Garden composting

Vegetables will only grow as well as the soil they are grown in. It is now recognised a good soil contains a lot of organic material that is biologically active. This means it is still in a process of naturally breaking down. Shop bought soil in bags can be quite dead. Making your own compost allows a more biologically active soil.

The standard garden compost bin holds about one cubic metre of material when filled. Smaller solutions are now available for use on balconies or even in kitchens, producing fine soil material and liquid feeds from kitchen and garden waste. Compost bins should not smell or attract insects. In this respect a good household or garden compost system is clean and efficient.

A garden compost bin is filled using a layering system of dry (leaves, cardboard, straw) and wet materials (kitchen waste, green plant material, teabags). Cooked materials should be avoided as most compost bins do not reach the high temperatures required to break these down. The better the mix of layers and materials, the better the finished compost.

Turning the compost is the process of mixing all the layers together. This is usually done about once every two months. This mixing process helps get air into the pile and aids the natural breakdown process. Over a one year period a compost bin will end up with one third finished compost and two thirds still working. The one third is removed and the remainder used to keep the process going.

Scientific evidence shows this active compost continues working in the soil bed or container. It is this “living quality” of compost that is most beneficial to plants as opposed to dry dead soil material with artificial fertilisers added. To get the best results from vegetables and plants it is well worth developing your own on-site soil creation programme even if just to add to store bought soil.

Related Reading Links:
WORMS ASBL website (wormsasbl.org)
Brussels Environment (bruxellesenvironnement.be)
Brussels Commune Compost Bins Grants (brussels.be)
City of Brussels Eco Advice (brussels.be)

Garden Shed Links: