I could have been wrapping Christmas presents but with my half day’s annual leave I decided to take advantage of a lull in the rain – the sun even came out! – to get out in the garden.
Years ago, I read somewhere that a good way to make compost was to add soil to the heap. I guess this is to provide the creatures that eat decaying matter. Whether or not this is true, it seemed worthwhile adding some of the soil I’ve dug out to make the pond to the compost bin.
I think my neighbour put something out for the rats as there doesn’t seem to have been any activity in the garden of late. Which is a pity in the sense that I would have been glad for them to have had a go at mixing the soil into the rest of the bin’s contents. However, I’m not going to attract anymore of them by, for example, putting liquid run-off from the bokashi in the bin.
Tempting but on the anti-social side, being in such close proximity to my neighbours.
Since writing this post, I have come across information which might illuminate why soil is a good addition to the compost heap: Bryant Redhawk on carbon sequestration and compost-making
That’s an interesting article, Helen. I’ve used soil in my compost bin before, but never knew the why behind it. When I empty out a pot I’ll add that old soil to the bin. I’m glad to know it’s so beneficial. I love making compost. It took me three tries over the years to find the perfect bin, but the one I have now works quickly and efficiently and is easy to use. Have you been happy with yours, too?
My current bin is too big, so it’s hard to turn the heap. I’ll keep it for now, though, and revisit the situation in due course. I’m glad you’ve found the one that works for you, Alys 😊.
The bin I have doesn’t require turning! It’s quite amazing. I have a tool that I use to push down/pull up some of the contents, but the worms seem to come up from the bottom and make wonderful compost with little help from me. It’s been quite amazing.
I remember the post you wrote about it!