have never done it before so would like some good advice how to start. For the last few days we have thrown scraps on the part where we are going to make a vege garden and that will be covered with top soil. Now we need more permanent system becase we know once its all in place we cant throw scrap down as it will invite rats. Its just a small simple vege garden and we would like simple advice, nothing complex, we are just oldies. putting our household waste to use and cutting the cost of veges. How do we start what do we need?
harrislucinda,
Jun 9, 9:03am
i usually do what you do or give to the chooks you get those wooden pellets type boxs and go from there fill up and keep turning the scraps cover with dirt every now and then
articferrit,
Jun 9, 9:24am
dig a long trench, throw in the days scraps, chopped up a bit if necessary, and cover it up each day, my parents did this for years.
omaria,
Jun 9, 10:09am
Great, thanks
happychappy50,
Jun 9, 10:18am
If you are limited for room just dig a trench & bury it as you go,otherwise build an enclosure & toss it in just make sure it gets plenty of ventilation so it can breathe it is a living organism with all those worms & bacteria working awayat breaking all the solids down
oh_hunnihunni,
Jun 9, 10:48am
The trench works really well and does double duty if you position it where you plan to grow beans next year. Add shredded or torn paper to the discards to provide a water holding component - beans are thirsty beasts. Then, late winter add sheep pellets and fill the trench with good soil ready to plant into as soon as soil temps rise. You'll get an excellent crop for two years at least with that preparation.
Great, I printed that off and gave it to the handyman husband :) Thank you
lythande1,
Jun 9, 12:27pm
Forget all the gardening myths and special you must do this and that and have certain ingredients nonsense. Things decompose just fine, an have done long before people starting collecting the stuff.
The only things I have found in 40 years is: The larger the pieces, the longer it takes. For this reason we tend to mow stuff like corn cobs, brasilica roots and such first.
I don't compost bones. Bury them elsewhere, they take ages.
I prefer a pile to bins, far easier to turn over, and move later. Keep damp, but not soggy.
Thats it. Add whatever you like, grass clippings, in gfact even nothing but grass clippings if you want. Kitchen scraps, all of them, onions, citrus, whatever.
Teabags, the leaves are good, the bag has a certain amount of artificial fibres and never break down properly.
The myth worms won't eat citrus, onions or whatever is just that a myth.
You don't need anything special.
jan2242,
Jun 9, 1:43pm
You can add lots of things, human and animal hair (not coloured), dust from the vacuum cleaner, dryer lint, chopped up cotton material, shredded paper (our local doctors give away bags of the stuff), leather scraps etc. If it is made from a natural material it will probably compost.
junie2,
Jun 9, 4:15pm
Lythande's advice is good, but I make things even simpler. Look up Esther Deans or Lasagne gardening. I've done it for ever, works like a dream - haven't dug for 40yrs. Read it up, and if you have any questions I'm happy to answer.
scottea,
Jun 9, 5:55pm
We have two for the vegetable beds - one that is up by the house during winter is an old wheeled trash bin that we modified as in put holes in it top and bottom (have a container under it that we empty once a week) and put all house scraps in it and anything that is trash made out of natural matter that will decompose. The other is a wooden pen down by the big main veg bed and has the likes of weeds, lawn clippings, "donations" from neighbour's horses and livestock (after they have been soaked in an old tub to release weed/lawn seeds that float to the top), as well the household scraps from spring to autumn.
samanya,
Jun 9, 6:26pm
Hi junie, good to see you about . that's the way to go. There's a lot of mis-info out there about the Esther Deans method, but it really works . I always have used lucerne as the base layer, because of the nutrients. it's a wonderful way of creating a new garden as well. No digging.
junie2,
Jun 9, 9:06pm
Hello Samanya! Not weather for gardening eh - but I have been layering mine , to put to bed for a couple of months. Have got on to a nice young man who has a pet shop, who is more than happy for me to have to cage bottom stuff on a regular basis. Not kitten or puppy poop, but the stuff from guinea pigs, bunnies, birds etc. mixed with sawdust, wood shavings and whatever. Have piled on Severn St leaves, weeds, lawn clippings, pea straw, lucerne from chook pen etc etc, so looking forward to a bumper vege crop after spring planting. Composting in-situ is natures way I reckon, so why make work eh ?
blueviking,
Jun 10, 8:42am
I used an old peddle bin that was broken( a paint pail with lid would work) I dug a hole in the garden and placed the peddle bin in the hole upside down (smash the bottom off 1st) All food scraps would go in(no meat) Just lift the lid, dump it in and replace lid. You'll be surprised how much you can put in a 6in deep hole and how quickly it composts. Just move this around the garden when the hole is filled.On the plus side will be the free potatoes that grow out of the skins.
samanya,
Jun 10, 4:53pm
What a scoop. all those goodies! Lucky you. I usually put leaves, lawn clippings & every second year pea straw, with lime & blood & bone & compost from one of my 3 large bins on the vege garden for winter. The rest of green waste I compost in the regular way & I use the 'nearly ready' bin for growing pumpkins & that works for me. btw, I thought I'd lost the plants you gave me & I'm absolutely delighted . one has come away from the base, so it's being protected big time in case of a hard frost but none so far, but it will happen. I imagine that the young tender growth could get nipped in a heavy frost.
junie2,
Jun 11, 3:30pm
Brilliant idea - esp for small gardens. It's bokashi, even simpler than bokashi!
junie2,
Jun 11, 3:32pm
Samanya - you are welcome to share the pet shop bounty! Are you talking about the loqauts perhaps? They're pretty hardy if so.
samanya,
Oct 31, 10:08pm
Thanks for the offer junie, I have access to sheep & cow poo & chook litter . if I can be bothered to collect it, so you keep it. I know it's more difficult to source in the city. Yes I was meaning the Loquat, the growth is very small . it looks tender & I was wondering if it needed protection until the new leaves hardened up a bit. I'd hate to lose it now that's it's come away. It was quite exciting to see that it hadn't perished!
Since the public registrations are closed, you must have an invite from a current member to be able to register and post in this thread.
Have an account? Login here.