How is Synthetic Nitrogen Fertiliser/ Fertilizer made?

I never really thought about how synthetic nitrogen fertilisers (sorry to the massive contingent of US readers that follow me, hereon in it will be referred to fertiliser with an 's' not a zzzzz) are made until I went to local growers meet where the topic was brought to my awareness. When I heard the history, it was quite fascinating but also scary at the same time... so I thought I'd take it upon myself to educate myself about the process.

First I'm going to go on a tangent, so you can understand my drive to understand this process. We can only make the best decisions with the information made available to us, so it's important to challenge ideas and be curious, otherwise we follow blindly. I've been told that I ask too many questions at times, but without my childlike curiosity and hunger for knowledge, I would not have the drive to learn as much as I can.

I love learning and, I want to learn as much as possible while I'm alive so I want to live a long life. 100 to be exact. To attain this goal I have to learn how people do it, I came across a National Geographic magazine which discussed the "Blue Zones" (coined by Author Dan Buettner) in the world are places where sections of the population live well into their 100's. They have established habits which are conducive to living a long, capable and purpose driven life. The inhabitants of those regions all have intersecting habits such as physical activity, family and a largely vegetarian diet. I think another principle which I believe is attributed to a long life is simplicity, something my own Grandpa does well (not a care in the world, rides his bike, grows vegetables and is somewhere in his 90's - not exactly sure due to lack of birth certificates but that's a story for another day).

Pelletised Synthetic Fertiliser

Back to this business of synthetic nitrogen fertilisers and how they are made. Chemically synthesised nitrogen based fertilisers are a result of the Haber-Bosch process, a process developed in 1910 by the German scientist Fritz Haber then later industrialised by Carl Bosch. It involves combining atmospheric nitrogen with hydrogen in the form of Natural Gas to create Ammonia (NH3). Liquid ammonia is created by condensing ammonia gas formed when the nitrogen and hydrogen combine over an iron catalyst under approximately 250 times atmospheric pressure, at a temperature of 550 degrees Celsius (1022 Fahrenheit). Wholy Moly Batman, that seems like a lot of work!

Nature's nitrogen cycle works by cycling the fixed amount of nitrogen in the environment through nitrogen fixing bacteria which feed on decaying plants and animals, these organisms produce ammonia which then becomes available to plants. Atmospheric nitrogen (gas in the air N2) is not available to plants and animals but is made available by the bacteria. Not all of the ammonia is used by the plants. Some ammonia is absorbed into the soil to start the transformation process to form nitrites (NO2) then to nitrates (NO3) and finally the conversion into atmospheric nitrogen by denitrifying bacteria - the opposite of nitrogen fixing. This completes the cycle.

Source: 1988 World Book Encyclopaedia

What's nitrogen's role within plants? It's an essential element for plants as it causes leafy growth and helps form chlorophyll required for energy production via photosynthesis. Why do we need nitrogen fertilisers when the forests and bushlands grow so prolifically without human intervention? In the late 19th Century synthetic nitrogen was touted as the cure to diminishing crop yields (traditional nitrogen was applied to fields in the form of manures, guano, cover crops, compost). Synthetic nitrogen was promoted as the cure to increasing yields, it was convenient, easy to handle and cheap. It's use skyrocketed after the 2nd World War as idle factories stockpiled nitrates, a key component to manufacturing bombs.

Synthetic nitrogen fertilisers have notably increased the production of food around the world, however, it has created a vast array of issues :

• Excessive nitrogen leaches into the water and creating algal blooms that kills marine life.
• Some nitrogen not used by plants is converted into nitrous oxide (N2O), a contributor to greenhouse gasses.
• Natural Gas used to produce synthetic nitrogen is non-renewable and the environmental issues associated with obtaining it.

This doesn't even take into consideration the effect on us humans who eat plants and animals fed with synthetic nitrogen. This is a separate article worth exploring. In my opinion, it reminds me of the fable, "The Goose that laid the Golden Eggs", I would say that the "soil life" is the goose and the "plants" are the golden eggs. We are trying to manipulate the soil in an un-natural and in an unsustainable way to increase production of food and at some point in time this will catch up to us. You don't have to be a scientist to see that things don't quite add up. In a way, it's reminiscent of Doctors endorsing smoking in the 50's...

