Homemade Compost
Homemade compost should be your go-to fertiliser. It provides loads of nutrients for your plants and is the perfect way to recycle garden and kitchen scraps. We love to reduce, reuse and recycle, so any vegetable peels or off-cuts from the Leafy Greens Café kitchen soon find their way back on to the farm.
To make a compost heap, build a pile of alternating ‘green’ (to provide nitrogen) and ‘brown’ (for carbon) layers of organic material. ‘Brown’ material can include dried plant matter such as straw, dead plants and dry leaves, while ‘green’ material can consist of fresh garden clippings, lawn trimmings, kitchen scraps, and animal manure.
Each of your layers layer should be around 15-20cm thick. It’s important to keep the entire heap moist and allow for adequate air circulation. You’ll be able to tell when your compost is ready to return its goodness to the soil as it will have achieved a dark brown colour, with a pleasant earthy smell. Compost that’s ready to use will also be rich and crumbly in your hand. Keep a bucket of it by your side when you’re planting – think of it as being like a jumpstart for your plants. In your veggie patch, simply add your homemade compost in generous layers, or dig it into your beds.