cpst:composting

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cpst:composting [2025/12/05 10:05] – created - external edit 127.0.0.1cpst:composting [2026/03/26 18:33] (current) – external edit 127.0.0.1
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-# Composting+This topic is part of [[gt:gardening|Gardening, smallholding & farming]]. 
 +====== Composting ======
  
  
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-## What is composting?+===== What is composting? =====
  
 Composting is the breakdown (or decomposition) of organic material (anything that was once alive) in the presence of oxygen (i.e. aerobic decomposition). Organic material can also decompose without oxygen, but this is slower and smellier, and tends to be called anaerobic decomposition or digestion (which can produce [biogas](/biog/biogas)). Healthy [soil](/soil/soil) requires composted organic material. Composting is the breakdown (or decomposition) of organic material (anything that was once alive) in the presence of oxygen (i.e. aerobic decomposition). Organic material can also decompose without oxygen, but this is slower and smellier, and tends to be called anaerobic decomposition or digestion (which can produce [biogas](/biog/biogas)). Healthy [soil](/soil/soil) requires composted organic material.
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 <caption> <caption>
-Keep a little compost container in your kitchen for food waste, and empty it into your compost bin when it's full. +_Keep a little compost container in your kitchen for food waste, and empty it into your compost bin when it's full._
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 <caption> <caption>
-Plastic composter: fresh material is added via the lid at the top, and finished compost is removed with a spade via the hatch at the bottom.+_Plastic composter: fresh material is added via the lid at the top, and finished compost is removed with a spade via the hatch at the bottom._
  
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 A heap (loose or contained) – is the most widely used and least laborious process. There are plenty of purpose-built composters on the market, many available at subsidised rates from your local council. It's also very easy to build your own from waste wood (e.g. pallets) and chicken wire. A heap (loose or contained) – is the most widely used and least laborious process. There are plenty of purpose-built composters on the market, many available at subsidised rates from your local council. It's also very easy to build your own from waste wood (e.g. pallets) and chicken wire.
  
-### Easily compostable:+==== Easily compostable: ====
  
 - Garden waste / grass cuttings / weeds / prunings - Garden waste / grass cuttings / weeds / prunings
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-### Not-so-easily compostable:+==== Not-so-easily compostable: ====
  
 - Cooked food, meat, grease, bones, dairy produce - can attract vermin, but OK if you use the Bokashi method, Green Cone (see above), wormery (only small amounts of animal products in a wormery), or if you make it vermin-proof with a strong container, car tyres, bricks etc. (having said that, lots of people add cooked food waste to compost bins, without attracting vermin) - Cooked food, meat, grease, bones, dairy produce - can attract vermin, but OK if you use the Bokashi method, Green Cone (see above), wormery (only small amounts of animal products in a wormery), or if you make it vermin-proof with a strong container, car tyres, bricks etc. (having said that, lots of people add cooked food waste to compost bins, without attracting vermin)
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 <caption> <caption>
-You can make your own compost containers from waste wood such as pallets, or you can buy or make slatted wooden containers like these (that look prettier). Note that there are two bins – one is added to until full, then it's allowed to break down while you fill the other one; when that one is full you empty the first one, and continue the cycle. The slats make it easy to empty the bins when the compost is ready.+_You can make your own compost containers from waste wood such as pallets, or you can buy or make slatted wooden containers like these (that look prettier). Note that there are two bins – one is added to until full, then it's allowed to break down while you fill the other one; when that one is full you empty the first one, and continue the cycle. The slats make it easy to empty the bins when the compost is ready._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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 </WRAP> </WRAP>
  
-### Not compostable:+==== Not compostable: ====
  
 - Coal ash - won't break down - Coal ash - won't break down
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 - Plastic, glass, metal, polythene bags - or anything inorganic - Plastic, glass, metal, polythene bags - or anything inorganic
  
-### Pet waste:+==== Pet waste: ====
  
 Vegetarian pet waste - fine; but most advice about dog or cat faeces will be to bin it rather than compost it, due to the risk of disease. However, landfilling dog or cat waste could lead to higher risks than home composting, as it may leach into groundwater, and it won't break down very quickly in landfill because of the lack of oxygen. Again, many people successfully add pet waste to their compost bin - allowing the compost to break down for longer, and using the compost on trees or bushes rather than veg. See [here](/cpst/composting) for more information and advice. Vegetarian pet waste - fine; but most advice about dog or cat faeces will be to bin it rather than compost it, due to the risk of disease. However, landfilling dog or cat waste could lead to higher risks than home composting, as it may leach into groundwater, and it won't break down very quickly in landfill because of the lack of oxygen. Again, many people successfully add pet waste to their compost bin - allowing the compost to break down for longer, and using the compost on trees or bushes rather than veg. See [here](/cpst/composting) for more information and advice.
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 <caption> <caption>
-Fresh organic matter recently added to the top of a compost bin – you can see fruit and vegetable peelings, eggshells, teabags, weeds, straw, paper and cardboard.+_Fresh organic matter recently added to the top of a compost bin – you can see fruit and vegetable peelings, eggshells, teabags, weeds, straw, paper and cardboard._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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-## What are the benefits of composting?+===== What are the benefits of composting? =====
  
