I have a saying, “Feed the soil, not the plant.” I didn’t come up with it (of course), but it’s my first response whenever friends ask me how to grow anything. It’s true, happy plants grow in healthy soil and compost is key.
“Compost” is rotted organic matter. It provides soil with nutrients and improves its structure. A compost pile is a FREE way of “recycling” kitchen and garden waste into a safe, renewable, healthy food supply for your plants.
So how do you get started? Easy. Sort of. If you have a lot of land (you’re blessed!) you can simply begin building a pile. If you live in a neighborhood with neighbors, you’ll likely need to build some sort of “containment system.” (Before you do, check the town codes…some don’t allow outdoor composting!) There are a lot of choices: bins, chicken wire columns, pits and even garbage cans! Do some research and choose what works best for you. Some examples can be seen here.
Now for the location. Remember, “If you build it they will come.” Critters that is. Mice, moles, squirrels, raccoons, possums to name a few. A well turned and enclosed pile won’t attract animals the way an open pile might, but to be safe don’t build it next to the house! It should be convenient to the garden and easy enough to add to daily. A lightly shaded spot is best to keep the pile from overheating in the hot summer sun.
Good compost requires four ingredients: “Green” and “brown” organic matter, water and air. To keep it balanced, you want to aim for equal parts of “soft” matter like fruit and veggie waste (the green) and “hard” matter like dried grass and sticks (the brown). There is a lot of science behind composting … I’m not a scientist. VERY simply, green=nitrogen and brown=carbon. Both are necessary for decomposition.
WHAT TO COMPOST:
“Green” matter:
Vegetables and peelings (uncooked)
Vegan products
Leaves from rhubarb, lettuce and other plants
Fruit and peels(uncooked)
Coffee grounds (available free from many coffee shops)
Untreated grass clippings (fresh)
Annual weeds
Old bedding plants (not diseased)
Corn husks
“Brown” matter:
Tea bags
Egg shells
Dried grass clippings (untreated)
Stems, leaves, sticks, flowers etc. from the yard (untreated)
Wood shavings/bedding and manure from grass eating pets/animals (mice, gerbils, rabbits, horses, cows, sheep, goats etc.)
Shredded brown cardboard (including t.p. and paper towel tubes)
Paper towels, napkins(not used with chemical cleaners)
Leaves
Shredded newspaper (print only, no color pages)
Corn stalks
Cereal boxes
Wood ashes
Dryer lint
Wool, old natural cloths
Feathers
BUILD IT:
Start with a bottom layer of brown matter. Sticks and larger branches and limbs split into pieces. Pile them loosely and evenly to keep air flowing throughout the pile. Build it until it’s about 5″ deep.
Add a 4″-6″ layer of green matter. The smaller the pieces the faster they break down. If you haven’t collected enough green matter yet, use additions of blood meal or manure to get the pile heated up.
That’s all there is to it! Keep alternating layers of brown and green matter, adding water to the pile until it is moist (not soggy) throughout. After 2-3 days the pile will heat up near its center and it’s time to turn it over. If it’s dry, water just until moist. Check back in a couple of days. After the first week, turning the pile once every 2-3 weeks should be enough. When you start to notice the dark brown crumbly “stuff” it’s ready to use in your garden (or you can wait until the whole pile is ready).
