Tips for Making Compost, how to get it right.

Tips on How to Make Compost.

Composting and compost varies each time you make it.

Given ideal conditions the turn-around from waste products to usable compost is fast.
This is a case of the perfect conditions rarely being available so usually we just have to do what we can to speed things up a bit.

Things that make the composting process faster.

1. Incorporate more air to the compost heap for example by turning it over.

2. Make adjustments when the heap is too wet or too dry. 
    Add a bucket of water or two if it is dry and try adding ripped up cardboard if it is too wet.

3. Getting the combination of nitrogen and carbons that you add right.

 Carbon rich items are classed as browns when composting (not a reference to their colour/color).

 Greens are the nitrogen rich items that you add to your heap.

• Now somewhere there is a perfect balance that is the best equation of these two types of ingredients and the percentage of each that should go onto the heap. 

• However, my school of thought about this is that if I spend too long worrying about the perfect quantity of greens to browns to throw on the compost heap, I will never get anything planted or growing. 

• So, I just chuck in the suitable items for composting as and when we discard them. 

• Then when I have the time and inclination I go and give the heap a turn over with a gardening fork. At that time I might make adjustments such as adding water or cardboard. If I can see a clump of greens needs mixing in with some other materials I work them in. That is it really. 

I had better mention the little red worms that appear in compost, these are in fact a good sign that the compost is 'working' and that you are on your way to getting compost sooner or later.

• One of the clues that your compost is almost ready to use is when the little red worms that live in it; pack their bags and leave the compost heap. Do n't ask where they go, I do not know. 

I just know that by the time the compost has turned into a usable type of compost for the garden or vegetable plot the little red compost worms have almost all vanished.

If you want to use the compost but it still has twiggy bits not rotted down in it.

If you want to remove them just sieve the compost and throw the twigs back onto the compost heap for next time.
That's it for now.