Pros and Cons of Combined Compot Composting

Pros and Cons of Combined Compot Composting

Pros and Cons of Combined Compot Composting outlines the advantages and disadvantages of this different method of composting ALL your kitchen waste.

Combined Compot composting is similar to trench composting except it uses all the elements listed in the 8 Composting Methods; especially the Soldier Fly. The pros and cons are intermingled because what might be a pro to one person is a con to someone else.  This method brings with it the same challenges depending on your ability to bend down. However the system can be used above ground as well and will be discussed in another post.

Combined Compot Composting requires

• Digging a hole – only once for each pot, then no more holes to dig
• Planting your Pot
• Filling with ‘ALL’ your kitchen waste
• Locking on lid and covering with anything but dirt or sugar cane mulch

• Dispose of all your kitchen waste including meat, dairy, citrus, eggs, onions, oil, coffee, tea bags
• It will compost anything bio-degradable
• Perfect for animal excrement – doggie doos etc. – gone in 20 minutes (not in your veggie garden)
• Decomposes super fast – with the help of the Black Soldier Fly
• Worms will come.  You do not need to add worms unless you have really bad soil
• Your worms won’t die. They look after themselves
• Therefor you nourish your garden with no effort from you
• You don’t have to feed your worms if you go away on holidays.
• It will nourishes all different parts of your garden by planting a few around your garden.  

Therefore…

• More than one is better – or simply move some around the garden every now and then. But that to me requires digging more holes.  I prefer not to move mine and have a few spread around the garden
• Empties by itself unless you intentionally want to harvest soil
• Works all year round – (varies with different climates)
• Can be used as a worm farm by filling with worm friendly waste only but not as efficient as with the Soldier Flies
• Takes only one month to 6 weeks max to produce composted soil (if you want to collect soil).
• Slightly longer in winter but there are tricks to make it keep working
• Invisible in your garden
• Reversible lid allows you to mow over it
• Safe for young toddlers.  Lockable lid
• Takes the weight of a 50kg child running across
• The lid pushes in if an adult stands on it  – within reason
• Does not need a carbon/nitrogen ratio
• Wet waste is perfect. No need to worry if it is too dry or too wet.
• Utilises your wastewater as well – with or without detergent
• Soaking your waste in wastewater makes it work faster
• Fermenting your waste keeps unwanted animals away like rats, bush turkeys, dogs
• You can have as many or as little as you like, and use it in whatever manner you like
• It is small for a reason – because it is more efficient in this size, nourishing many different parts of your garden without the need to spread compost. The worms do the work for you as they move round the garden from pot to pot
• No need to wait for everything to decompose.  Just keep topping it up
• Liquid goes directly into the ground and feeds your plants instantly
• Can be used inside raised garden beds.
• Seeds can grow from the composted material if you don’t ferment your waste
• Yes, you have to dig a hole.  But once you have dug that hole you never need to dig another hole unless you want to move it and make more work for yourself.  It’s your choice
• Great for your chooks and fish also, if you have them and other wild life like birds and lizards
• Plant one in your chock pen and let the chooks search for the larvae.  But don’t ferment your waste in your chook pen. They don’t like the smell.
• Propagate green food for your chooks on top of the Compot with the CompotTOP.
• Or propagate seeds for yourself in the upturned lid while composting below.
• A simple way to grow your own herbs and other things as well
• If there is one thing that it does not do, and that is collecting the liquid to water your pot plants. But the liquid goes directly into the soil so this is, in fact, one less chore for me.
• Make worm tea from the composted soil by soaking a handful in water overnight
• When you harvest the soil you can use this soil in your pot plants
• The size is perfect allowing it to decompose quicker.
• Is hidden in your garden and takes up virtually no space
• Reverse the lid to mow over it
• Plant them anywhere and everywhere you like
• Failure at composting is impossible with this system. It is just a matter of time and everything turns to soil

The Compot is the most versatile way to compost however:

• One hole per pot needs to be dug
• You have to bend down unless you have raised garden beds or use the “Above Ground Method”
• They can’t really be used for large yard waste except for grass clipping and leaves to cover it, which actually helps break down the grass clippings.
• But you can use them for small garden weeds and veggie waste from your garden.

Commercial Direct Composters

Commercial Direct Composters now come in many different forms since I started my business. No doubt many of you have seen them and I know many of you have tried them. I have lots of feedback of these products from people I talk to at the trade shows. They do work the same way to a point, but not quite.

• Some go beneath the 30cm root zone, so nutrients are lost unless you have deep-rooted plants.
• One particular brand requires a very large hole to be dug.
• Many are not aerated the same way.
• Others are hard to harvest the soil.
• Most are slower and work with worms only
• There is one that is bio-degradable so you have to keep buying them.
• Almost all of them are visible in your garden and you can’t mow over them.
• Nor can you propagate with them.

But in the end, it is your choice.
I just hope some of this information helps in making the right decision for you on a composter that is going to give you years of joy and a beautiful garden. And I have mentioned before – what works well for you now may not work for you in different circumstances. So you may use many different types of composters over the years. As long as you are Composting and not putting you waste in your council bin then any method is a good method. Or simply add some Compots to your other systems so you get the best of everything.

8 Composting Methods
Quick Comparison Guide of Direct Composters
Pros and Cons of Commercial Composting
12 things to consider when choosing a composter
Compots in Sandy Soil