Compost starter

Household/garden waste management

The ecological needs of the planet are pressing. In order to limit the negative effects of CO2 in the atmosphere, carbon needs to be stored in the soil in the form of humus. We can all play our part in contributing to this process by composting our kitchen and garden waste, transforming all our organic waste into humus.

Compost starter provides a completely new way of composting household waste. It encourages the transformation of organic matter into humus. The starter is made from a blend of cow manure, clay, rock powder and various plant extracts, including the six biodynamic compost preparations.

The compost starter is a coarse, dry, gray-ish powder and is easy to use. Add 10 g of starter to a bucket in a half-litre of warm water (approx. 37°C or body temperature, 98.6°F), along with a shovel of mature compost or good-quality garden earth. Stir alternately in one direction, then the other for several minutes with a stick. It is now ready to use.

Prepare the household waste in advance; it should be aired and slightly damp. The compost starter should be spread carefully onto the pile of organic waste.

If the organic waste is too wet, the compost starter can be used mixed with mature compost or dry potting soil, or sprinkled like pepper onto the compost heap.

Once this has been completed, the heap should be covered immediately with a bit of soil or a layer of straw or hay.

Keep an eye on the temperature and humidity of the compost in the weeks that follow, turning it over as required, especially if it's too damp.

Repeat the process at regular intervals, according to the quantity of waste to be composted (every 2 weeks or once a month, for example).

Several weeks or months later, depending on the season, and type of organic matter used to begin with, the compost should be a blackish colour and have a crumbly consistency. It should have an earthy smell, reminiscent of the forest floor and be teeming with compost worms. If so, it is ready to use.  

Regular use of compost starter contributes favourably to the fermentation of household and garden waste.

Another useful method is the following :

Use a bin or bucket in the kitchen to save kitchen scraps to be transferred onto the outdoor compost pile. Keep a container of dry, mature compost or potting soil and a little pot of starter next to the compost, sheltered from the rain. Once the household scraps have been added to the pile, put one or two handfuls of dry compost/potting soil and a pinch of starter in the bottom of the scrap bucket. This will absorb excess humidity from the kitchen waste, avoiding rotting, whilst the starter encourages good fermentation and humus formation.

The dry state of the compost starter makes it easy to keep for several months. The biodynamic compost preparations or Barrel preparation both require specific care and attention, and need to be stored in special, peat-lined boxes if you want to keep them more than several days.

The compost starter does not replace the six biodynamic compost preparations, traditionally introduced into the compost heap. But this method is quick and easy. It's more efficient than composting household/garden waste without use of the compost preparations and is a good introduction to biodynamic composting.

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