Fall is composting season and that means it’s time to make the most of the garden waste and food waste that you normally get rid of. Composting not only helps your garden the next spring but it also reduces the amount of organic waste that you send to the landfill, thereby lessening your impact on the environment. If you’ve never composted before, the process might seem intimidating. With a few simple steps you can have your very own backyard composting station.
To start composting, you need to have a location in your backyard where it will take place. Ideally, you’ll have a wooden box of at least two feet by two feet, however you can also compost in a large bucket or a bin. There are commercially made compost bins that can help the process along, but the choice is up to you.
The container for the compost isn’t as important as the mixture that you put into the bin. Composting is the process of carefully decomposing organic matter into the basic beneficial elements. It’s a controlled decomposing because you are setting up the environment to contain specific nutrients. The key in doing this correctly is in your mixture.
There are two basic components to your compost mix – “green stuff” and “brown stuff”. More than just color categories, these materials have two different chemical compositions that combine together to create the composting process.
Green stuff is high in nitrogen and it increases the heating process in the compost pile. Young weeds that don’t have seeds, comfrey leaves, yarrow, chicken manure, rabbit manure, pigeon manure and grass clippings are all considered to be “green stuff.” You can also use fruit and vegetable waste, coffee grounds, tea bags and plant remains as green stuff for your compost. Brown stuff contains carbon. It works as the fiber part of your compost. Fall leaves, dead plants, sawdust, cardboard, dried flowers, old straw and hay are considered to be brown stuff.
In addition to green stuff and brown stuff, you can also add eggs shells, cotton clothing, paper bags, paper towels and hair. These items should be used in moderation and evenly distributed through the compost pile.
Layer your green stuff, brown stuff and other items evenly throughout the compost pile. Be sure that there’s not too much of one category in one spot, or it could result in the wrong type of decomposition. Each week you should use a pitch fork to rotate your compost. Flip it out of the bin and let it sit for a week. Then flip it back into the bin the other direction. You’ll also need to add water to your compost pile so that it stays damp. It should be about as damp as a sponge that has been wrung out. Add more water each week if necessary.
Eventually, you’ll have a good pile of compost that you can harvest. You can spread it out over your garden beds and use it as fertile soil for next spring’s flowers and vegetable garden.