Composting

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer and soil amendment. It is an excellent source of nutrient-rich organic material you can use to refurbish soils or use as mulch. In addition to working as an organic fertilizer that your plants will love, compost also has the added benefit of reducing the amount of waste generated from within your household and from around the yard. All organic kitchen and garden waste, except animal products, can be composted. Material such as bones and animal scraps should be avoided because they attract vermin, flies, and scavenging animals. You can also use organic material from your yard to create compost, such as leaves, limbs, plant trimmings, and grass clippings to name a few.

Starting A Compost Pile

Location: Pick a spot for your compost pile that it out of view, maybe behind a garage or shed, behind some tall evergreens.

Size of the Compost Pile: A convenient size for a compost pile is 4 feet wide by 5 feet long by 5 feet high.

Frame: A frame made of pressure treated lumber can be built to hold the compost, but this is not really necessary. SEE: How To Make Your Own Compost Bin

Begin the compost by adding 12 inches of organic matter (kitchen scraps, yard waste, etc.). Then apply 1 to 2 pounds of high-nitrogen organic fertilizer such as dried blood meal, guano, or poultry manure. Finally, add 2 inches of native top soil. Continue building the compost pile in this layered fashion as you generate organic matter. The center of the pile should be concave to hold rain water. The center of the pile should begin to heat up within a couple of weeks. The composting process should be complete within two to three months, depending on material and outside temperature.

Large material such as tree limbs, corn stalks, etc., should be chopped into smaller pieces to facilitate decomposition. Some materials, such as lawn clippings, will decompose very rapidly; others will require turning the compost pile (which aerates the pile) and adding more high-nitrogen organic fertilizer. This will restart the heating and decomposition process. If you intend to use the compost in your vegetable garden, and you want it to be organic; void of toxic substances, avoid adding lawn clippings or other substances that may have been treated at any time with a toxic chemicals or other toxic substances.