Guides and information on how to compost at home.

There are several different methods and a multitude of different compost units to choose from when looking to compost at home. Local hardware stores normally sell a range of composting containers or systems. You can also build your own compost system relatively easily.

Take a look at the guides below to help identify the type of system that would work best at your home.

Take into consideration:

  • Whether you intend to compost kitchen food scraps only, or both food scraps and garden waste. This will affect the size and type of compost system you will require.
  • How you will cut up your garden waste into suitable sizes for the compost system. Some lawnmowers are capable of a shredding/mulching function. Hand trimming may work for you.
  • You will need a mixture of organic waste – not just lawn clippings
  • How much ongoing work you are prepared to put into the system – some systems are less labour and time intensive than others
  • The space you have available
  • How you will collect your food scraps inside the house. Empty it regularly to avoid odour, mould and fruit flies
  • What you spray your lawn or plants with, and how long the spray is remains detectable. Avoid sprays such as Versatil® Multiple, Tango (TM), Void (TM) that contain an ingredient Clopyralid. This harms plants such as tomatoes and potatoes and has a long residual life.

Guides

Search on YouTube – a good way to visually see a compost system being constructed or managed

Home Composting Systems

Your local hardware store – this gives you an opportunity to get a feel for the size and operation of a home compost unit

Bokashi

Bokashi is an anaerobic process (without oxygen) and relies on fermentation to breakdown organic matter.

Worm farms

Most of the links in the Guides section above also contain information on worm farming methods and systems.