Ask the Garden Lady - Composting

Dear Garden Lady - How do I start composting?

 

Compost is the end product of a complex feeding pattern involving hundreds of different organisms, including bacteria, fungi, worms, and insects. What remains after these organisms break down organic materials is the rich, earthy substance called humus. Composting replicates nature's system of breaking down materials on the forest floor only faster.

 

This is the quick and dirty way to start a compost pile:

 

1. Buy or make a compost bin. Many county/city waste collection services now sell bins. You can also make one from wire fencing (chicken wire is too flimsy), discarded pallets, cement blocks or many other materials. If you don’t want critters stealing scraps from your pile, you might want to invest in one of the plastic bins.

2. Select a location for your bin that is convenient for you (in your yard not your neighbor’s). Placing the bin on the ground instead of concrete or asphalt helps take advantage of the earthworms, beneficial microbes, and other decomposers.  Sunny spots tend to speed up the composting process and prevent the pile from becoming too wet.

3. At the bottom of the compost bin, add a 4” layer of sticks or twigs. This helps air circulate at the bottom of the pile.

4. Gather your organic kitchen scraps like fruit and vegetable peelings, eggshells, coffee grounds, stale bread, etc. This is known as green material since it is still rather “fresh” and moist. Place this on top of the sticks at the bottom of the compost bin. Then add at least twice as much brown material, stuff that doesn’t have a lot of moisture, such as woodchips, dried leaves or grass clippings, hay, etc., enough to cover the kitchen scraps. This will help heat the pile.

5. Keep adding stuff to the pile, making sure to cover the green material with lots of brown material. Once your bin is full, you can just let it sit and stew until everything decomposes into that rich, dark, earthy-smelling humus. Or you can turn the pile with a manure fork or shovel every week or so. This will help to aerate the pile, reduce odors and shift the heavier compost towards the bottom of the pile. Once the stuff at the bottom of the pile turns into humus, it can be removed for use in the garden or wherever the soil needs a boost.