What to compost?
Most organic wastes can be composted. Vegetables, fruit, grass, leaves, wood, newspaper, ash... tea bags, egg shells and coffee should also go into your COMPOSTA.
Finer organic material composts more quickly, so it is better to shred material if possible. It also gives your compost a finer texture. We recommend using a domestic shredder, but it is not essential.
Finer organic material composts more quickly, so it is better to shred material if possible. It also gives your compost a finer texture. We recommend using a domestic shredder, but it is not essential.
What not to compost?
Anything that is not organic. Also, avoid adding meat, fish, fats, oils or animal waste to your COMPOSTA as it could lead to odour problems if not aerated sufficiently. Do not compost diseased plants, plants killed with fungicide or perennial weeds (hard to kill) or you will reintroduce these items to your garden in your compost.
How often should I turn my COMPOSTA?
As often as possible! Once or twice a day is perfectly adequate though. The idea is to supply the bacteria and insects with oxygen by turning the waste over on itself. The more oxygen you can supply the bacteria the faster the decomposition process and the sooner you will have compost. Do not overfill your COMPOSTA as this will prevent proper mixing and aeration. The drum should not be filled more than 2/3 of its volume.
When is my compost ready?
Your nose will tell you when the compost is ready; it will smell earthy and fertile. It should also be black and crumbly. As the composting process slows down it produces less heat so you can tell the process is nearing completion when the temperature of the compost is more or less that of the surrounds. Large chunky pieces of organic material, like sticks, will take a lot longer to decompose than finer pieces. It is not necessary to wait until everything is composted before using the compost. Simply remove (or sift) the larger pieces from the compost and return them to the COMPOSTA for the next batch.
Hint: It is useful to operate two COMPOSTA's. While adding new material to one, the other is allowed to complete the composting process. Remember to turn both drums every time you add fresh waste to the one. When the 'fresh' drum is 2/3 full, remove the compost from the other and start the cycle again.
How do I start making compost?
Simply add a mixture of “two thirds browns to one third greens” to your COMPOSTA and let nature take its course. The bacteria, fungi and insects required for the decomposition process will find their own way into your COMPOSTA eventually. You can help by adding a handful of rotting leaves or soil from the garden and aerating the mixture regularly by turning your COMPOSTA. It is a good idea to leave one or two handfuls of compost behind from each batch to help ‘seed’ the organisms into the next batch.
Hint: I normally start by filling the my COMPOSTA approximately 3/4 full with shredded browns before I start adding kitchen waste. The browns decompose/collapse over time as more 'greens' are added until you are left with sweet smelling compost.
Do I need to add water?
