This is the truth. A good composting bin or pile is really your garden's best friend; and making sure it's at its best all year round is something you must do to keep your garden - and your house and yard - in top shape.
What I mean is: make sure you keep things you don't want out of it - like termites.
As recently as last week, I had to get rid of my composting bin because of termites. These little critters were around because my unit/townhouse complex hasn't been kept up to scratch - not because I didn't care for my compost bin. I cared for my bin in every way. I put gardening lime in it once a year, turned it over during the cold season and kept it hot so the termites didn't get into it.
However, when you rent in one of these townhouse complexes, the way they're cared for compacts hugely on your garden.
I live on a boundary fence, which means the complex next door had to work with the complex I live in to get the fence my townhouse backs onto fixed. This took so long I can't believe I had to wait over a decade to see it done! By this time, the fence was so decayed and derelict that the fence builders were shocked that it had been left for so long. However, the termites had made a right meal out of it long before it needed to be replaced. This meant, that once it was, with treated Pine, we had another problem - where would those termites go for another meal? They'd head to anywhere where there was a nice cool area to nest - and some of those cool areas are composting piles and bins.
I didn't expect to find a nest of termites in my big plastic bin next to the fence... as it was in the sun a lot of the time and usually very hot all day inside and out. So, finding the nest was a total surprise. But when you do find a termite nest in your composting bin, you either discourage them from it by heating up the bin with green waste and garden lime or you get rid of the whole lot of the nest by tossing it out.
I opted for the latter as I didn't want the termites hitting my house next - as that was what they were going to do.
At many unit complexes, there's a green waste disposal area where you can get rid of everything you need if you don't have a composting bin in your yard (and this is for people who aren't staying all that long in unit complexes). And so, I used the care-taker's wheel barrow and took three loads of contaminated composted up to the bins. It took a little under an hour to do and when I came to the bottom - underneath - where the compost started - I was pleased to find that there was a Green Ants nest present. These guys are your best friend when it comes to termites; as they eat them for dinner!
However, with composting - and composting well - a healthy compost doesn't house termites. It is filled with the right amount of nutrients for the garden and you can get in and use it within a year of starting it. I had never used mine; as I worked mine to be a slow-processing composting pile. Unfortunately, the termites had other things in mind for it; namely a nursery for their nest.
So, make sure when you start out your composting pile or bin, to get in and work it over well, feed it the right things and don't put garlic skin or eggshells in it (as they don't really do it any favours) and teabags are okay but take the label off them first along with the staple. Garden Lime will help the compost too by keeping the ph balance to your compost - but many people are divided in whether this is true. When I started out with the compost, it was beneficial to my compost... however, over time I forgot to add it once in a while and found that no matter what I did, it was okay - until I found the nest.
If you have a compost - and it's working well - how have you kept it up to its best potential? Do you add any animal poo or garden lime? Or is it just lawn clippings and vegetable skins you add?
What I mean is: make sure you keep things you don't want out of it - like termites.
As recently as last week, I had to get rid of my composting bin because of termites. These little critters were around because my unit/townhouse complex hasn't been kept up to scratch - not because I didn't care for my compost bin. I cared for my bin in every way. I put gardening lime in it once a year, turned it over during the cold season and kept it hot so the termites didn't get into it.
However, when you rent in one of these townhouse complexes, the way they're cared for compacts hugely on your garden.
I live on a boundary fence, which means the complex next door had to work with the complex I live in to get the fence my townhouse backs onto fixed. This took so long I can't believe I had to wait over a decade to see it done! By this time, the fence was so decayed and derelict that the fence builders were shocked that it had been left for so long. However, the termites had made a right meal out of it long before it needed to be replaced. This meant, that once it was, with treated Pine, we had another problem - where would those termites go for another meal? They'd head to anywhere where there was a nice cool area to nest - and some of those cool areas are composting piles and bins.
I didn't expect to find a nest of termites in my big plastic bin next to the fence... as it was in the sun a lot of the time and usually very hot all day inside and out. So, finding the nest was a total surprise. But when you do find a termite nest in your composting bin, you either discourage them from it by heating up the bin with green waste and garden lime or you get rid of the whole lot of the nest by tossing it out.
I opted for the latter as I didn't want the termites hitting my house next - as that was what they were going to do.
At many unit complexes, there's a green waste disposal area where you can get rid of everything you need if you don't have a composting bin in your yard (and this is for people who aren't staying all that long in unit complexes). And so, I used the care-taker's wheel barrow and took three loads of contaminated composted up to the bins. It took a little under an hour to do and when I came to the bottom - underneath - where the compost started - I was pleased to find that there was a Green Ants nest present. These guys are your best friend when it comes to termites; as they eat them for dinner!
However, with composting - and composting well - a healthy compost doesn't house termites. It is filled with the right amount of nutrients for the garden and you can get in and use it within a year of starting it. I had never used mine; as I worked mine to be a slow-processing composting pile. Unfortunately, the termites had other things in mind for it; namely a nursery for their nest.
So, make sure when you start out your composting pile or bin, to get in and work it over well, feed it the right things and don't put garlic skin or eggshells in it (as they don't really do it any favours) and teabags are okay but take the label off them first along with the staple. Garden Lime will help the compost too by keeping the ph balance to your compost - but many people are divided in whether this is true. When I started out with the compost, it was beneficial to my compost... however, over time I forgot to add it once in a while and found that no matter what I did, it was okay - until I found the nest.
If you have a compost - and it's working well - how have you kept it up to its best potential? Do you add any animal poo or garden lime? Or is it just lawn clippings and vegetable skins you add?
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