Source: http://naturalnewsblog.blogspot.com.au/2015/11/doctors-and-scientists-lied-about.html

I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much I've enjoyed researching it. Personally, knowing what I know now I will try to stay clear of using chemically manufactured fertilisers just for the sheer amount of energy involved in creating something that nature achieves, albeit at a slower pace. The elegance of Nature is that appears to be simple, but scratch the surface and it's incredibly complex and to think we can shortcut its processes is extremely ignorant. If I want to live to a 100, I believe that I have to stay the simple path of natures processes and not try to mess with things that have been in existence long before humans walked the planet.

Credit - To my good friend Ben Harper, the super scientist/doctor extraordinaire who double checked the article for my scientific explanation & understanding - Thank you!

WWOOFING India (Part 2)

Finding the link to my cultural ties in India was an unexpected benefit, as the intention of the trip was to learn how to grow food in a natural self-sustaining way. What I expected to learn compared to what was bestowed on me were a set of principles to grow food rather than instructions or directions. The techniques and ideas that they used on the farm were new to me, every day was a lesson in ingenuity and a unique insight into understanding the processes of the natural world. 

Mixed Farming - Reduced sustainable production

Mixed Farming in action

The first thing that amazed me was the variety of food that was grown in such a small area (20 acres), this is tiny compared to modern industrial farms. To give you an idea of the diversity of food being produced on this farm there were over 27 different types of vegetables, grains, seeds, fruits and spices. Not to mention the chickens, ducks and cows.

This was in stark contrast to what I saw while travelling down Highway 101 in the Salinas Valley, California. I travelled over 100km in distance on the 101. To the left and right of the road were laser graded farms at least 24km wide in either direction. The 400km2 (99842 acres) of monoculture farmland that I saw had a fraction of the diversity to that of the 20-acre farm in India. 

The history of the farm I had stayed did not always have such diversity. It began as a 70-acre papaya plantation which would produce tons of produce every week however one year they had a poor season due to issues with disease. After this year, a decision was made to diversify food production. The result of this was a drop in production but an increase in sustainability and abundance. The remaining 50 acres is unused as they rotate crops and the will slowly increase production as demand increases. The labour required for mixed crop farm is substantially more than previous but the benefit of this system is that it can be sustained indefinitely.

Azolla the Wonder Fern

Azolla is a fast growing perennial water fern which they used to feed ducks and chickens. It is extremely nutritious and reportedly has up to 35% protein content by weight. Once harvested, it can be re-harvested again every 2-3 days as it grows so quickly and so densely that I saw ants use it as a shortcut to their nest. The ingenious process they created was to use the Azolla fern to filter waste water coming from the fish/duck pond which took up the excess nutrients. Following the natural principles of a wetland to purify water and create food for the animals that live there. If you think ducks love bread, wait till you see them once they get a taste of Azolla, it is like a crack-cocaine equivalent. 

Up close and person with Azolla

Panchagavya - Psudeo science or an Archimedes Moment

I was lucky enough to see how Panchagavya (Pun-cha-kav-viya) was used on the farm, an ayurvedic medicine made up of five cow products (cow urine, cow manure, milk, ghee and curd). It was mixed in a 200-litre barrel in specific proportions and allowed to ferment for 15-20 days. Once fermented, they would dilute with water and spray vegetables with it as a preventative measure for pests and increase the number of bacteria within the soil which make available the minerals and elements to the plant.

From what I read on the internet, there was conjecture whether there was any conclusive evidence that it has any benefits. While we might not understand the science behind the traditions, I believe that the traditions were developed due to daily observations on the farm and then passed down over generations. I would contest the way in which the scientific method has a tendency to take focus on very small areas of knowledge without taking the whole system into account. I'll leave it up to you to draw your own conclusions but I found the process fascinating.   

The Cow - God to the Hindus

The cow in Hindu culture is seen as a God. Initially, to me it seemed quite perplexing but I scratched a little deeper under the surface the cow is an incredibly versatile animal for the farm. It functions as a mower, it produces an incredibly rich source of fertiliser in the form of manure, it provides milk,  and they provide valuable companionship for humans. On the farm, I observed the use of cow dung as my Mum had described it to me being used in a most peculiar way... as a natural flooring. Fresh dung was laid down on the ground, compacted and left to dry in the sun. The resultant product is a smooth floor which remains dustless and can be swept. Who needs timber floorboards when you can walk on natural cow dung!

Cows local to the area - I love their horns, often farmers will paint them different colours 

Biogas - Cooking with waste

As I've paid homage to the revered cow, it is really the animal that keeps on giving and again we want that cow dung! Why, because we can turn it into a gas used for cooking instead of letting it float into the atmosphere. The byproduct of fermenting cow dung in an anaerobic (free of oxygen) environment is methane which is captured in a chamber for storage. 

How does it work? On the farm, they used the India Floating Chamber (IFC) system, which compromises of a concrete cylinder constructed inground with floating metal chamber that rises and falls as methane is generated as cow dung is broken down by methane producing bacteria. Everyday fresh cow dung is mixed with water to "liqiudise it" and then poured into a secondary chamber through which a tube is connected to the main chamber. As the main concrete cylinder reaches capacity, an overflow tube allows the spent cow dung to be expelled as fresh cow dung is added to the system.The weight of the floating metal chamber pressurises the methane, connected to that is a pipe which runs biogas stove. 

Biogas unit - Blue Metal Floating chamber with concrete dung input

Amazing, I know! On my very long list of projects is to build a biogas chamber using a source of waste material that is more locally available where I live... coffee grounds! Initially, I'll inoculate the system with the cow dung bacteria, then I'll feed it "liquidised coffee grounds" which will form methane as it breaks down. That's the theory, fingers crossed!

In summary, I really enjoyed learning and experiencing what I would describe as sustainable natural processes on the farm. I theorise that the techniques/systems/processes above were developed as a necessity for survival be it that they are repeatable/sustainable and by people who took an interest in maintaining the laws of the natural world. One day I can only aspire to be able to develop a process/tradition of own to add to this incredible body of knowledge. 

The Wednesday produce truck heading to Bangalore for sale.

WWOOFING India (Part 1)

Travelling to India was always in the back of my mind, I guess I wanted to explore the roots of my culture. When I meet people for the first time they assume I'm from India... well with good reason - I look Indian even though my parents are from 2 different countries other than India but are of Indian Heritage... confusing I know. So when people ask me how India is, I draw a blank stare, so it made sense for me to want to see what it was all about.

At a time when I was looking for direction in my life, I decided to combine my love of growing food and my curiosity to explore my culture. How to combine the 2, it took me back to another adventure in Japan where I met a French girl who introduced me to the concept of WWOOFing, what they hell was WWOOFing I thought. Well actually it's an acronym for Willing Workers On Organic Farms... yep that makes sense. The concept is that in exchange for labour and knowledge you get a place to stay and food. However in reality I found it to be a cultural exchange of knowledge and skills which was so much more than I expected.

Why not WWOOF India, kill 2 birds with one stone and if I was take my growing to the next level I had to see how the pros did it. I signed up online at www.wwoofindia.org who then sent me a list of 300 organic farms all across India. I reviewed each of the farms according to my interest in learning as much as possible, shortlisted 10 and proceeded to email them. I only got 2 responses but of those 1 was keen to take me on board Dragonfly Organic Farm (www.dragonflyorganic.com).

It was an exciting moment, like getting a new job! So in my mind I had really no idea what to expect as I had never been to India let alone a farm. I packed my bags, bought a plane ticket, took a couple of buses and 2 days later I was at the farm.

Farm Life

What it actually turned out to be was so much better than I expected. My parents always reminisce of their simple agrarian upbringing to remind us how lucky we are to be living in a western country. However after spending enough time at the farm and the village what I realised is that the people in the village really live the privileged life compare to the self-imposed complexities of westernised life. That's not to make light of the problems they have, I guess we all have our issues but I really liked their way of living.

The first day they had me digging trenches with a short handled hoe (known in Tamil as a Mum-ma-tee), at first the local workers were perplexed as previous visitors to the farm didn't work but rather just watched and learned. Being me, I like to get my hands dirty and I really enjoy a non gym related workout. I thought I was strong but nothing prepares you the farm workout, 7hrs of digging in 30 degree heat. That's what I wanted and that's what I got for the 5 weeks I was there. Hands blistered, splinters in my fingers, a perpetual sore back and my feet covered with sores from continually stepping in fire ants nests.

