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A Beginner's Guide to Composting in Four Easy Steps
By Andrew Delroy of www.compost-info-guide.comWith little more than fallen leaves and kitchen scraps, you can make dark, humous-rich compost to add to your house plants and garden. Adding compost improves soil structure, aeration and water retention. It also adds important micronutrients and increases the bacterial activity in the soil. It's no wonder that so many gardeners refer to compost as "Black Gold" or "Gardener's Gold". There's simply nothing better you can do for your soil, and for your plants.
Step One: Choose A Compost Bin
There are many types of bins used to hold the compost materials. There are commercially made plastic bins, homemade square bins often made of wood, and rotating tumbler style bins, just to name a few. Each type of bin has its own advantages and disadvantages but all types of bins can be used to make great compost.
Choose a site that is level and easily accessible year round. Place the bin over bare soil rather than concrete or paving to ensure that worms and other beneficial organisms can make their way into the pile. It's a good idea to remove any grass or plants and turn the soil to a depth of about six to eight inches.
Step Two: Add Good Materials
Composting ingredients can be divided into two categories: brown materials or “Browns” such as leaves, hay, straw and paper and green materials or “Greens” such as grass clippings, fresh manure, vegetable trimmings and most plant cuttings.
“Greens”
- vegetable peelings
- fruit peelings
- grass clippings
- fresh manure
- green plant cuttings
- annual weeds
- young hedge trimmings
- “Browns”
- leaves
- hay & straw
- paper & cardboard
- woody prunings
- eggshells
- coffee grounds>
- tea bags
- sawdust
Adding other materials is simply dangerous due to the chance of poisoning or disease. Human and pet feces, chemically or pressure treated wood or sawdust, meat and animal fats, fall into this category and should never be added to your compost pile.
Step Three: Making Great Compost
Making great compost is like making a giant layer cake! Well, not exactly but you will soon get the idea.
Start with a 4-inch layer of brush, twigs, hay or straw at the bottom of the bin. Then add a 4-inch layer of “browns”, then a thin layer of finished compost or good garden soil. That's one layer. Then add a 4-inch layer of “greens” topped with a thin layer of compost or soil. Moisten each layer by misting it lightly with a garden hose. Keep adding materials in alternating layers of green and brown materials until the bin is full. Once you have a full bin you should turn the pile every few weeks but remember, the more you turn the pile the faster you will have finished compost.
Step Four: Using Your Compost
It can take anywhere from 14 days to 12 months to produce your finished compost. The time it takes to make finished compost can vary widely depending on the materials and method used. In general, compost is ready when it's dark and crumbly and mostly broken down, with a pleasant, earthy, soil-like smell to it. For most uses it is acceptable to have some recognizable pieces of leaves or straw remaining. Your finished compost can be used on house plants, flower and vegetable beds, lawns, trees and shrubs. You can now pat yourself on the back. You have given back to the soil -- and your flowers, vegetables and trees will thank you by growing stronger and healthier than ever.
Andrew Delroy is a writer and an avid gardener. For more information about composting, visit his website at www.compost-info-guide.com
