Composting is something that everybody can and should be doing, from homeowners, small-scale farmers to commercial farmers. Don’t know where to put your compost? This is your guide on how to construct a compost area, even if you are working with limited resources.
Jors Opperman, the owner of Wurmbosch Organics, has many tips on how to start your own composting area, from construction to placement. With international experience, training and background in organic, biodynamic and regenerative agriculture, there’s nobody better to ask.
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How can you construct a compost area with limited resources?
Opperman suggest using wooden pallets. A platform can be built using the one pallet as a base. “This can be lined with cardboard, if needed for finer materials,” Opperman advises.
If it is necessary, other wooden pallets can be used to provide two sides and a back piece to your composting area.
How big should it be?
“The smallest composting can be done in a three-tier worm farm which is 500mm by 350mm and 100cm high,” says Opperman. This is perfect for home composting. But for small-scale farmers a bigger space of at least one meter square, up to three meters square, would be necessary.
The easiest, most affordable and most accessible to most people would be to build the compost area using three or four pallets. This also depends on the space that is available.
Where should it be placed?
According to Opperman the ideal place for a compost heap is under a tree in the shade for maximum fungal activity in the heap. “This is a biodynamic principal but works a charm,” he says. “The tree cools the heap, reducing the need for watering and also provides leaves for composting.”
If not in a corner of the yard, he recommends that you keep the area around the heap nice and trimmed to avoid rodents accessing the heaps.
Builders SA shows how to use this composting heap, or even how to use a bin if you don’t have enough space for a heap:
