| If your attempts at composting seem to take | | | | 3. To allow better air flow you need to place a pvc |
| forever to break down to a useable product, try | | | | pipe into the middle of your heap, on an angle as you |
| building your next compost heap with straw bale. | | | | build. Your heap will start to compact with the |
| Remember to get organic straw bales if you have an | | | | breaking down process. You can jiggle the pipe every |
| organic garden. | | | | week or two, to let in more air, then remove it after |
| The idea is to use bales of (organic) straw as the | | | | about four weeks. |
| external structure of your compost heap - it will hold | | | | 4. Continue layering ingredients around the pipe. Make |
| your composting ingredients. The straw bales allow air | | | | sure you water each layer (unless it is really wet |
| to flow through your heap and because they are | | | | already) as you go to help speed up the composting |
| organic material themselves they contribute to the | | | | process. Always include as much variety of |
| heating up process of the heap. Eventually you can | | | | ingredients as possible for an excellent final product, |
| use them as ingredients in a future compost heap. | | | | including generous amounts of animal manures. |
| Step - by - Step | | | | 5. When your layers have reached the top of your |
| 1. Wheat or pea straw are the best types of bales | | | | straw bale structure, cover the whole thing with |
| for composting. Start by building one compost pile, | | | | biscuits (small sections of a bale) of straw. This will |
| then if you have the space you can create a row of | | | | further help retain heap which give you a fast-burning |
| composting "bins". Build the structure two bales high, | | | | heap. Give it another good watering. |
| with three sides, covering your joins with the second | | | | 6. To generate more heat enclose the front of your |
| row for strength. Leave the front section open and | | | | structure with more bales. Water twice a week |
| have the working area about 1.5m square. | | | | during dry or windy weather. When the ingredients |
| 2. Layer organic materials directly on the bare soil | | | | start to collapse (about four weeks) you can remove |
| base. Build with alternate layers of nitrogen rich | | | | the pipe. |
| materials such as animal manures, grass clippings, | | | | You can quickly create compost that will enrich your |
| comfrey or yarrow and high carbon materials such as | | | | soil, improving the health and vigour of you plants. |
| kitchen scraps, straw, shredded paper etc. | | | | |