自家製堆肥 Homemade Compost
堆肥，英文compost，即有營養的泥土，是種菜佳品。知名Youtuber Huw Richards說：「種菜最重要的一環是『種泥』。」。堆肥就是種泥的最佳方法。堆肥的方法很多。一些人家𥚃的花園面積夠大，或是向政府租地種植，可以僻出一個角落直接把廚餘、枯葉、樹枝、花草、紙皮等堆叠起來，待它慢慢分解。我家的小花園地方不夠，而且我擔心直接把廚餘暴露出來，容易招惹老鼠和發出臭味，所以選擇了用其他堆肥方法──蚯蚓堆肥、高溫堆肥。它們的好處是所需空間較少，堆肥桶是有蓋的，不會招惹小動物，處理得宜的話沒有臭味。
Compost is nutrient-rich soil which is an essential ingredient for growing vegetables. Gardening author Huw Richards once said ‘growing soil’ is the most crucial aspect of growing food. Composting is the best way for ‘growing’ high-quality soil. There are various methods of composting. Some households with large gardens or access to allotments can specific a corner to directly pile up kitchen waste, dry leaves, tree branches, unwanted plants, and cardboard, allowing them to decompose slowly. In my small garden, however, I opted for other composting methods – vermicomposting and hot composting. These methods require less space, utilise compost bins with lids to deter pests, and if managed properly, produce no unpleasant odours.
蚯蚓堆肥 Vermicomposting
有種植經驗的人都知道，蚯蚓的「便便」是各種堆肥中最有營養的。當我決定開始種菜時，第一件事便是添置了蚯蚓堆肥桶，讓蚯蚓把廚餘轉化成「黃金」。廚餘桶有很多種，我用的是一層一層堆疊起來的，每次把廚餘放在最頂一層，放滿了就把下面的拿上來放在頂層，蚯蚓消化了下層的食物後就往上鑽，留在下層的就是肥沃的堆肥。我買這個堆肥桶時，是連同蚯蚓一起買的，因為這個方法需要用某特別品種的蚯蚓──Tiger Worms──牠們食量驚人，特別適合用來做蚯蚓堆肥。
Every experienced gardener knows that worm castings are among the most nutritious types of compost. When I decided to start growing vegetables, the first thing I did was to acquire a worm bin, getting the worms to transform kitchen waste into gold. There are various types of worm bins. I use one that stacks layers on top of each other. Each time I add kitchen waste, I place it on the top layer. Once it’s full, I take the bottom layer and place it on top. As the worms finish digesting the lower layer’s food, they move upward. What remains in the lower layer is rich compost. I bought this compost bin with the worms. Vermicomposting requires a special breed of worms – Tiger Worms – known for their voracious appetite, making them ideal for this composting.
熱桶堆肥 Hot Composting
蚯蚓堆肥雖然質素高，但過程卻很緩慢，而且不是所有廚餘都能用，氣味太濃的，蚯蚓不喜歡。所以我另外設置了一個高溫堆肥桶，以充分利用廚餘產生更多堆肥。這款名為Hotbin的堆肥桶，設計比一般堆肥過程產生更高溫度，因此速度較快，大概三個月左右便有收成。需時較短，產生同等份量堆肥所需的地方便較少，對我這類小花園十分有利。我除了用它分解廚餘，也用來分解落葉、修剪花草樹木和剪草後產生出來的園藝廢料。
Although vermicomposting produces high-quality compost, the process is slow, and not all kitchen waste is suitable; worms dislike strong odours. Therefore, I also set up a Hotbin to maximise compost production from kitchen waste. The design of this bin allows it to generate higher temperatures than traditional composting, resulting in a faster process, typically yielding results in about three months. This method requires less space and is advantageous for small gardens like mine. Besides decomposing kitchen waste, I also use it to break down garden waste.
堆肥好處多 The Many Benefits of Composting
雖然蚯蚓堆肥桶和熱桶都不便宜，但小數怕長計，長遠來說能省下不少購買堆肥的費用，解決廚餘桶爆滿的問題，更毋須再付錢租用園藝廢料收集箱。況且有些事情實在無法單純用實際效益來衡量的，堆肥怎麼說都是對環境都是非常有益的事情，它將大地孕育出來的有機物質分解，把營養回歸大地。現在我每每看見廚餘、落葉、紙皮，腦海出現的不是「垃圾」二字，而是「蚯蚓的晚餐」、「菜田的營養」。
While my worm bin and Hotbin may initially seem expensive, in the long run, they save a significant amount of money spent on purchasing compost. They also solve the issue of overflowing kitchen waste bins and eliminate the need to pay for garden waste bins. And at the end of the day, some things are simply invaluable. Composting is beneficial to the environment; decomposing organic matter returns nutrients to the earth. Now, whenever I see kitchen waste, fallen leaves or cardboard, I don’t think of them as ‘garbage’ but rather as ‘my worm’s dinner’ and ‘nutrients for my crops’!
