At 50 Ways To Cook, we are ALL about nurturing people and planet through food education. This week, we're diving into the heart of a global movement that celebrates something both simple yet essential: composting!
International Compost Week is more than just a seven-day event; it's a celebration of our commitment to the planet and a reminder of our power to make a difference. Join us as we journey through cultures, cuisines, and compost heaps, discovering the beauty and benefits of this eco-friendly practice.
Start turning your food and green waste into compost
Composting is a simple yet powerful way to recycle organic matter and enrich your soil. By composting kitchen scraps, green waste, and other organic materials, you can create nutrient-rich humus that improves soil structure, fertility, and moisture retention. Incorporating compost into your garden beds provides a steady supply of essential nutrients and encourages the growth of beneficial soil organisms, promoting overall soil health and plant vitality.
Small space or indoor composting
Bokashi composting turns your kitchen scraps into a superfood for your garden, enriching the soil and promoting a vibrant ecosystem below the surface.
Bokashi bran introduces beneficial microorganisms to your waste, kick-starting a fermentation process that breaks down organic matter. When added to the soil or compost, pre-digested nutrients are readily available to plants, boosting growth and soil health.
This process lowers the pH, creating an acidic setting that speeds up decomposition, outcompetes pathogens such as E. Coli and Salmonella, and improves beneficial microbial diversity in the soil. This leads to better structure, fertility, and overall garden resilience.
Add natural soil-enhancing ingredients
To further boost soil health, consider incorporating natural soil amendments such as organic mulch, biochar, or rock dust. Organic mulch not only conserves moisture and suppresses weeds but also adds organic matter to the soil as it breaks down. Biochar improves soil structure and enhances nutrient retention, while rock dust replenishes essential minerals and trace elements. By supplementing your soil with these natural ingredients, you can enhance its fertility and resilience, supporting healthy plant growth and abundant harvests.
My own blend of Natural Soil Enhancer can be purchased in the shop and contains a unique blend of UK-grown organic seaweed, worm castings, biochar, mycorrhizal fungi, rhizobacteria, and barley malt extract. If you'd like to learn more about what these ingredients do, click here. The blend is also included in the Natural Grow Kit.