Last Updated on December 1, 2020 by Forest Master
There are a lot of myths and rumours which frequently circulate around the internet regarding composting, these rumours often result in people giving up before they’ve even started the process of creating their own.
We’re going to take a look into some of these rumours and shed some light on the composting myths that so often result in waste going directly to landfill where it slowly turns into a greenhouse gas.
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Composting Myth #1: Is composting too much hard work?
This is one of the biggest composting myths that we often hear, and it’s not even close to being true.
The process of creating your own compost at home is a straight forward task which could be done in less than an afternoon. If you start midday you’ll likely be sat with your feet up by 2 PM with a brew.
After your compost pile is set up; a simple once a week, ten-minute checkup and a quick mix of your compost pile will suffice for keeping it efficiently decaying at a good pace.
Composting Myth #2: Do Compost piles attract rodents, vermin and pests?
This one is a slightly more complicated matter, but the short side of it is that if you create your compost pile with the right materials in the right way, then you won’t have an issue.
A goal of composting is to attract worms, this is because they help break down the materials inside of the pile which speeds up the composting process.
If you add the wrong materials to your compost pile, then it is possible that pests will come calling. Follow our guide to composting to find a list of all the materials which can and can’t be used when compiling your compost heap.
As well as selecting the right materials for the pile, you can also strategically place your materials in your pile to avoid any smells seeping out and attracting pests.
This leads us nicely on to the next common misconception:
Composting Myth #3: Do compost piles smell?
As previously mentioned, this really just comes down to using the right materials and creating your compost bin the correct way with the right materials.
You can learn a lot from the smell of your compost pile, if it starts to smell then its likely too wet.
Too much green material used within the mix will make your pile smell like sewage or ammonia. This is a good indicator that your mixture of greens and browns is off-balance, this can be solved by adding more brown materials in order to restore the balance.
A well-kept compost heap will produce a rich, earthy smell.
Composting Myth #4: Does composting cost too much money?
This is a strange myth because in fact composting does the exact opposite. When you compost at home, you’re creating your own rich soil from waste instead of having to go out and spend money buying it from shops to produce the same, if not worse, results.
Granted, some compost bins can cost a fair bit, but more often than not these are unnecessary. You can quite easily go outside and create your own compost bin or pile from items you already have laying around the shed.
After you have your compost pile set up it just requires the simple task of adding new waste and giving it a mix every week or so.
Compost Myth #5: Do I need a large garden to compost?
Nonsense! You can create a small compost pile in on an apartment balcony if you wanted to. There are only three things you really require to get started with a compost pile; green waste, brown materials and a small bin of sorts.
In summary, there’s nothing stopping you getting outside and creating your own compost. Have you heard of any other myths? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
