Learning to Compost in Your Backyard

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Learning to Compost in Your Backyard

How to make and start a Compost Pile

To start, you will need small mesh wire fencing or snow fencing and seven or more rough boards or stakes. Build a square or rectangular shaped structure, 3-4 feet in height. Locate it away from buildings and combustible materials. To start, spread a layer of plant wastes 6-8 inches deep in the bottom of your bin. Moisten the layer thoroughly. Then, make a second layer of high nitrogen fertilizer, such as 10-10-10 ( a very thin layer only 1/2 pound or 1 cup to each 30-35 square feet. Again, moisten. Continue by making a third layer with a few shovelfuls of garden soil (1-2 inches deep). This ensures plenty of decay organisms ar present. Finally, moisten thoroughly.

Why Compost?

Easy and practical way to recycle kitchen wastes
Excellent method to improve quality of soil
Safe to use and costs practically nothing to make
Promotes healthy plants which improve air quality
Can reduce up to 15% of waste stream
Recycles nutrients

Using your Compost

Once the compost bin is created, continue the above steps until you have used up the waste material. To start, your pile should have at least 4 or 5 layers of waste. Kitchen scraps (not including meats, fish, bones, and fatty foods) should be added to the center of the waste layers where the majority of heat is. Pile waste loosely in the bin and make the top layers slant in order to collect rainfall. Remember, water is the key to successful composting!

Composting Do's

Add lime, small amounts of wood ashes or crushed egg shells to compost pile to neutralize acids
Mix grass clippings with other wastes to loosen them up
Keep pile damp

Composting Don'ts

Do not use unfinished compost as it will rob your plants of nitrogen
Do not compost weeds laden with seeds
Do not add meat, fish, bones, or fatty food scraps
Do not add diseased vegetable plants to pile

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to shred materials for the composting pile?

Simply put, the smaller the material that goes into the pile, the quicker it decomposes.

Can I use a rotary motor to shred the material?

Yes, but it works best on dry material that is not too woody. Dry leaves are a good example.

Do I need to turn the compost pile?

Yes. Turning the pile stimulates more oxygen intake and moves undecomposed material where it can break down.

Will composting release any pungent smells?

No, not if it's composted correctly (sufficient aeration and moisture necessary for quick decomposition).