cpst:composting

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cpst:composting [2026/03/10 12:37] – 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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 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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 </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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-## 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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-## 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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 <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>
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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) - [Feasibility study for on-farm composting](https://compost.css.cornell.edu/feas.study.html)
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-## Related topics+===== 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)
  
-## Specialist curators of this topic+===== Specialist curators of this topic =====
  
  
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