Composting Archives - Hort Journal Australia

A finished bed ready for planting (Image: https://dirtyhandswarmheart.com/hugelkultur-a-beginners-guide/)

Hügelkultur for soil improvement and green waste management

10/04/2024 Dan Austin 323 Views 0 Comments #Tree, Botanic gardens, Garden Design, gardening, horticultural, horticultural industry, landscape, landscape design, Ornamental trees, Shade Trees

By Dan Austin

Translating to ‘hill culture’, hügelkultur is an old German and Eastern European method of creating raised beds consisting of woody material buried beneath layers of biomass, compost, and soil in a mound shape. In addition to the benefits of pest suppression and improved drainage that are gained through any raised bed, the woody biomass in the centre of a hügelkultur bed, gradually decomposes, building soil, retaining water and slowly releasing nutrients over time.… Continue reading

Bio pellets from The Plant Runner, a certified organic slow-release fertiliser made from a combination of seaweed and frass. (Image: Karen Smith)

Composting

Black soldier flies eating our food waste

01/05/2022 admin 709 Views 0 Comments

By Bruce Thompson

Native to South America but naturalised in most parts of the world, Black Soldier Flies (Hermetia illucens) are being used in Australia to convert food waste into stockfeed and fertiliser.

Commonly sighted around compost bins and worm farms, unlike houseflies (Musca domestica) black soldier flies do not have a mouth-piece meaning they don’t bite and can’t transmit diseases so there’s no health risk posed to humans.… Continue reading