Organic.

Eastern Waste. management authority inc.

Definition.
Organic means it will decompose naturally, and can then be re-used as garden fertilizer. Organic waste includes food scraps, grass and garden cuttings, coffee grounds and tea bags, vacuum cleaner dust and even newspapers.

Composting.

Composting is one way of recycling organic waste.  It can be done in your garden in a bin or simply a heap, but there are also some very large scale composting operations in Australia and overseas where huge areas of land a re converted to compost heaps to produce fertilizer for sale.  The heaps are called windrows and can be many hundreds of metres long, but your heap at home should be about 1 metre wide by 1 metre long.

How Composting Works.

Provided the right conditions are present the natural process of decay or decomposition of the organic waste is sped up by mixing it all into a compost heap.

It must have:

• The correct amount of water

• The right amount of oxygen, which means it must be watered and turned (or mixed up) regularly. 

In these conditions the bacteria and fungi in your organic waste feed and multiply, which gives off lot of heat.  (Up to 60 degrees Celsius in a well managed heap.) When the heap is cooled, by being turned and mixed, worms, millipedes, mites and slugs will enter the pile to complete the decomposition process.

Anaerobic Decomposition.

Anaerobic Decomposition is the slow breakdown of organic matter that occurs in low oxygen conditions where bacteria and fungi thrive. Anaerobic compost heaps would be found in plastic compost ins with tight fitting lids, but open at the base to let liquids drain into the ground.

This is a slow process, taking six months or more for the material to decompose into a useful compost, and it often creates a rather unpleasant odour.

Aerobic Decomposition.

High oxygen conditions attract different bacteria and fungi which break down the organic material in an aerobic process. This would require a container that allowed air to flow through it, or an open compost heap on the ground. This is a much fast process and anaerobic decomposition and can be sped up by turning and mixing regularly. This is also less smelly than anaerobic decomposition.

An 'open' heap should be covered with something like a plastic sheet or carpet underfelt to prevent it from drying out.

Wormeries or Worm Farms.
Wormeries or worm farms are another way to break down your food waste and newspapers, and the worm castings are a wonderful fertilizer for the garden.

You don't need a proper plastic worm factory to keep worms, although it may make it easier. A polystyrene fruit box with drainage holes at the bottom, or a stack of wooden boxes will do the job just as well.

How To Look After The Worm Factory.

• Line the box with sheets of newspaper

• Half fill it with semi-rotten moist compost (not soggy)

• Add about 1000 worms (in 6 months they will have multiplied to 8000)

• Cover the box with carpet underfelt or hessian

• Water well

• Each week add vegetable scraps (about 500g)

The worms eat through the scraps and leave their castings which are great for the garden. The liquid that drains out the bottom is full of fertilizing nutrients and is also good for plants. Your food scraps have been recycled instead of wasted.