Composting Basics

One way to give back to the environment is by composting.  It is the ultimate recycling of household and garden materials that goes right back into the earth.  It’s not hard to build a compost pile if you know some of these composting basics.

Composting allows you to renew the cycle of life right in your garden.  By using kitchen scraps, clippings and dead leaves you provide the nourishment to support growing and new life in the garden.  Not only does it cut down on the trash that you are bringing to the landfill, it also cuts down you your fertilizer bill.

One of the composting basics you must know is about the organic process that goes on inside your compost pile.  The organic materials that you add to the pile are combined with air and water which help them decompose into rich fertile material.  If you arrange your compost pile in the right ratios, the bacteria will be able to break down the material that much faster.  In a few months you will have turned clippings and scraps into a rich and crumbly, dark brown,  earthy material which is perfect for garden use.

A compost pile is made up of “green” and “brown” materials.  The green materials are things like fresh clippings for your garden, vegetable peelings and grass clipping.  The brown materials are things like dried leaves, hay, tea bags, coffee grounds and paper.  The brown materials are high in carbon and provide energy for the microbes in your compost pile.  The green materials are high in nitrogen providing protein for the microbes and helping to speed up the composting process.  The ideal ratio is around 3:1 of brown to green materials.

If you are using a composting bin, you want to spread them out in layers but  with a pile or tumbler you can just pile them on.  One thing you might consider is buying a composting thermometer so you can tell if your pile is heating up.  This will help you to know if you have the right ration of green to brown materials.  If your pile is not heated to around 160 degrees Fahrenheit after 24 hours then you need more green material.  If it gives off an ammonia like smell, it needs more brown material.

You want to make sure your compost pile is moist - a handful should feel like a moist sponge and make sure to turn it about once a week.  Other than that, if you follow these composting basics, the pile should take care of itself and you’ll have rich fresh material for your garden in no time.