We have partnered with Compost Revolution to give you up to 70% off your composting products.

Join the compost revolution 

Why compost?

• Compost improves soil structure, adds nutrients and retains moisture.
• Mulch and compost are great for both gardens and pot plants.
• Prevents the breakdown of organic material in landfill, which contributes to climate change.
• Creates a valuable use for your food waste.
• Reduces the cost of rubbish disposal for the community.

Find out more on why you should compost on the Compost Revolution website.

Which system should I use?

Composting is best suited to households with a garden, as they need a mix of garden prunings and food waste. Some compost systems need to be seated on bare earth.

Worm farms are ideal for people with small gardens or without garden waste. Well maintained worm farms shouldn't smell and can be kept on your veranda, balcony or indoors. Worm farms can't process as much food waste as a compost system.

View our tutorials to help you choose the best system for you.

What if I don't have enough space?

ShareWaste can help you find someone in Yarra to accept and compost your food scraps.

How do I compost?

A compost bin requires minimal upkeep to function well provided that the added materials are balanced.

Some tips for composting include:

• Collect kitchen scraps in a container indoors before adding them to the compost bin.
• Add food scraps and green garden waste (nitrogen rich material) in combination with dry grass, paper, unlaminated cardboard and dry leaves (carbon rich material).
• Keep meat and large quantities of dairy out of your compost bin.
• Turn your compost with a garden fork or aerator regularly.
• When the compost looks like rich, dark soil, it's ready to be dug into your garden.

How do I worm farm?

Some tips for worm farming include:

• Find a location out of direct sun for your worm farm. Worms prefer temperatures of between 18°C and 24°C with good air flow. Worms can die if they overheat.
• Feed your worms fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grinds and tea leaves.
• Don't feed your worms meat and keep dairy and citrus to a minimum.
• Worm farms produce castings (worm poo), which can be mixed in with soil or potting mix, and 'tea' (worm wee), which can be diluted (one part worm tea, 10 parts water) and poured onto your plants.

Growing your own food

Growing your own food is great for your health and the environment. It can save you money and reduce waste, as you can sometimes harvest small quantities at a time. It also allows you to avoid packaged produce.

Visit our growing food at home page to learn more.

Learn more at one of our workshops

We run free online workshops via My Smart Garden throughout the year on a variety of topics, including:

• composting,
• worm farming,
• small space gardening,
• organic gardening, and
• keeping chickens.

To receive updates on upcoming workshops, subscribe to the My Smart Garden e-newsletter or keep an eye on our What's On page