- Select a shady spot with good drainage, within reach of a garden hose.
- Construct your compost bin (wood, wire or cinder blocks all work well).
A good size is 4 feet wide and 4 feet tall.
- Build up the pile in layers. The bottom layer should be coarse plant material
like twigs and stalks, to promote drainage. Alternate layers of organic
materials with layers of soil. Each layer should be about 6 inches thick.
- Using a variety of organic materials is crucial to successful composting.
- Items to include: Yard Waste (grass clippings, leaves, etc.), Wood Ashes,
Kitchen Waste (coffee grounds, eggshells, fruits/vegetables scraps; place
food scraps in the center of the pile to lessen the likelihood that animals
will detect them).
- Items to avoid: Meat & Bones, Feces from humans, cats or dogs (these
can transmit disease), ashes from charcoal (they're toxic).
- Keep the pile 'sponge damp', not soggy.
- Turn the pile once or twice a month.
- The center of the pile will 'cook', reaching temperatures of up to 160
degrees. If the pile is not heating up, add nitrogen (cow manure is an excellent
source of nitrogen; fresh grass clippings & coffee grounds also provide
nitrogen).
- Finished compost is dark and crumbly, and looks and smells like rich soil.
It can take as little as 2 weeks or as long as 3 months to reach this stage.
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