The Dirt on Composting

The easiest route to a constant supply of organic matter is to make your own compost. It’s a simple and effect way of keeping your soil fertile and best of all, you probably have all the ingredients right at hand.

 

To make the quickest and most efficient compost you need to keep a good balance between organic matter rich in nitrogen and organic matter rich in carbon. While carbon and nitrogen ratios vary widely, a simple rule of green thumb is to remember that nitrogen rich matter is green stuff like kitchen waste, grass clippings and old manure, and carbon rich matter is brown stuff like sawdust, bark and old leaves. Keeping the balance is a matter of adding one part green to every 2 parts brown.

 

Don’t be deterred because you don’t have a compost bin. You can start the pile on the ground. In order to keep it manageable, the size should be no bigger than 3 feet wide and 3 feet deep. This is also the optimum size for keeping the heat contained. Add a 4-6 inch layer of matter alternating between green and brown and moisten each layer. If you’re adding grass clippings, keeping the layer to a couple of inches will stop it matting together and slowing down the process. Kitchen waste can be added as you go along and topped by a layer of brown such as newspaper (black print only). Contrary to popular belief compost doesn’t smell bad unless the pile contains too much nitrogen.  If you water the pile lightly once each week you should eventually see it sinking. This is a sign that things have been cooking nicely and this is a good time to turn the pile. Simply take off the outside layers and turn them into the middle. If your pile hasn’t budged then there’s not enough nitrogen so you need to add more green.

 

Within 6-8 weeks your compost should be ready to use. Don’t worry if it takes a little longer; just keep it moist and aerated. Don’t be tempted to use it before it has finished decomposing as it will rob the nitrogen from your plants. Here’s quick recipe to get you going.

 

1 part kitchen scraps (no meat)
2 parts old leaves
1 part grass clippings
2 parts straw

 

Dos and Don’ts

 

·    Do add coffee grinds to compost.
·   Do keep the pile moist but not soaked.
·   Do turn the pile at least once every two weeks.
·   Do use compost in your flower and vegetable beds and houseplant pots.
·   Don't compost weeds that have gone to seed or that spread by roots.
·   Don't add bones or fish, poultry or meat scraps to the compost mixture. They will attract     critters.                                   
·   Don't put plants with disease or fungi in the pile. The disease may well crop up in your garden next year.
·   Don’t add animal feces other than chicken, cow or horse manure.

 

Happy composting!

 

Corinna Underwood is a freelance writer who specializes in sustainable living, recycling and Environmental Data Resources, Inc.