Recycling Compost

It can be quite challenging to obtain fertile soil from compostable plant-components here:

For one, we are confronted with a short short growing season and a consequently sun-deprived, cool, and arid climate.

In addition, our compost used to have hardly any time to decompose, before Lance came along and ate everything that has any nutritional value (a dog's digestive system is very resilient, it seems!).

And finally, some of our wild neighbours (birds and mice) devour the remains of vegetables and fruit routinely.


Mouse-resident in compost pile

The way I am dealing with the first challenge is by making compost piles on which I grow cucumbers and zucchini: the humidity accelerates decomposition and the resulting warmth benefits the plants.

Lance I have managed to keep (partly) out of the compost by constructing compost frames.
But birds and mice will just have to be endured – a small price to pay for the pleasure of having them around, and, as in the case of mice, outside!