Getting homemade compost right is, as explained in a recent column, all a matter of diligence, patience and of incorporating the very best ingredients at your disposal. As promised, here are some details of organic inputs to help you choose what you consider is best for your own particular ‘pot’.

Seaweed: Coastal dwellers have access to one of the very best composting materials / general plant foods of all in the form of seaweed although, this is of extreme importance, adding too much is not good at all: a too high ratio of seaweed to other ingredients can result in the formation of compost / soil which is far too nutrient-rich for plants to tolerate. Seaweed (the majority of species do not contain plant cellulose and so rot down far quicker than green plants) must be thoroughly soaked / washed to remove as much potentially harmful salt as possible before it is added to the compost bin / heap or used as a mulch directly in the garden.

An incredibly rich source of essential trace elements, such as boron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, iodine, potash, seaweed is, to be on the safe side, best used in moderation and as an occasional rather than a regular compost ingredient. Although, having said this, I know of some coastal dwellers using large amounts of seaweed as a direct mulch on almost everything they grow, year in year out, and their crops are first rate. It would be safer, however, to go easy on using it just in case of any adverse soil / plant reactions. 100 per cent natural seaweed is quite different and far stronger than the liquid, organic seaweed fertilisers and ‘solid’ seaweed meals available in the market. I would suggest that no more than 20pc of a compost heap / bin is composed of seaweed.

Preparing compost is not difficult; you just need to know how to go about it

Manure: The use of animal and poultry manure in the garden has been very much under the microscope for the past few years. Scientific evidence indicates that it is, on its own, not the garden essential it was previously considered to be and that — if used in large amounts and if not completely rotted down — it may actually do more harm than good. Fresh animal / poultry manure is too strong for the vast majority of plants to tolerate: it can burn leaves / tender roots / seeds. If it is to be used at all, it is best to compost it first although as it is — especially if purchased from a commercial source — liable to contain chemical toxins such as antibiotics and growth hormones that are fed to livestock / poultry these days. Organic purists are best advised to steer clear of it altogether unless they know of someone keeping / feeding livestock / poultry in a purely organic way.

Poultry manure is strong stuff

The nutrient content of manure varies tremendously depending of what the livestock / poultry has been fed but all manure does contain a reasonably high level of nitrogen, poultry manure more so than that of animals. Over applications of nitrogen, in any form, leads to rapid plant growth but the growth may very well be weak and therefore prone to disease / pest attack. Nitrogen should be used in a balanced mixture of other plant essentials and adding organic manures to compost heaps / bins — but never more than 20pc of the total ingredients — is the best way of ensuring safe usage of this natural substance. Like other compost bin / heap ingredients, manure should be added in layers between other ingredients and care taken to ensure that, when the time comes, it is all thoroughly mixed. The addition of manure can act as a catalyst to speed up the decomposition process of an otherwise slow batch, as can the regular addition of human urine, diluted one part urine to nine parts water, a liquid which, used hygienically, is one of the best soil conditioners / plant foods / compost boosters ever.

Green materials: These are an essential part of composting with grass clippings, pruning, vegetable / fruit waste, plant waste / leaves and seed-free weeds as long as all are disease / pest free. This green material helps moisture retention during the composting process. Weeds — these are simply out of place plants — are a surprising source of essential elements / minerals as, being locally indigenous, they have evolved ways and means of extracting the very best the local soil has to offer and this bounty is conveniently stashed away in their stems / leaves / roots. Adding them, whole if small, chopped up if large, to the compost heap / bin, ensures that this richness is returned directly to the earth in a form easily taken up by other plants. All compost ingredients should be chopped or shredded if they are on the large side: large pieces take much longer to decompose than small ones.

Having looked at other compost ingredients in a previous column, let’s now take a quick look at what not to add to the compost mix:

Compost for naturally productive soil

• Pine needles, eucalyptus leaves and walnut leaves along with sawdust / wood shavings of these, are best avoided as each contains toxins not liked by a number of other plants.

• No synthetic fibres / materials, plastics, rubber, aluminium foil / cans, styrofoam, metals, meats, sugary foods, fats or oils. Some of these will not decompose for thousands of years — polluting / poisoning the earth as they do so — others will attract rodents, insect pests and every hungry feline in the district!

Next in this series on the basics of garden creation, we will take a look at homemade, organic methods of pest control, plus, do a roundup of liquid, organic fertilisers for you to stew and brew!

Please continue sending your gardening queries to zahrahnasir@hotmail.com. Remember to include your location. The writer will not respond directly by email. Emails with attachments will not be opened.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, May 17th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play