Making Compost - A Simple Summary
1.Buy or build a rodent resistant bin.
2.Locate the bin on well drained, level soil.
3.Use coarse organic material such as straw
or prunings on the bottom few inches.
4.Chop material into smallish pieces.
5.Add green nitrogen rich material (moist)
and brown carbon rich material (dry).
6.Dig food waste in the center and cover.
7.Aerate the material once a week.
"No Fuss Method"
This is the easiest way to do backyard composting.
Drop yard wastes in the unit as they become available. Dig food waste into
the center of existing materials and cover with
a layer of soil or leaves. The compost bin stores yard and kitchen waste
until the
materials break down. Keep adding materials and
decomposition will continue.
This method will take from one to two years to
produce finished compost. The finished compost will be near the bottom.
To
harvest the compost, open the container, set
aside the undecomposed material and remove the finished compost. Return
the
unfinished material to the container.
Two compost bins can handle more material. Use
one bin for fresh wastes while the material in the other unit is maturing
for
use.
"The Some Fuss Method"
This is the system that most composters will settle
on. With "Some Fuss" composting you spend
more time composting in the spring, summer and
fall when you are gardening. Your compost
heats up intermittently, perhaps soon after adding
a layer of fresh grass clippings. You turn the
compost or aerate the material with an aerating
tool to mix the material and make sure the
composting organisms are getting enough air.
Your compost should be as moist as a wrung out
sponge. It's about right if you can form a ball with the material in your
hand
but not wring any water droplets out. If it's
too wet, add dry material to absorb moisture. If it's too dry, add green,
wet
materials like food waste. Or, add water from
the hose or watering can so that materials will be dampened gradually and
thoroughly. Ideally, chop or shred everything
into chunks of about two inches to increase the surface area for the organisms
to
work on.
"More Fuss"
This system is a fast, hot, active system and
requires more management. The work is "turning" or mixing the organic material
.
Regular turning (once a week) ensures that bacteria
get the air they need to do their work.
This composting method is most efficiently accomplished
in batches. Stockpile organic material until there is enough to fill the
compost bin - usually a cubic meter (approx.
3'x3'x3'). Kitchen waste can be saved and stored in a sealed plastic garbage
can
with sawdust or soil to control odors and pests.
Chop or shred all material to maximize surface area. Add the material in
layers from two to three inches thick. Moisten
layers as necessary. Alternate layers of carbon-rich material (browns)
with
nitrogen-rich material (greens). Fill the compost
bin full with material.
Within 24 hours the temperature will rise to 60 degrees C-70 degrees C. This is the hot composting system and you should monitor the process. These temperatures are maintained for four to seven days. When temperatures drop it is time to aerate the materials. This is done by turning the materials into the second bin. Try to get material from the top into the bottom of the unit to achieve complete destruction of weed seeds and pathogens. If you have only one unit, probe the material with an aeration tool getting the air into the mass of material.
This temporarily interrupts the heat cycle but
the temperatures will quickly rise for another four to seven days. The
material will
cool. Compost managed this way should be left
to mature for three months.
Other Methods/Steps
The bugs, fungi, bacteria and worms in your yard or worm box do most
of the composting for you. Whatever recipe you choose, it's as easy as
1-2-3!
1. Chop compostables. The more you chop, the faster the
decomposition process will go.
2. Mix dry, brown, carbon-rich material, with moist, green nitrogen-rich
material for a balance of nutrients.
3. Water the materials as you build the pile, then keep the pile as
damp as a wrung out sponge. This speeds the decomposition process.
What can you compost?
Dry browns
Sawdust/straw
Chopped prunings
Shredded paper
Shredded cardboard
Paper towels/tissues
Pine needles
Dry leaves/weeds
Coffee grounds/tea bags
Moist
greens
Garden refuse
Green leaves/weeds
Fruit/vegetable trimmings
Manures
Grass clippings