The Compost Heap in the Garden

A Compost Heap in a corner of the Garden

If one lives in a home with even a small garden, a lot of leaves, clippings, dried out flower beds, cut grass etc. collects. Some people just discard it with difficulty, others collect it and burn it but that is such a callous waste and also harmful to the environment. It is really beyond common sense and logical thinking as to why people do it. It is very easy to collect it in some corner of the garden or home and it does not look ugly if you care not to add kitchen waste to it, or if you do to take care to hide it under other stuff of the pile. In a year’s time it converts into wonderful organic compost that may be returned to the garden. That is exactly what we do and the photo shows our compost heap under a tree in the south-east corner of the home.

If you would like to do the same, then find a spot for it in the garden, dig about a foot or two of some ground at that place and start dumping your leaves and cutting there. One may dig deeper but then removing the compost later with a spade will be hard work best avoided. After a while a pile will build up. In dry months when you water the garden sprinkle the top of this pile with a little water too. Once every year, pull off some of the top layer and you shall find nice dark compost under it. Remove all the compost to a side and then refill with the top layer you had removed. If you have the time you may wish to sift through the compost to remove sticks and stuff and return it to the pile. We barbecue or cook on a open fire too for some very delicious dishes at times with some dried wood from our trees, and then discard the ashes into the same heap. Bits of coal get in but can be sifted out later. 

Now this compost can be used over the next few months for adding to flower pots, vegetable or flower patches or sprinkling over the lawn. Farmers must do the same on a larger scale. They just have to dig a wider and deeper hole. If they keep cows and have bio waste from that, it too may be added to the lot.

UPDATE September 15 ,2016

Earlier this year we had pulled out a lot of overgrown creepers in the garden. They all went to the compost heap. Today while sifting through the heap we separated the thick stems that had not composted and pushed back the rest into the heap to continue composting for another few months as shown in photo.