GARDEN COMPOST HEAP

Southland Times, Issue 25483, 2 October 1944, Page 6

GARDEN COMPOST HEAP

BUILDING AND TURNING DEMONSTRATION Almost 100 people attended a demonstration of building and turning a compost heap held on a section in Liffey street on Saturday afternoon under the auspices of the Invercargill Humic Compost Club. The demonstration was conducted under the supervision of Mr I. V, Wilson, who gave those present a number of gardening tips which he had found useful in his own garden. He said that all gardeners should strive to get their soil neutral, that was, neither too acid nor too alkaline. The club had made arrangements to have soil tested for a small fee. Mr Wilson said that in his own garden he used finely ground oyster shells instead of lime. Oyster shell powder had an advantage over lime because it contained a certain amount of organic matter. Dealing with the building of a compost heap, Mr Wilson said that all sorts of garden refuse such as grass clippings, discarded vegetables and hedge clippings could be used. Seaweed was also very useful because of its iodine content. Pinus Insignis sawdust should be mixed with the vegetable matter. He was only an amateur and he did not know why pinus insignis sawdust should be used instead of the sawdust of other timbers, but he had often read that pinus insignis was the sawdust to use. The heap was built by placing on the bottom of the box a layer of vegetable matter eight inches thick, then about two inches of animal manure and then a thin layer of earth in which half a pound of oyster shell powder and half a pound of wood ash had been mixed. The layers were repeated in that order until the box was full. A little water was sprinkled on some of the material because it was considered to be too dry. Mr Wilson said that the heap should be neither too dry nor too wet. The heap should be ready for turning in about four weeks time. After another four weeks it should be ready for the second turning and in two months after that it should be ready for use. The heap that was turned had been standing for five weeks. In thanking those present for their attendance Mr C. Lange, vice-president of the club, said that the membership of the club was now 218.