According to Martha Stewart's crew (1999), compost can be used as nutritious soil amendment to your existing beds. Many households can compost up to half their trash!
So, how do you start a compost pile? First, do you want to have bins, shallow trenches, or open piles? Bins can be made by taking 2 10 foot lengths of 4x4 treated lumber, cutting them in half and sinking them into the corners of your intended compost plot. Wrap heavy gauge fence around three sides and attach it to the posts with U nails, leaving one side open for access to your compost. Shallow trenches (about 1 foot deep and 4 ft long) can be dug and covered as the compost ingredients are added to the full line. Trenches take up more room, but are very easy. I have also seen people pile the compost and cover it with tarps in order to preserve the necessary moisture needed to heat the compost.
Making compost requires a balance of two basic ingredients - brown
and
green. These materials should be chopped into small pieces if
they
are big to start with. A large amount of woody compost
ingredients
will slow down the decomposition. Martha has provided a handy
reference
list to go by:
| Brown Fallen leaves Pine needles Sawdust Shredded newspaper Straw Small twigs and branches Wood chips and shavings |
Green Pesticide-free grass clippings Fruit and veggie scraps House-plant trimmings Soft prunings from the garden Eggshells Farm-animal manure Spent flowers and plants Coffee grounds Used tea bags |
POISON! Do not use: Animal products (meat, bones, fats, and dairy products) Anything that has been treated with insecticide or herbicide Stones Metal Cardboard Glass Diseased plants Pieces of eucalyptus, red cedar, or black walnut trees Large branches Large wood chips |
Begin with a 6" - 12" layer of brown material, then add about the same amount of green ingredients. Spread a small amount of soil on this mixture. Repeat this process until the pile is at least 3 feet high and 3 feet wide. In most areas, rainfall will keep the compost heap moist, but if the weather is dry, add water - the compost should be damp, but not wet, at all times; if the compost is too wet, add some brown dry material to soak the excess moisture. Aerate the mixture by turning it with a pitch fork a couple times per week to speed decomposition. Continually add equal parts of brown and green ingredients, turning the compost with each new addition. If done properly, the compost will heat up to more than 120 F. After a couple of months, you will have a rich addition to your garden plot and flower beds!
Thanks, Martha! I think I'll go out and re-think my compost heap.