Composting
Composting in Winter: Keep the Heap Working When It Is Cold and Wet
A heap that ran hot all summer goes quiet in May. Here is what actually slows down, why wet is a bigger problem than cold across southern Australia, and how to keep a winter heap working.
Composting for Beginners: How to Turn Scraps and Clippings into Good Soil
A plain-English guide to starting your first compost heap in an Australian backyard, from the greens and browns mix to fixing a smelly bin.
Trench Composting: Bury Your Scraps and Let the Soil Do the Work
No bin, no turning: dig a trench, fill it with scraps and clippings, cover it and let the soil do the work. Here is how to do it well in Australian conditions.
Compost Tea and Weed Tea: A Thrifty Liquid Feed, Made Safely
Weeds and clippings can become a free liquid feed. Here is how to brew a compost or weed tea, dilute it, and use it safely around vegetables.
Autumn Leaves: Four Ways to Put a Free Harvest to Work
Do not send autumn leaves out with the council bin. Here are four ways to turn them into mulch, compost and leaf mould, and the few leaves to keep out.
Dig and Drop Compost Holes: Composting Without a Heap
No heap, no bin: dig a hole, drop in a few days of scraps, cover it and move on. Here is how compost holes work and how to keep them tidy and rodent-free.
Composting in a Small Garden: Bins, Tumblers, Worm Farms and Bokashi
A courtyard, a balcony or a postage-stamp backyard can still turn scraps into soil. Here is how to choose between a bin, a tumbler, a worm farm and a bokashi bucket.
Food for the Soil: What Around the Home Can Feed Your Garden
Was it once alive and can it rot? Then it can probably feed your soil. A practical list of what to use, what to leave out, and where to find more.