organic compost

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Organic Gardening at its Best – Composting

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Organic Gardening at its Best – Composting

Many gardeners are reluctant to begin composting yard waste and kitchen waste. Composting takes too much time and energy, it’s a dirty chore, the piles are ugly, smelly and attract flies and vermin or there’s no room in a small yard or garden for a big pile of compost.

These concerns or objections are not unreasonable. Big compost piles can become big projects. But small compost piles made up of only fallen leaves and twigs or a daily small bucket full of kitchen waste are very manageable even when yard or garden space is at a minimum. And the time and effort are rewarded with fresh compost teeming with beneficial microorganisms and fungi that can be turned into the soil, into raised beds and added to container plants.

The rapid composting method described here takes only two to three weeks to create fully decomposed compost and is best used for composting fallen autumn leaves and small twigs: it’s a one-season process. It takes a little longer for a pile of kitchen waste to fully decompose, but composting kitchen waste can be done throughout the year.

Leaves/Grass clippings

To start rapidly composting fall leaves, collect enough leaves to form a 2-cubic-foot pile of only leaves and very small (1- or 2-inch diameter) twigs or bits and pieces of twigs. If you have grass clippings, ad them to the pile. Avoid adding leaves from diseased trees or those with heavy pest insect infestation. These leaf piles won’t generate enough heat to kill disease pathogens or pest insect eggs. Keep the pile evenly moist (you’ll want to place it near a water source) and turn it with a rake or shovel every few  days – the leaves won’t be heavy. Don’t add any more leaves to that pile; start a new pile or two if you want more compost. That’s the entire process, very simple, very easy. Within just two to three weeks, the first 2-foot pile of leaves should have turned into a black, crumbly, sweet-smelling compost. A black tarp or plastic might be advisable if winds are high in your area.

Kitchen waste

For kitchen waste composting, you’ll need a container with a tight-fitting lid that you can place on the kitchen countertop or in the sink. The pails are carried by most home stores or can be purchased online. Stainless-steel buckets are sturdier and a little easier to keep clean than ceramic. Pails with a carbon filter insert for the lid will keep down any odors; kitchen waste can get stinky, especially in the summer heat.

It’s a good idea to start the kitchen waste compost pile with a half bag of commercial compost to mix, if immediately available in with the first containers of waste. Add vegetable and fruit peelings, skins and pits, spoiled fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds and unbleached coffee filters, tea bags, and empty eggshells. Don’t add any grease or other fats, bones, meat or dairy. Keep this pile moist but not soggy and turn it every time you add another container of kitchen waste, chopping large pieces into small pieces with a shovel. When the pile reaches an optimal size, stop adding waste and start another pile. Avocado pits and corncobs will take a little longer than cherry tomatoes to decompose, but within four to six weeks you should have finished kitchen waste compost ready for the garden.

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Organic Compost Super Sauce

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Do you have a super sauce for your garden?

I have been creating my own sauce for many years and you can too.

Composting

We retired in 2013, and after a few years I became bored and began looking for something to do. I kept asking myself, what am I passionate about? What would I like to do with my time… then I went to my greenhouse and began spraying some of my plants. Bingo.

I am passionate about my fruit trees and vegetables. I like seeing them grow and produce food for my friends and family. I enjoy creating my free compost without costing me a dime using the kitchen and yard waste.

My compost pile began with dirt removed from the yard when planting trees. I chose to build a compost bin with extra bricks, cementing them together. To the dirt, we added scrap vegetables and egg shells from the kitchen, grass clippings, and leaves from the yard.

I like to keep the soil turned and moist to aerate the mixture. By doing this also allows me to view the health and quantity of my earthworms.

I was so pleased with my compost this year; I build another compost bin, increasing my quantity by 4x. I also planted some potatoes and herbs in this bin, being careful when burying and turning the waste.

By using this method, it is similar to a key-hole garden. We will discuss this later.

I now have about 75 cubic feet of compost anytime it is needed, an increase from about 50 cubic feet from last year.

An extra benefit of the compost being incorporated with the soil this year were many volunteer tomatoes. Many grew to over seven to eight feet high. One of these plants, which I transplanted from the volunteers, produced 72 tomatoes but only grew to less than three feet. 

Composting organisms require four equally important ingredients:

  • Carbon — for energy; the microbial oxidation of carbon produces the heat if included at suggested levels. High carbon materials tend to be brown and dry, such as fallen leaves, paper, and cardboard.
  • Nitrogen — to grow and reproduce more organisms to oxidize the carbon. High nitrogen materials tend to be green (or colorful, such as fruits, vegetables, and freshly cut grass) and wet.
  • Oxygen — the decomposition process. The compost should be turned frequently.
  • Water — in the right amounts to maintain activity in the compost pile.

Certain ratios of these materials will provide microorganisms to work at a rate that will heat up the pile. Active management of the pile (turning) is needed to maintain a sufficient supply of oxygen and the right moisture level. The air/water balance is critical to maintaining high temperatures (135°-160° Fahrenheit) until the materials are broken down.

My secret sauce is my compost bins. What’s your secret sauce?