Ignoring the pain, it was amazing because after a week, I really enjoyed conversing with the workers in my best sign language and the rudimentary words I had learned by carrying around a little pen and notepad. I got to do a variety of tasks, but the things which stood out in my mind were:

• fashioning tomato stakes out of tree branches using a giant machete
• loading a 0.5 tonne trailer with compost using a hoe and bucket multiple times a day
• harvesting and bagging produce every Wednesday for market
• spending a whole day digging up 300kg of amazing organic ginger by hand

As the weeks progressed, I lost about 5kg and every day I was still sore but I didn't care as I was giant sponge learning as much as I could about traditional farming methods. I'll go into detail in part 2 about some the interesting things they did on the farm.

What were my take home lessons

Farming and growing food has always been a simple thing to do, man has done it with rudimentary tools for thousands of years. As an engineer, my thought process has always to make things easier and come up with complex solutions for simple problems. I think in Westernised society we tend to over complicate solutions and the constant need for a new tool to make our life easier has an untold downside (decreasing activity levels, consumption of limited resources, consumerism, cheap quality production methods).

Over engineering for me was a tough obstacle to overcome but after some time speaking with the Farm Manager I was able to elevate my level of thinking. My mum and dad are professionals at this and I believe that when they were young a scarcity of resources has developed this skill. A good example of this would be making Compost, a quick scour of a popular big box hardware store yielded 35 different tools to make compost. When in fact you only need 1 tool and that is a pitch fork which makes the quickest and best compost in my opinion. If I was to make a rule which expressed this principle - "if you are only going use it once, you shouldn't buy it". Look at alternatives, can I borrow it from someone or can I use something else that will make do.  

Following the idea of keep it simple, while bending over my short handled hoe digging tirelessly to impress the local workers this Westernised Indian Man eventually could keep up with the locals. I developed muscles in places I didn't know I had and I improved flexibility. Sometimes ergonomics is so efficient at making tasks so easy we stop using out bodies and what they were meant for. Who needs a gym membership when you can ditch the blower-vac, pick up the dusty rake and get your rake on! I'm pretty sure it will be the next fitness trend!

Would I go back and WWOOF again... with out a doubt. As a cultural exchange of ideas I'm pretty sure I ended up with more knowledge than what I imparted on the amazing people I met. I would encourage your to take stock of some things that are complications in your life and see if you can simplify them. I've no doubt it will be a worthwhile exercise and will leave a lasting impression on you.

The Bok Choy Equation - How much land do you need to grow Bok Choy every day?

When did the price of fresh food become so expensive? Over time the price of fresh food has been steadily rising distorting consumers perceptions of value. Why would you pay $5 for 3 bok choy when you can buy a hamburger, large frozen coke and a choc top for the same amount. Don't get me wrong I love McDonalds but it is an occasional treat for me. I'm not expecting to get healthy from eating processed food but I can understand why people are drawn towards the convenience and price of processed food.

 

The rational train of thought would make you think the less processed, the less resources that go into the food the cheaper it should be? Where as in reality the more nutritious a food is the more expensive it seems to be. My dad says "You pay peanuts, you get monkeys", which is a shame because healthy nutritious fresh food should be readily available to all and not be a function of your wealth.

It is the simplest foods which I derive the most pleasure in eating and could eat everyday. I love fresh bok choy with a little garlic, ginger and soy sauce quickly stir fried in a wok and served with rice... mmm so tasty yet so simple.

I recently started growing a variety of Chinese vegetables (bok choy, gai-lan & choy sum) because they are easy to grow, require little preparation in the kitchen, easy to cook and are very tasty. Other advantages include

• that they are fast growing (quick to maturity)
• don't require a lot of space (maximise the number of plants in a small area)
• seem to grow in most places as long as you water them 

My goal over the next 12 months is to be able produce enough fresh food for my immediate family of 4 people, 3 times a week. My intermediate goal is to be able to supply enough for 5 to 6 families. Like any goal it seems easier enough on paper but how much land would I need to scale up to make this a reality. How much land would it take to grow bok choy everyday?

