Composting with Chantal and Isabelle

November 2011 (By Angie Brewer)

A group of us went to Isabelle Cruette and Chantal Tublet’s home in Payzac for a practical introduction to composting. Isabelle told us that the best compost heaps have mineral, animal and vegetable matter combined in layers.

She and Chantal make up their compost heap once a year and build straight up from the ground. No bins are involved at all and no gradual adding of peelings and vegetable scraps. These are heaped up separately during the year and then structured into the yearly autumn build.

As this was a practical workshop we all brought secateurs and gardening gloves and we all got stuck in. We started with the big stuff - large lumps of green branches from the outsize tomato plants in the greenhouse and aubergine stalks too thick for the secateurs to cut through (I managed to break a few across my knees) which were clearly a good testimonial to the quality of vegetables grown with the addition of organic compost.

This chunky stuff was needed to let some air in at the base of the pile and a fair smattering of hay was also added to the mix. Layers of green or vegetable matter needed to be alternated with dry layers, so the accumulated uncooked kitchen waste and a lot of plant matter were interspersed with dry leaves, straw, cardboard and even newspaper. Paper, says Isabelle, but only newspapers, not coloured print. At least four buckets of cow dung went onto the heap (animal matter) and a good bucketful of sheep droppings. Layers of wood ash and crushed, powdered eggshells helped the mineral content and Chantal brought armfuls of dried grass to top the whole thing off.

She also rehoused the hibernating hedgehog that had been hoping to winter there.

The finished compost heap was weighed down with a few branches and looked splendid. None of us would have objected to having something similar in our own gardens. Incidentally, Isabelle says that it’s good to grow squashes or courgettes straight onto the top of your compost in the summer - the plants not only love the richness of the stuff but will sprout out swathes of green leaves, protecting the compost matter from drying up.

To finish the morning we were fed delicious things that Chantal and Isabelle had made from their own produce – raw vegetables to dip into walnut oil, pesto or a dip of mild garlic – dried apple slices, quince preserve and fruit compote.

I think we all came away feeling very inspired as to what can be done on a plot of land with some hard work.

Thank you so much, Chantal and Isabelle – everyone had a wonderful time and, really, if you do this again next year I urge people to go. Organic composting chez Chantal and Isabelle is great!