Then there’s the balance of what the compost needs to thrive. Far from being a random pot-luck event where anything and everything can just be thrown in, compost requires a careful selection of ingredients that is a blend between a gourmet recipe and a science experiment! In addition to the buckets full of peelings and food scraps which provide the nitrogen element, the pile also needs a good portion of carbon to make it work. The carbon component is provided by garden waste such as dry leaves, small pieces of wood, straw or sawdust. Grass cuttings and weeds are part of the nitrogen package but it’s important not to add any persistent weeds to the pile lest their seeds spread and infect the batch. Any chemically sprayed plants, big pieces of wood or ashes from the fire are not suitable either.

From the food store almost anything goes with the exception of meat, grease, bones, and dairy products. Other forbidden items include human and pet waste and anything inorganic such as plastic, metal or glass which will take at least 500 years to biodegrade! Interestingly compost is partial to helpings of hair, dust, tea bags and coffee grounds – yum! The science is then taken to the advanced level when I learn that this blend of nitrogen (green stuff) and carbon (brown stuff) needs to be done in measured amounts with a 2:1 ratio between green and brown – see what I mean about complex!

Since we are ‘feeding’ our pile everyday, it is a slow and cold compost process. This means it will take about 3-8 months before we see any results from the pile but it is certainly the most practical for householders who have waste to add on a daily basis. The other option is to have all the ingredients for the compost available at once and make one batch that is left alone and not added to. In these piles the mixture gets hot and breaks down a whole lot faster (1-3 months), but since it requires the storage of large amounts of waste prior to building, it is not all that feasible in a normal household context.

Whichever pile is chosen, the compost likes to be turned every 7-10 days. This circulates air which speeds up the decomposition process. Turning also has the benefit of eliminating odours, increasing the bacteria that munches on and breaks down the pile and is a solution to many common composting problems so is well worth a little infrequent exertion.

With a nice big garden and a hefty supply of organic materials we are planning on consecutively creating several piles so once one is full we can move on to the next one. Hopefully by the time we complete three piles the first one will be ready for ‘harvesting’ and we will be greeted with the rich ‘black gold’ of fertile soil that will provide a natural organic fertilizer for our plants. At that point it will feel as if our little bit of hard work and effort was really worth it. So for now I’m off to eat another mango as my generous contribution to the worthy composting cause!