Item	Quantity	Unit	Notes (Assumptions)
Number of Choys required	365	days
Days to maturity from seed	90	days
Number of cycles	4.06	cycles/year
Round down	4	Cycles
Number of plants/cycle	90	each	1 bok choy/day
Row Length	5000	mm	Assume an initial length of plant bed 5m
Plant Spacing	300	mm	Optimal space between each plant
Number of plants per Row	16.67	each
Round Down 2 (edges)	14	each	Minus the space away from the edge of garden beds
Row Spacing	500	mm	Space between each row of bok choy
Number of Rows required	6.43
Round up rows	7
Bed width	3500	mm	Width of bed based on 5m length
Total Area	17500000	mm2
Total Area	17.5	m2
If Crop Rotation is used	6	beds	5 active beds, 1 to leave as fallow
Total Area	105	m2

I had no idea what to expect but it was a lot less than I thought, I thought that it maybe 50m2 but 17.5m2 is reasonable size to manage for most home growers. To put it into context it would be like placing to medium sized sedans next to each other and this would be the area you'd need to manage. This is based on a set of very simple assumptions but it is the mindset that I'll be adopting and testing to see how well it works in the near future. However I read up book on Mini Farming by Brett L. Markham and he suggests that for 1 person, 700 square feet is required which is 65m2. This doesn't seem to far off the mark from my calculations as my 17.5m only takes into consideration that you'll be eating a single bok choy a day.  

Bok Choy in a pot, went to flower early due to heat but all parts are still edible. 

From what I've researched, it is not a good idea to grow the same types of food in the same area for prolonged period of time as soils build up pathogens and pests which can affect the ability grow. Unfortunately not all of us have the luxury of space so we have to keep growing in the same plot so a way in which you can negate this issue is to replenish the soil frequently with compost. 

While your immediate goal might not be self sufficiency but this will give you a rough idea of how much you can grow in a given area. Happy growing! 

WIIFM - The intangible benefits of growing your own food

WIIFM (What’s in it for me), why should you grow your own food? It is so cheap to buy food from the supermarket or to eat out, why should I even bother...

Well let me explain some of the intangible benefits that I've realised in my short journey thus far: 

Living a Sustainable life

It was only a few years ago that I viewed a documentary on bees and why hives were dying (colony collapse disorder). The environmental issues which bees face are numerous: chemicals/pesticides, monoculture, lack of urban habitat & foreign parasites. I was oblivious to the fact that we required bees to pollinate plants for large variety of foods that we eat.

No bees = no food.

While I don’t preach to live the most sustainable life, my awareness and the impact of my lifestyle has increased since growing my own food. I strongly believe that if I can produce my own food in a sustainable manner that it will make a difference to my family, friends and the environment. Spreading my knowledge, skill and passion onto those around me will assist to help reverse the detrimental effects of modern life (air pollution, climate change, obesity, resource depletion). 

A flowering eucalyptus in the front yard that the bees love foraging on in late Spring.

Grow Healthy

You are what you eat! This goes without saying, eating food that you are growing is going to better than any processed food you buy. When you cook the food you produce, you take back control of all the steps of food production and preparation. You'll understand exactly what you are eating and what real food tastes like. After eating real food for a period of time you'll soon realise the next time you consume processed food and the feeling it leaves you with is not worth it.

A secondary benefit is the incidental energy you expend to maintain your garden (dig, plant, water and cut) on regular basis required of the home grower is fantastic for your health, not to mention the time spent outside in the fresh air.  

Continual Learning

Plants are dynamically growing organisms, like humans, they face new challenges.  Obstacles such as insect attack, scaling, disease, stunted growth, fruit set... the list goes on. These are always due to underlying issues (topography, rainfall, shading, soil composition, plant location, inclement weather) which need addressing to remedy the problem. 

Inadvertently I have found that through each problem I have increased my learning ability through reading, questioning and observing. Your skills in diagnosing problems before they happen will improve by necessity to grow your own healthy food. Not to mention your ability to suck up knowledge like a sponge and to question everything you do will aid in this mission.

Get back to basics

To me, growing your own food is one of life's most simple pleasures. Sowing a seed, tend to each stage of its development until it is ready to consume and repeat. It seems that digital devices are more important than the connection that humans have with nature - I get the irony of reading this! We spend an increasing amount of time inside our light/temperature controlled environments and wonder why we become ill.

When I'm outside with the plants, insects buzzing, fresh air and hands dirty I feel connected to the earth. When I do face stressful situations in the urban environment (traffic, angry customers, demanding bosses), my daily connection to my garden provides me with a calm ease I can't get anywhere else.

