Composting Simplified

Why is composting simple you may ask?  What most people refuse to tell you is that the composting of organic materials happens naturally in your compost pile, regardless of how much attention or care you put in.  There are so many ways to create compost and compost piles, anyone who says there is only one way to do this is not being forthright.  Each gardener has his or her unique system for creating fertile compost to enrich their gardens.  Here are a few super-simple ways to create the nutrient rich compost you and your garden desire.

Tossing your yard waste into one giant pile is method one.  Building a bin or buying a container is not necessary, just toss it in the heap.  In your heap you can include all of your yard excess including plants, foliage, grass clippings, and pulled weeds.  Fruits, vegetables, paper products, and general table scraps are terrific to add after this base has been created, though dairy and meat products should never go into your pile.  All you need after this is patience.  Compost will begin to form at the bottom of the pile.  As decomposition takes effect, bacteria and worms will make their way up from the bottom and after a while, the top of the pile will begin to decay.

If you have access to some straw bales, this can spark another way to make simple compost. Make a simple bin to hold the compost ingredients by stacking the straw bales two high into a 3-sided pen. 10 bales ought to do the trick. The straw bales do a great job of holding the compost and also retaining heat and moisture. Make loose layers of both brown and green ingredients, and every so often add a layer of soil. Within a couple of years the bales will decompose and become part of the compost; the materials from your old straw bale bin will work fantastically in your new one; and the cycle continues.

Shovel compost is another method that has proven results. If you only have a small amount of waste, this is the method for you. Simply choose any spot where you would like to enrich the soil, and dig a hole. Dump kitchen scraps into the hole and cover them with soil, chopping with the shovel to mix the soil and scraps. The organic matter will become compost, with no extra work on your part at all! You can do this in your garden beds also, and next year have a richer soil for your vegetables to enjoy.

In all of these methods, the ingredients and how they mix are of the utmost importance.  You should always include fresh green matter, dried brown organic matter such as leaves, and soil.  Green matter should include grass clippings, kitchen scraps, weeds, or flowers.  The dried brown matter includes sawdust, newspaper, paper towels, or leaves.  In place of soil, feel free to add manure or old compost to give your compost an extra boost by increasing the amount of microorganisms and worms to the mix.

Creating compost with these three organic materials in balance is a sure-fire way to create nutrient rich compost to put your garden in equilibrium...

...and that is compost made simple to help your green living efforts!