Want to use compost to enhance your plants, lawn, and garden? Compost is an easy and free way to give your garden or your plants nutrients that fuel growth and restore vitality to depleted soil.

If you’re curious about how to compost at home, we’ve outlined some super simple steps to follow, that will start you off on the right foot.

Why is composting good?

• An incredible soil conditioner: Compost creates rich humus for your vegetable garden, fruit trees and potted plants. Compost gives your plants nutrients and supports the soil by keeping it moisturised.
• Recycles waste: Composting diverts food waste from ending up in the garbage can, which is crucial because organic matter decomposes slowly in landfills due to the lack of necessary air, leading to the production of harmful methane gas, and increasing the rate of climate change.
• Contains friends: Compost contains amazing microscopic organisms that help soil aerate, break down organic materials for plant use, and keep plant disease away!
• Good for the environment: It is a natural alternative to chemical fertilisers.

What not to compost

• Meat, bones, or fish scraps because they attract pests. The only way to compost these materials is if you can find a composter designed for this particular purpose.
• Invasive, perennial weeds or diseased plants. Composting these might either spread weed seeds or the disease.
• Pet droppings (Chicken manure is an exception).
• Cooking fat.
• Glossy paper.
• Treated timber and large branches.

How to compost

1. Whether you’re using a composting bin, or building up a garden compost pile, it is important to start with a base layer of twigs, mulch or old potting mix to encourage air circulation and provide drainage.
2. Add in your green material (vegetable scraps, grass clippings) paired with brown material (Dried leaves or paper). The carbon in the brown material is vital for a balanced compost.
   Important: Stickers. Make sure you remove stickers from your fruit and veg before they go in the compost.
3. Very much like lasagna layers, the two categories (green and brown) must alternate. When layering, try to add two parts brown material to one part green.
4. Add water after each layer to keep the pile moist but not too wet. Remember that the smaller the items are, the faster they will decompose.
5. Make sure you pop the lid on your compost bin to keep the rain out and the good bacteria in. (If you use a compost bin, it should come with a lid).
6. Turn or aerate the compost every week or two to allow air in. You can use a fork to poke or garden stakes or a shovel. Out there you can find rotating compost bins/tumblers that make this process easy.
7. The compost is ready for use when:

- It’s the colour of 70% dark chocolate. - It’s fluffy and has a good ‘crumb’ structure, it doesn’t feel sticky/muddy or dry and sandy – it’s just right. - When you squeeze a handful of it in your fist, one drop of water (no more) will come out of it – this indicates it has the right moisture content. - It smells sweet and earthy. Remember that the compost should be moist, but not soaked and sodden.

Extra tips

Minimise odours: do not put bones or meat scraps into the compost unless your composter can handle these ingredients. Plus, cover new additions to the compost pile with dry grass clippings or similar mulch. Adding lime will also neutralise odours. If the compost smells like ammonia, add carbon-rich elements such as straw, peat moss or dried leaves.

If the compost is soggy: It means the balance between green and brown elements is off. Add more brown materials to absorb the moisture.

Flies: The best way to avoid an infestation of flies is to properly compost with a ratio of 1:2 green materials to brown materials. The top layer of brown/carbon rich material is key. Flies are attracted to any food. If you cover it up with a layer of brown material (leaf litter, paper bags, newspaper) then the flies will not be attracted in the first place. Turning your compost and aerating it is also essential so do not forget to do it!

Make your compost go faster: This is more of a tip for composting ninjas with some experience under their belt: ‘Activators’ can be added to your compost to help kick-start decomposition and speed up composting. Common compost activators include comfrey leaves, grass clippings, young weeds, and well-rotted chicken manure.

Sources: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/composting-beginners-guide
https://www.desi.qld.gov.au/our-department/news-media/down-to-earth/how-to-compost-effectively
https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/clean-and-green/green-home-and-community/sustainable-gardening/compost-and-food-waste-recycling/compost