting, a huge amount of focus is given the Carbon: Nitrogen ratio. While this plays a role in composting, getting the C:N right is both difficult and less important than you might imagine. In contrast, FAS …
Free Air Space: The Magic Key to Making Compost? Read More »
“The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.” Franklin D. Roosevelt There was a time when scientists thought agriculture was simple. You added fertilisers, plants used the fertilisers to grow. But the more we study the soil, and the environment, the more we learn about the interconnection between soil, plants and food It’s a fascinating, …
You don’t need many tools to make compost. As long as you’ve got something to collect your compost in (wheelbarrow, caddy or even a bag or sack), somewhere to put it and something to turn it with, you can make compost. But additional compost tools can be useful for: There are quite a few tools …
Think the history of compost is boring? Think again. In this article you’ll find bones stolen from graveyards and battlefields to fertilise Yorkshire fields. You’ll find Egyptians facing death for stealing earthworms and ancient people using blood to fertilise their gardens. You’ll also find some sound principles and solutions that could well help us in …
Compost History: The Fascinating Story of an Ancient Science Read More »
In our guide to the Carbon: Nitrogen ratio, we took an in-depth look at the role of the essential nutrients in composting. As discussed there, you CAN compost with a wide range of C: N ratios. Moreover, while you can calculate exact ratios, it’s complex, time-consuming and probably far more involved than the average home …
Get to Know Your Organic Materials: C:N Ratio Tables for Effective Composting Read More »
19th March 2023 Starting April 1, A1 Organics — Colorado’s largest recycler of organic materials — will only accept food waste and yard trimmings as compostable materials, and the University of Colorado Boulder will follow suit. A1 Organics said it has been dealing with contaminated items and is limiting those it can receive, even though …
Colorado Contamination Crisis: A1 Organics Limits Accepted Compostable Materials Read More »
18th March, 2023 Michigan communities are preparing to implement new waste regulations focused on sustainable composting efforts. In December, the Michigan Senate finally passed a stalled bill supporting further implementation and regulations in composting and recycling. Local counties are encouraged to redirect recyclable materials away from landfills and into greener alternatives, building more accessible waste disposal …
Michigan Communities to Start New Composting Programs Read More »
Should you add vermicomposting to your methods of composting? A new study suggests the answer might be yes – and that it could help India with it’s waste problem. That waste problem is huge, as India produces around 3 billion tonnes of organic waste annually. The disposal of this waste has had a huge adverse …