Dad is one with nature chomping down on natural sugar cane growing in Mauritius

For me, growing my own food was a reaction to take action on a number of converging issues: 

• lack of green space in urban areas
• climate change
• social and economic inequity
• sustainability of commercial agriculture
• the rising cost of fresh food
• improving eating habits
• & a healthy dislike of crowds at shopping centres :) 

I've found that I feel like I'm taking control of the change I want to see in the world and it has resulted in benefits that I initially didn't foresee. In your journey to grow your own food, you'll find your own WIIFM reasons that will sustain your enthusiasm and one day turn into a habit for a life! So what are you waiting for - get growing :)  

Being a miser pays! (The cost of starting a vegetable garden)

By now you've read my previous posts and are inspired to take action to do your part in fighting climate change. So what next? You can go out just buy everything under the sun required to start a vegetable garden but luckily you've come here because you are smart. Don't get me wrong it is very easy to go out buy everything but when you've spent all your hard earned money, you'll be quick to question why I'm I doing this when I can buy carrots for 1$/kg?

This was the my vegetable garden 11 months ago, constructed of spare retaining wall blocks, home grown bamboo garden stakes and left over top soil used for grass, not the best soil but a good starting point I knew I could improve on.

My dad always said to me it's not how much you earn but how spend it. It is sound advice that has served me well through my years. However when I get enthused about a new skill/hobby I'm trying to learn, its advice that goes out the window. I read about all the must haves and get carried away

Luckily for you I've made a basic list of items required to start a vegetable garden and the relative cost. But also an alternate option to save you a dollar or two.

Materials required to start a vegetable garden
Item	Cost	Notes	Alternatives
Raised Corrugated Garden Bed	$99.00	2m x 1m x 0.5m = 1m3	Use left over bricks to create a raised bed or plant in the ground
Soil (Vegetable Mix)	$60.00	1m3	Make your own soil with compost or create a no dig garden and reduce the amount of soil required
Soil Delivery	$25.00		Same as above
Irrigation	$20.00	Drip tube	Talk to neighbours, people usually buy too much irrigation equipment and you can put together a system from spare parts
Tap Timer	$15.97		Same as above
Seedling Trays	$4.00	8 Cell by 8 Pack	Egg cartons make for good seedling trays just be careful because they can dry out quickly, so leave them in a shallow container with standing water
Seeds	$10.00	5 x $2 packets of vegetable seeds	Ask friends for left over seeds or any they have collected from a previous seasons
Mulch	$15.00	Sweet pea mulch	Dried grass clippings spread thinly, can be used as alternate
Compost Bin	$39.00	Black plastic	Start a pile instead and get into the habit of turning by hand, exercise and faster compost at the same time
Total	$287.97
Notes - Cost is in AUD, average price taken from garden/hardware stores

Wholly molly Batman! I thought growing my own food was going to save me money. Like all 

investments you need to think long term and you need to think about the about the intangible benefits of growing your own food (which I'll cover in my next post)

Other ways to save a dollar!!!

It is your mindset that is important in growing food and how you are able to re-purpose everyday materials to reduce your costs. A secondary benefit is that you'll start to see everyday waste as an opportunity to recycle.

• Coffee Grounds - if you live near a cafe or have coffee machine at work, collect the grounds and add them to your compost pile. A free source of nitrogen
• Shredded Paper - I recycle all the paper at my desk and collect the shredded it with a second-hand shredder I bought off Gumtree. Add it to my compost and to my worm farm as bedding material.
• Native grasses - Recently I've found myself buying lots of sweet pea/sugar cane mulch. At 15$ it is starting to add up. I read an article about growing your own mulch and some native grasses can be cut up to 4 times a year. 
• Old bricks - Why buy a garden bed when you can make one,  old bricks can make an inexpensive raised garden bed. I prefer bricks as they are long lasting and there are no issues with leaching chemicals with treated timbers.
• Go secondhand - Buying used tools off people can be a great way to save money but also obtain older quality tools that were designed to last. 
• Collaborate and listen - Teaming up with like minded local growers will enable you share seeds and plants. Why start from step 1 when you can get leg up.
• Befriend a tree lopper -  Often they are looking to dispose of excess mulch from tree jobs, nothing better than a free truckload of streaming mulch.

