MyArmadale

Earth-cycling is nature's way of recycling. It’s easy to avoid sending food scraps and garden prunings into your general waste bin by composting at home. Your choices include traditional composting, worm farming or bokashi.

Earth-cycling is fantastic for your garden and helps the environment. Adding compost and worm farm liquids to your garden soil:

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Loosens clay soils
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Helps sandy soils retain water
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Improves soil nutrients
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Suppresses plant diseases and pests
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Reduces your costs in fertiliser and pesticide

Frequently Asked Questions: workshops, rebates and discounts for worm farms and compost systems

Refunds are not provided, but your details will be transferred to the next available workshop date, and you will be notified of the details in writing.

Composting

Composting assists in the reduction of food wastes ending up in our landfills. It turns natural scraps into nutrient-rich compost that will help garden and improve soil quality. Reducing the amount of compostable waste in landfill will lower the negative environmental impacts imposed by compostable wastes being disposed of in such a way.

You can easily set up your own garden composting system and make your plants healthier at no extra cost. Most composting units are designed to speed up the decomposition of organic matter through aeration and moisture retention. With the proper combination of air, nutrients and moisture, waste is transformed into compost. There are multiple types of composting units, all with varying results.

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Compost bins
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Compost tumblers
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Composting bays
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Vermicomposters
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Bokashi
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Composting basics

1.29 MB

Worm Farming Basics

1.18 MB

See the table below for a comparison of various systems, to find one that suits your household.

Compost units	Worm farms	Bokashi bins	EnsoPet Pet Waste Composter
Dwelling suitability	All households with gardens and schools	All households, offices, apartments and schools	All households, offices, apartments and schools	All households with gardens and schools
Unit location	Preferably outdoors, away from house in a sunny area	Preferably outdoors (can go indoors) in the shade	Anywhere	Outside
Efficency	Variable depending on unit, nutrient balance and aeration	Variable depending on unit, nutrient balance and worms	Efficient for food waste. Needs to be buried to complete breakdown	In ground composter. Breaks down pet waste efficiently
Odour Levels	Nil if maintained correctly	Nil if maintained correctly	Nil if maintained correctly	Nil if maintained correctly
Cost (rough guide only)	Unit: $20-$500 Maintenance: No cost once set up	Unit: $20-$250 Maintenance: $5-$10 (dolomite lime)	Unit: $60-$250 Maintenance: $10-$20 (Bokashi mix/ spray)	Unit: $70-$80 Maintenance: $10-$25 (EnsoPet starter)
Type of fertiliser created	Solid	Solid and liquid	Liquid	Solid

	Compost units	Worm farms	Bokashi bins	EnsoPet Pet Waste Composter
Vegetables	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Citrus/ onions	Yes	Small amounts	Yes	No
Meat and bones	Yes	No	Yes	No
Dairy	Yes	No	Yes	No
Coffee and tea	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Egg shells	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Garden waste	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Pet waste	Yes for herbivorous pets (rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.)	Yes but must be in a separate unit for meat eating pets	No	Yes
Paper and cardboard	Yes	Yes - Shredded	Yes - Small amounts	No

Earth Cycle

I have to cancel my registration, and I have already paid the $25 attendance fee. Can I obtain a refund?

Composting

Composting systems - comparative table