Garden Compost Tips
By Brenda Hyde & OFL Readers
A few tidbits on compost. If you haven't tried composting, you
should give it a try, even if you have a small space in which
to keep a pile. Yes, fancy composters will most likely give you
fast compost, but you don't need anything more than some
chicken wire or wood, and organic matter. A pitch fork does
come in handy for turning if you have one. Remember not to
add meat or bones to your compost. The theory is that you
layer organic matter, which heats up, and turns into nice dark
compost that your soil and plants will love. Form a circle with
chicken wire-- into the circle place a layer of weeds, leaves,
and other "brown" organic matter. The next layer should be
"green" matter such as grass clippings, kitchen scraps, etc.
Then top it will another layer of the brown matter. The smaller
the matter, the quicker it will compost. One method is to take
off the chicken wire, move it next to the pile, and shovel it into
the circle in the new spot. Another way is to build two "bins"
out of wood and shovel back and forth between them. There
are many methods to making compost, but as you try it you'll
figure out the best way for you.
During the fall you will have an abundance of compost
materials including leaves, grass clippings, straw, hay,
vegetables, annuals and perennials that you've cut back.
The key to using all of these materials is keeping the
size small and using healthy clippings, nothing diseased.
You should also avoid black walnut leaves, eucalyptus,
poison oak, poison ivy and sumac.
You don't need an expensive chopper or shredder--use
your lawn mower to go over the materials. Spread them
on the ground and mow a few times til they are smaller.
Do this with leaves and pine needles, plant clippings etc.
Grass clippings may get rather ugly if they are placed in
deep piles, so spread them out on a sunny day to dry out.
You also want to prepare your household refuse for the
compost pile. It's not a big deal once you get used to
doing it! Crush the egg shells, and cut up anything big
like watermelon rinds into smaller pieces. Throw them in
a bucket and add to the compost pile every few days.
You can also add shredded or cut-up newspaper (no
shiny ads) and cardboard. You don't want to add TOO
much of either, but a couple buckets is fine. This also
applies to wood ashes from your fire pit or fireplace.
Gardeners who work with their compost a lot will see
results MUCH faster-- digging the pile-- making sure it
has the correct amounts of materials etc. But, when
you have kids, busy schedules, and too much going
on it's not so easy. You can STILL have compost, it
just takes longer! Start your pile-- get it ready on a
nice cool weekend. Prepare everything as mentioned
and even if you don't get to mix it up until spring it will
eventually become compost!
I always remember the elderly man that lived near us
in the city who would compost his leaves and the pine
needles behind his big pine tree where you couldn't
see it unless you really looked. He had to have help
mowing his lawn, but he never gave up on having that
"hidden" compost pile! No matter how small you start,
you will feel like you've done a good thing by "recycling"
your fall yard waste into something you can share with
your garden later.
Here is a list of what you CAN compost.
-fruit and vegetable scraps--peelings etc.
-tea bags, loose used, coffee grounds and filters
-egg shells
- leaves, grass clippings, straw, hay
-sawdust, wood shavings
-manure--except cat and dog
-spent annuals, frostbit plants, veggies, etc.
-wood ash (fireplace or fire pit ash etc.)
Never put any fat or meat in your pile. You also want
to alternate ingredients. The household leftovers can
be layered, then the straw, leaves etc. Wood ashes
can be sprinkled between layers--as can the grass
clippings. The pile should be moist, but not wet. You
can put plastic over the pile if you are going through
a rainy period--just remove as needed.
Even if you don't compost on a regular basis you can
do this with your fall leaves. Pile them up--chop if you
can--and keep it moist. It will take up to 6 months, but
you will get a nice, crumbly compost that you can use
in your garden. You can cover the pile with black plastic
if you wish, or make a bin out of wood or fencing.
Reminder: If any of your perennials were diseased this
year-- including mildew, OR any other problem, cut
them back now and DO NOT compost the leaves.
Burn them or add to the yard waste bin for disposal.
Some diseases can hold over if left on the plant or if
they are left around the base of the plant.
MORE COMPOST TIPS!
We have an indoor worm compost bin in our kitchen with red
wigglers and outdoors we use pallets from hubby's work and
use 4 by 4 posts cemented and then hook the pallets to it to
make a 3 bin compost. We use old carpet to lay over it. I love
my compost. It saves a lot on the garbage bill. We stopped our
garbage service and only run to the dump rarely when we have
to since recycling and composting. It's a big money saver two
fold. It saves on garbage collection and wonderful compost.
~Cheryl
Pallets make the best composting bins. You just knock off
the bottom piece of wood and "plant" the posts- leave a
little space before ground level for some air to get in. If
they rot in a year or two, just put in some new ones. You'll
see discarded pallets along the road all the time. Also,
you can grow vines on the outside of the compost bin.
Veggies like tomatoes and beans do well too. I make mine
three sided and load and unload from the front. I also tie
them together where they meet at the sides in the back.
~Margie
For anyone who lives in the Rocky Mountain West, or
anywhere else that has alkaline soil, you do not want
to add wood ashes to your garden or your compost.
Wood ashes, especially from the soft woods that grow
in alkaline areas, are alkaline and only make a bad
problem worse. I know many people in the Midwest
with their wonderful, fertile, sweet soil are not aware
of this problem. ~Cheryl
About the author:
Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer and editor of Old Fashioned Living. Visit
http://grace-whimsy.blogspot.com/
to read her blog of motherhood and
country life.
