Composting at Ford Park

The Compost Demonstration Site

By Alex Hogg with advice given by Steve Povey

Steve Povey, Ford Park Volunteer and Master Composter

Compost is crucial at Ford Park. All the wonderful plants and flowers we have growing in the wall garden and in the park rely on compost. In collaboration with the charity Garden Organic, the compost demonstration site was established in 2023 as a place to teach visitors about how to compost in their own homes. It plays an impactful role in making sure that nothing in Ford Park goes to waste.

In the compost demonstration site, there is a variety of composting bins and systems.

On the compost heap itself there is a combination of green waste and brown waste in a 50:50 ratio. The cold compost uses the New Zealand system with three bays. When one bay is full, the waste is moved into a different bay. Cold compost needs moisture to keep the worms happy, and so that they can break down the compost heap. Microbes can be found with hot composting in the hot bins which are sealed containers that keep the temperature high. In the tumblers, waste is tumbled round and regularly turned.

All the garden waste from volunteering goes onto the compost heap to be broken down and recycled. In particular, the leaf mould collected in leaf pots is great for seedlings.

The park also makes comfrey liquid from comfrey leaves to feed plants that are flowering and fruiting, as it is high in potassium. The value of composting is as a home for garden waste and as organic plant food without any chemicals.

Composting dates to the Stone Age with archaeological evidence suggesting that farmers began making compost as far back as 12,000 years ago. The compost demonstration site offers us insight into how to reuse as much of our garden waste as we can and carries on a long tradition of sustainability in gardening.

Our local volunteer Master Composters ensure that the compost is rich with all the nutrients needed and that as much waste is recycled as possible. The demonstration site welcomes educational trips for schools to teach children about compost and its benefits. With the hope that future generations carry on with composting as a crucial step to gardening at home.