Precious compost

It may not be the most glamorous feature in your backyard, but a compost bin or pile is a powerhouse of nutrients, fuelling plants for vibrant and healthy growth. Turning organic waste into compost is a simple yet effective way to contribute to recycling and sustainability while also lowering costs and minimizing our environmental footprint. It not only reduces waste on a larger scale but also helps you save money on store-bought soil and compost mixes.

Fifteen years ago, when we embraced country living, the very first thing to claim a spot in our garden was—drumroll, please!—a compost heap. As we cleared land, built beds, and tackled endless mowing, we found ourselves with mountains of plant material. Tossing it aside, burying it, or—worst of all—throwing it in the trash simply wasn’t an option. Add in our daily kitchen scraps, and our composting journey began.

Our garden simply wouldn’t be the same without this “food source.” Each spring, we haul loads of rich, nutritious compost to garden beds, berry bushes, and fruit trees. It significantly improves the quality of our sandy soil and delivers an abundance of essential nutrients to our plants.

It’s nothing short of magic how fallen leaves, grass clippings, plant tops, fruit and vegetable peels, and other plant-based kitchen scraps can turn into crumbly, nutrient-rich soil in just a year or two!

1. Location

When starting composting, you should carefully consider where to place the composting area in the garden, whether it's small or large. It's best to pick a spot that isn't in direct sunlight or overly exposed to the wind.

You wouldn’t want to place your compost pile in the middle of a large open area—choosing a more shaded corner of the garden is better. However, avoid selecting a low-lying spot, as rainwater could accumulate and make the compost too wet, causing it to rot rather than compost properly.

My compost is placed out of sight in a garden corner, hidden behind a row of bushes. I’ve divided the compost area into two sections: one pile has already fully composted, while the other is still in progress.

Occasionally, about twice a year, I turn over the top layer of the compost pile with a fork and transfer the composted layer to the finished compost section.

2. Contents

Basically, I have divided my compostable material into two categories: green and brown.

By green, I mean all the fresh materials such as grass clippings, plant tops, weeding residues, and kitchen waste like fruit and vegetable peels and other parts, eggshells, as well as wet kitchen paper, etc.

The brown layer consists of dried leaves, small twigs, pieces of bark, and similar materials. I try to maintain a roughly equal balance of green and brown materials. I either stack them in layers, or if I don’t have much waste to add, I simply mix the dry and fresh materials together.

3. Interlayers

Every now and then, I sprinkle dry, airy compost turf between the layers of waste. This turf is typically made of peat and dried pine bark, and it helps maintain the right moisture level in the compost pile, while also preventing unpleasant smells.

A compost accelerator has proven to be very effective in composting. This entirely natural mixture is designed to enhance the decomposition of household waste, providing optimal conditions for decomposing microorganisms, earthworms, and other composting agents. I almost always sprinkle some compost accelerator to very moist kitchen scraps and also when layering compost turf.

Suitable for composting:

plant-based garden and kitchen waste:
mowed grass and hay (hay should be chopped into smaller pieces)
vegetable tops
eggshells
household paper
coffee and tea filters with contents
fruit and vegetable peels and other scraps
fine and chopped twigs
sawdust
bark pieces
raked leaves
dried or broken plant tops
wilted flowers
sods
chicken, sheep, horse and goat manure, etc.

When composting weeds, keep in mind that their seeds and roots may start to sprout in the compost and later spread when the compost is added to the soil.

Weed seeds and roots will only stop developing if the internal temperature of the compost pile or composter exceeds +55 °C for several consecutive days.

Not suitable for composting:

fat and oil
pet faeces (such as cat litter)
impregnated wood waste
charcoal
ash
contents of vacuum cleaner bags
medicines

And of course, there’s no point in expecting non-biodegradable waste like glass or plastic to compost.

As for animal-based kitchen waste such as dairy products, meat, fish, bones, etc., these are technically biodegradable. However, they can spoil, attracting rodents and, in rural areas, even foxes. For this reason, I have never included animal waste in my compost.

The author of the text and images is Mari-Liis Ilover www.mariliisilover.ee

Watch the composting video on Prisma's Instagram and Mari-Liis' Instagram!

You can find compost accelerators, rapid composters, compost bins, and composting accessories at ePrisma and Prisma Gardens.