Heaping up goodness to spur growth

by Elizabeth Shaheen
The breakdown of organic matter occurs continuously in the garden, gifts from animals and birds, leaves, roots, flowers and feathers.

So you may well ask, why make compost? The simple reason is that by collecting the organic material into an appropriate container speeds up decomposition, you can then add it to your garden pockets where it will do the most good.

What occurs is that microbial action converts a heap of organic matter into the most essential and valuable soil improvement substance you can find.

Compost is the humus-rich sweet smelling end product of the decomposition of organic matter.

I cannot emphasise enough, the importance of adding to your garden organic matter and a good mulching generally. This is good garden practice, irrespective of what you are growing.

Mulch retains moisture, aids in forming humus and improves the soil’s structure. In addition it assists in stabilising the soils temperature.

In hot climates such as Bahrain’s, mulch absorbs the sun’s heat, thus making the soil below cooler and more agreeable to plants in general. During the winter months, it assists in warming the soil.

Mulch consists of well-rotted organic matter. Your compost heap can be made up of ‘uncooked’ kitchen and household waste. For example, peelings, tea bags, eggshells, leafy waste from the outer leaves of lettuce, cabbage etc, ’shredded’ newspaper, the cardboard rolls from bathroom tissue, clothing of natural fibre: silk, cotton and wool cut into small pieces.

Exclude poisonous leaves such as the Oleander, Thevetia and grass clippings that have been treated with insecticides. In addition, weeds that have gone to seed and diseased or pest infected garden matter, such as branches and twigs.

We have in our palm grove around 20 boxes on the go at all times. In the ideal world each garden should have at least three containers on the go.

The first with the raw material, the second contains partially decomposed matter and the third contains the finished product. Because of our high summer temperatures in Bahrain, in the warmer and hotter months the finished product should be ready in 2-3 months.

The process slows down in winter. If you don’t have the space for three containers use two and if you are lacking space to accommodate two, use one which is better than none.

Building up a compost heap

I use slatted containers, 1 cubic yard in size (1cubic metre) of waste wood, yet another form of recycling. Assemble the container leaving ?-inch (1cm.) spacing between each slat of wood to provide good air circulation.

The initial layer should be 6 inches (15cm.) of a mixture of coarse material, such as horse manure, together with straw and heavy weeds, thus allowing a free flow of air at the bottom.

Then add a layer of 6 inches (15cm) of mixed material, both garden and kitchen waste. Dust over some compost activator for instance dried seaweed or dried blood or a layer of well-rotted manure.

Add another 6 inches (15cm) layer of mixed waste and then sprinkle over some lime. Carry on in this manner until the container is full.

Finally, apply a final dusting of lime. Lightly water your heap but do not saturate it, and cover with black plastic sheeting (bin bags cut through and opened up are ideal) or an old piece of carpet.

The final product will vary from heap to heap but its all good organic matter to add to your garden.

Horse and pony manure provides an excellent source of organic matter which you can obtain from Bahrain’s stables.

It is advisable, but not law, to use manure only from stables that use straw or sand for bedding, as wood shavings may be a source of plant disease.

You should use only well-decomposed wood shavings on the garden but again, ‘may’ cause disease and fungus.

Fresh horse or pony manure should not be put directly round plants, as it can cause scorching; this applies to all fresh animal manure; in any event, much of the nutrient value will be lost.

Cow manure can be obtained from the few Bahrain farms. It is an exceptional soil conditioner and source of nutrients. It will hold water and help maintain a high level of fertility. Only use cow manure that is well-rotted and a year old.

Chicken manure is powerful stuff, with an exceptionally, high nitrogen content and should at no time be used raw. It can be added to your compost heap.

It is best to obtain chicken manure from a farmer who farms his chickens in a deep litter house on straw. Stack the manure and straw mix and cover with plastic and store in this manner for one year. I use well-rotted chicken manure on the lawn.

Sheep manure is something in years past we had readily available to us, for we kept our own sheep. Now we obtain it from local farms.

It is high in nutrients, and half a sackful will provide enough liquid manure for the average-sized garden for one year.

To make your liquid manure (which can be made from any animal manure) fill a large plastic or metal drum with water. Half fill a hessian sack with the manure, tie it up with a double loop of string, put a strong stake across the top of the drum, and loop the string over it to hang it in the water.

Leave for two weeks until the liquid is a rich, dark chocolate brown.

You can use it neat on the garden, but you must initially water adequately the garden soil to which you intend to apply the liquid manure.

Failure to do this will cause the manure to run off the dry soil, rather than soak into it. In addition, it will penetrate the soil slowly, and consequently remain in a more concentrated state that could damage your plants’ roots.

What to add to your compost heap

A compost heap needs air, nitrogen, lime, water, heat and bacteria.

Mix smaller material with larger weeds or shredded newspaper to allow for plenty of air-circulation.

Add animal manure. If you are unable to obtain animal manure, purchase compost fuels or activators to add to the heap, for bacteria in the compost heap needs nitrogen as a fuel.

Adding lime to your heap will maintain a sweet compost serving to neutralise the acidity.

Water is a vital ingredient.

Heat speeds up the heap’s decomposition, therefore the summer months will provide compost in two or three months. In winter, the process slows down, but for Bahrain’s gardeners winter, thankfully, is a relatively short period.

Bacteria is essential and there are millions in one crumb of soil so this will be readily provided by the crumbs of soil attached to the weeds and plant roots you add to your heap.

Finally cover the heap with black plastic or a piece of carpet.

What NOT to add to your compost heap

Cooked kitchen waste will likely become rancid and attract unwanted vermin.

Material which is diseased or infected with pests - this must be burnt.

Prunings from woody plants are difficult to compost, but by chopping them up into small pieces or shredded can accelerate the process.

Any roots of enthusiastic weeds, such as couch grass of the genus Agropyron or bindweed: these must also be burnt, as they will proliferate in the compost heap.

Exclude poisonous leaves such as the Oleander, Thevetia and grass clippings that have been treated with insecticides. In addition, weeds that have gone to seed and diseased garden matter, such as branches and twigs.

Coffee grounds are thought to be an unwise addition for they fuse together, but if you separate and shake them up in your kitchen waste bag (next to your kitchen sink), I see no reason not to add them to your heap.

The heap will cause weed seeds to be unviable only if it reaches a very high temperature. Avoid adding them to your heap in winter.

Do not add paper from glossy magazines, for it contains lead!

A comprehensive chapter entitled Compost Making features in my book Tropical Trees and Shrubs of Bahrain.
Elizabeth Shaheen - GDN - 9 Apr, ‘06