Finding the right composting method for you is a key way to keep your garden healthy and recycle nutrients from your kitchen that would otherwise end up as waste. A circular relationship between our homes and gardens is not only economical, but an important part of caring for the plants and wildlife we cherish daily.
Bokashi
One of the first composting methods I really got excited about was the Japanese ‘Bokashi’ style of fermenting food waste, developed in the 1980s. This method is fantastic for accelerating the process of creating a usuable garden compost and for gardens without convenient a space to hide a compost heap. It has enabled me to make a lovely potting compost for my herb planters!
The process begins with a inch-thick layer of chopped-up food waste (anything biological can be bokashied, including cooked foods) in either a specialised ‘bokashi bucket’ or a standard 10kg catering bucket with a tight-fitting lid. There are benefits to using a designated bokashi bucket; namely a separate compartment with a small tap to drain the liquid produced by the fermentation process. This ‘tea’ can be diluted and applied as a plant fertliser or even poured down the kitchen sink to clear blocked drains.
The next step is to squish down the layer of food waste and sprinkle over a tablespoon of bokashi bran. Bokashi bran can be ordered from many suppliers online and delivered, make sure to store in a cool dry place. This astonishing wheatbran is innocluated with billions of microorganisms such as yeasts, fungi, and even the lactobacillus bacteria that is found in fermented foods such as yogurt and sauerkraut. When your bin is full and it can be left for at least two weeks to properly ferment. The two week fermentation is an anaerobic process so it’s important to make sure the bucket lid is on tight and not opened, tempting as it is to peek! It’s useful to have two buckets that can be used on rotation so as one bucket ferments, another is filled, and when it is full, the other is ready to be emptied and used again. Bokashi compost is being far less likley to attract common pests due to it’s fermented state so food waste that might otherwise be binned can safely be added to a composter.
Wheelie Bin
There are many composter options to choose from to suit every garden. My personal favourite is the humble wheelie bin! Freely available from Local Council recycling centres, the wheelie bin can be tucked into a convenient corner with something heavy to weigh down the lid. I would higly recommend drilling several holes at the base and sides to create proper ventilation and drainage. To create a rich, dark, crumbly end product, a ratio of 60:40 Carbon to Nitrogen (or ‘brown’ to ‘green’) material is essential. Practically, this just means adding the same amount of leaves, woodchip, sawdust, or cardboard to your bin as each bucket of food waste.
Pre-compost systems, such as bokashi fermentation and ‘wormeries’ are excellent for efficiently turning food waste into a highly concentrated, nitrogen-rich product, but to give your compost ‘body’, adding woody material creates a compost that can be used for potting, filling planters, and topping up beds. With the right balance of organic matter, your compost will be feeding both your plants and the soil biota they depend on.
Hotbin
For gardens with the space to spare, a ‘hotbin’ style composter might be a method to consider. I have built a few of these structures myself for neighbourhood composting projects in Leeds and have been impressed by their longevity and efficiency. Mass is key here. The larger the volume of composting material, the hotter it becomes, and the faster the process of decomposition. The most efficient hotbin systems, producing the best quality compost, are those shared between several households. The combined quanitity of food waste fills these bins much faster than singular composters, and therefor generates the necessary heat consistently. For sturdy construction, pallet collars are excellent to create the box shape of the composters, with a fine metal mesh base and heavy hinged lid to deter pests. Treating timber with an eco-stain product will also extend the life of the timber and composter.
Creating your own high quality compost from waste will get a newly planted garden established well and maintain it’s health and fertility to be enjoyed for year’s to come.
At North Leeds Garden Design we have a passion for sustainable garden design. If you’d like us to help you with your own garden, why not complete our short Garden Questionnaire or contact us today.
To view some of our projects, head to our portfolio or visit our Houzz page.