By Casey Neill
Composting at home saves landfill space and makes a free garden health boost.
Organic waste placed in a garbage bin is sent to landfill where it decomposes without air and produces dangerous methane gas.
From a compost bin to a worm farm or Bokashi bucket – a small container designed to be used in the kitchen – there are composting options to suit any space.
Springvale Community Garden president Gloria Gapper chops her garden scraps into small pieces and has adopted the “trenching” method for her plots.
The Journal watched as she used a spade to dig a rough, shallow trench about 15 centimetres deep.
She placed garden scraps inside – the vines from her picked pumpkins – and covered it with dirt as she dug her next trench.
“You just leave it. That’s compost now,” she said.
She’ll leave it to break down then plant straight into it.
Gloria might add in some sheep or chicken manure before planting in spring.
“This is feeding the soil,” she said.
“This is the best thing you can do.
“That’s an easy way to get rid of garden scraps, without a compost bin.
“It’s pretty sandy so you have to put a lot of nutrients back in there.”
Springvale Community Garden Club vice-president Seila Hierk, who’s also a sustainability teacher, said the key to a successful compost bin was balancing wet and dry or green materials.
“In the home, people can buy this spiral thing that turns the compost,” he said.
“You need to get air into it, otherwise it becomes a worm compost. The worms go in and that accelerates decomposition.
“We just leave them for a few months.
“People need to have that layering effect.”
Elizabeth Bulger attends the Noble Park Community Centre Garden Club each Friday.
“I just love gardening. I’m happy in the garden,” she said.
“It’s very calming and relaxing.
“I’m really interested in growing my own vegetables without any sprays.
“I make my own compost.”
She also recommends layers and divides hers into green – vegetable scraps and cuttings – and brown – paper, straw or dried leaves.
“Keep it watered and keep it dark for the worms to work,” she said.
To celebrate International Composting Awareness Week in May, City of Greater Dandenong will host two free events.
There’ll be a tour to Natural Recovery Systems in Dandenong South from 9.30am on Tuesday 9 May.
Visitors will see what happens to the garden waste they place in their green waste bin at home, then head to Heritage Hill Museum and Historical Gardens in Dandenong for a horticultural team-led tour of Benga Gardens.
Heritage Hill will also host a beginner’s composting workshop from 10am to noon on Wednesday 10 May.
Places are limited and bookings are essential. Call 8571 1702.
