Composting Sweetcorn

The Compost year : Composting sweetcorn plants

Today we received the  first of this year’s sweetcorn plants  for composting at the Stokes Wood Compost Demonstration site.    Most home composters will have composted sweet corn  kernels, husks, and the central cob itself as part of their kitchen waste.

The kernels compost quickly,  and the husks can also be added directly to the bin. The central  cob will take longer and are best cut into small pieces to expose the maximum surface area to the compost microbes. However, if left  whole the cobs will provide space for air pockets in the  compost although they will take longer to breakdown.   If not finished in the first cycle they can always be added to the next bin.  

On the allotment we receive the finished plants, although these may  include some small  cobs that have not fully developed by the end of the season. The stalks are quite thick but when green are easily cut inro manageable lengths with garden shears. I do not cut mine to the 1-2 inches  recommended  for fast  composting but aim for about 6 inches to make it easy to turn  when aerating the bin contents. If allowed to dry, after cutting. When starting a new bin at this time of year  a layer of sweetcorn stalks can be added to form a base layer  to allow airflow into the heap.

There are more photos on the Carry on composting Facebook page