If you are unsure about re-purposing old materials, I encourage you to use something you have confidence in that will yield you results. When learning any new skill or starting out, it is important to see results so that you gain confidence from what you've done.  As your experience builds you'll see opportunities to tinker and optimise your method in doing that activity. This is no different than growing your own food.

Having an understanding of money is important because you want to see a return on your investment and growing your own food is no different. Cost is quantifiable, and keeping track of it will develop your resourcefulness which in turn helps the environment. Hence why being a miser pays!

This is how it looks now, always evolving and finding cheaper and more environmentally friendly ways to do things.

Compost Crazy - How to make it and why its important!

My foray into gardening resulted in a steep learning curve. I thought you could just dig a hole, throw a couple of seeds  and water it and presto appears a plant. Boy was I wrong, I quickly found out that the seeds didn't germinate or the plants I transplanted grew slowly or worse they died! What you see on top of the soil is a reflection of what is going on underneath the soil, in somewhat it is like  the tip of an iceberg. 

Plants need healthy soil and the right type of soil to flourish. The geology of the area I live is underlain with sedimentary sandstone, the mountains and hills are devoid of fertile soil due to the age of the soils and erosive forces over the years. Thus the plants which have adapted to soils that hold little nutrients, slow growing and have waxy foliage to reduce water loss. 

Growing vegetables in the native soil is a challenge, our block of land literally sits on top of a massive sandstone rock which is 25m wide (width of the block) and from what is visible on the surface at least 2.5m tall. Most of the soil was imported onto the site when the garden beds were established. Since then not a lot has been added, yet plants in our yard still do well, however well doesn't sit well with me. I want to improve vegetable & fruit yields by optimising the best soil conditions possible! After watching many videos on Youtube and reading several articles, compost was heralded as the miracle cure to my depleted soil.

Black Gold, Texas Tea - Very earthy warm compost pile - To me this is like the fresh smell of coffee early in the morning

What is compost and what are the benefits?

Compost is simply a mixture of broken down/decomposed organic material which can be added back to the soil to make its nutrients available to the plants that are growing. It is rich in organic matter (anything that was once living) and contains bacteria and fungi. This bacteria and fungi in the soil play a symbiotic relationship with plant roots encouraging them to take up nutrients and minerals.   

Compost adds biodiversity to soil life and encourages worms into the soil which in-turn aerate and further break down the soil. In the sandy soils of my area, water tends to percolate through the soil quickly, compost slows down the rate at which drains from the soil increasing the water capacity of the soil. Additionally, unlike chemical or synthetic fertilisers, compost releases its nutrients slowly for a plant to consume which I personally believe results in a more natural healthier plant. 

How to make compost?

If you can follow a recipe, you can make compost, the principles are the same. It is made from a mixture of carbon (dry material) and nitrogen (green material) which is layered and turned over sequentially until it is fully decomposed.

Carbon (dry material)

• Cardboard, Shredded Paper, Dried Leaves, Broken Twigs

Nitrogen (green material)

• Fresh grass clippings, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, freshly cut plants

It helps if you've got some existing soil or compost to add to the mixture, this is because the microbes and fungi are existing in the soil and will kickstart the process! Layer the materials on top of each other and adding water each time so that it is damp not wet. From what I've researched the ratio of carbon to nitrogen is 25:1. So that is 25 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. In my experience and the location of the compost pile affects the rate of decomposition. 

Leave the pile for 10 days, you'll know when it is ready to turn the pile when the temperature of pile rises (the bacteria is getting busy). The centre of the pile will be warm to the touch and even emit steam in the morning, The bacteria is feeding off the oxygen so after the oxygen is depleted the conditions turn anaerobic which is not what you want (smelly compost phew-weee). This is why we turn every 2 to 3 days to ensure oxygen thereafter until it is fully composted.

I tend to put more nitrogen as the position of my compost pile is shaded under a tree so it helps get the heat going through the pile. My next improvement will be to try and grade and shred both dry and green materials to a uniform size which I think will help for the pile to decompose uniformly without chunks! These are just general rules, I encourage you to adopt a scientific mindset to your approach to composting and growing food. Good luck and get compost crazy!

Freshly Turned Compost Pile