 In nature, plants die, break down and return to the soil, but when we grow food, we remove a crop that isn't allowed to return to the soil. So we have to add something else if we want the soil to remain fertile - and the best thing is compost. It's a wonderful soil improver, rich in nutrients, organic material and essential microbes to help your garden flourish. In nature, plants die, break down and return to the soil, but when we grow food, we remove a crop that isn't allowed to return to the soil. So we have to add something else if we want the soil to remain fertile - and the best thing is compost. It's a wonderful soil improver, rich in nutrients, organic material and essential microbes to help your garden flourish.
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 <caption> <caption>
-Composting with critters 1: tiger [worms](/verm/vermiculture).+_Composting with critters 1: tiger [worms](/verm/vermiculture)._
  
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 <caption> <caption>
-Composting with critters 2: cockroaches – really efficient converters, eat anything, don’t smell, shed their skin, which adds to the compost, and new cockroaches can be sold or given to pet shops for reptile food (they have to be contained of course – you don’t want them in your standard compost heap).+_Composting with critters 2: cockroaches – really efficient converters, eat anything, don’t smell, shed their skin, which adds to the compost, and new cockroaches can be sold or given to pet shops for reptile food (they have to be contained of course – you don’t want them in your standard compost heap)._
  
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 <caption> <caption>
-Composting with critters 3: ‘grub composting’ with black soldier fly larvae – they can be ‘farmed’ on kitchen and garden waste to produce compost; the larvae fall into a collection chamber and can be fed to [chickens](/chic/chickens) or ........ cooked and [eaten by humans](https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3018276/maggots-future-food-high-protein-small-carbon).+_Composting with critters 3: ‘grub composting’ with black soldier fly larvae – they can be ‘farmed’ on kitchen and garden waste to produce compost; the larvae fall into a collection chamber and can be fed to [chickens](/chic/chickens) or ........ cooked and [eaten by humans](https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/long-reads/article/3018276/maggots-future-food-high-protein-small-carbon)._
  
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-## What can I do?+===== What can I do? =====
  
 Actually, you can't stop dead organic materials composting, so you don't have to do much really - you just have to organise your process so that it produces compost relatively quickly (unless you don't mind how long it takes) and easily without any odours. If you have even the smallest of gardens or back yards, it really is something you should think about doing, rather than having organic material trucked away. Actually, you can't stop dead organic materials composting, so you don't have to do much really - you just have to organise your process so that it produces compost relatively quickly (unless you don't mind how long it takes) and easily without any odours. If you have even the smallest of gardens or back yards, it really is something you should think about doing, rather than having organic material trucked away.
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 <caption> <caption>
-A green cone, which can digest meat, bones, dairy products, diseased plants or perennial weeds and return them to the soil.+_A green cone, which can digest meat, bones, dairy products, diseased plants or perennial weeds and return them to the soil._
  
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 <figure> <figure>
  
-![](https://lowimpactorg.onyx-sites.io/wp-content/uploads/compost-peat-free.jpg)+![](https://www.lowimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/compost-peat-free.jpg)
  
 <caption> <caption>
-If you buy bag compost make sure you don’t contribute to the destruction of peat bogs, by buying peat-free compost instead.+_If you buy bag compost make sure you don’t contribute to the destruction of peat bogs, by buying peat-free compost instead._
  
 </caption> </caption>
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-## Further resources+===== Forum ===== 
 + 
 +This topic belongs to the section [[gt:gardening|Gardening, smallholding & farming]]. You can ask questions or add information on the corresponding [Forum section](https://forum.growingthecommons.org/t/gardening). 
 + 
 +===== Further resources ===== 
 + 
 +- [Feasibility study for on-farm composting](https://compost.css.cornell.edu/feas.study.html) 
 +- [Garden Organic](https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/expert-advice/garden-management/composting) - how to make compost 
 +- [Become a master composter for your community](https://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/what-we-do/supporting-volunteers/master-composters) 
 +- [Agricultural composting basics](https://www.lowimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/05-023.pdf) 
 +- [US Composting Council](https://www.compostingcouncil.org/) 
 +- [Composting organisms](https://www.lowimpact.org/wp-content/uploads/CompostingOrganisms.pdf) 
 +- [Compost Guy](https://www.compostguy.com/composting-basics/) 
 + 
 + 
  
 +===== Related topics =====
  
 +- [Compost toilets](cptt:compost_toilets)
 +- [Soil management](soil:soil)
 +- [Vegetable growing](vegg:vegetable_growing)
 +- [Vermiculture](verm:vermiculture)
 +- [Soft fruit](soft:soft_fruit)
 +- [Herbs](herb:herbs)
 +- [Biogas](biog:biogas)
 +- [Flower growing](flwr:flower_growing)
 +- [Urban / small-space gardening](urbs:small-space_gardening)
  
-## Specialists+===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
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  • Last modified: 2025/12/05 10:05
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