Why Compost?
Compost is the ultimate garden fertilizer and one of nature's best mulches and soil amendments.
You can make it without spending any money or make it faster by spending a bit of money (but think of how much you will save by not buying the compost itself).
It's easy.
How to Get Started and What You'll Need
Compost Container: The easiest way to compost is in containers (simple home-made or store bought). You'll use the bin to "store" garden waste in a contained and organized way while the materials break down.
Pitch fork: The best hand tool for turning your compost pile.
The right location: A well-chosen site can help speed up the composting process. Look for a level, well-drained area. Keep it accessible so you won't be inclined to neglect the pile.
"Compost Recipe" Ingredients
The basic recipe for composting includes: greens, browns, water, air and time.
Many organic materials are suitable for a compost pile. Ideally the pile should be made up of the proper ratio of carbon-rich materials--or "browns." Browns include dried leaves, straw, and wood chips. Even paper bags and drier lint are okay. And it needs nitrogen rich materials or "greens" such as grass clippings.
Kitchen scraps are also considered a "green." Kitchen waste can include things like egg shells, orange rinds, vegetable trimmings and coffee grounds.
Collect kitchen waste in a small container in the kitchen to bring to the pile every few days.
The ideal ratio approaches 25 parts browns to 1 part greens.
Things to Avoid
Avoid using any meat, fat, grease, oils, dairy products, bones, dog droppings, lime or fireplace ashes in your compost.
Composting: The Easy Two-Week Method
Keep ingredients small, no more than two inches in size.
Don't layer materials. Mix ingredients either before or after shredding and chopping.
Pile in heaps of no more than 5 feet.
Turn the pile from the inside out on a daily basis for usable compost in two weeks. (Turn every other day for compost in three weeks.)
When the pile has become somewhat smaller and the color of the material is dark brown, your compost is ready to use.
Other Composting Tips
Keep the pile moist, but not soggy. If it's too wet, it will smell. If it is too dry, decomposition will be very slow.
An ammonia odor may indicate that there's an imbalanced mix of ingredients. Add sawdust to control odor.
Grass clippings break down quickly and contain as much nitrogen as manure.
Avoid meat and fish scraps. These will attract rodents and cause a smelly compost pile.
Avoid using any parts of the black walnut tree as they contain a plant poison that survives composting.
Eucalyptus leaves can also be toxic to other plants.
A Gardening Tip for Lassen County
Here, in Lassen County, the soil tends to be alkaline, which is not ideal for many plants. But there can be a lot of variation even within this county. For instance back-fill dirt from new home construction will likely be even more alkaline from the concrete byproducts leaching out into your soil. I suggest using a soil pH probe or home testing kit to test your soil's pH to make sure that your soil and plants are compatible. Most common plants are able to take in nutrients between 6.5 and 7.0 oh the ph scale.
Soil ph testing and adjustments are best done twice yearly in spring and in fall .By adding soil sulfur to alkaline soil twice a year as needed in the recommended rates, your plantings will not be traumatized. If you have acidic soil, adjustments can be made using gypsum, and I prefer the pelletized gypsum over the powdered form due to our high winds the pelletized gypsum is easily applied and stays in place during high winds. However, adding compost (organic matter which is missing in our desert soil) will buffer the soil and make it closer to neutral.
Types of Composters
A composter can range in style from simple wire sheep fencing or chicken wire to an automatic rotating one. A home made one consists of a circle of wire with a bottom and top of wire if you plan to turn your composter. You don’t have to turn it, but turning does speed up the process. During the growing season it’s easily added to your daily watering chore. Water the plants, water the compost. The moisture encourages bacterial growth that speeds up the breakdown process. My master gardener teacher said he takes out two cans of beer, drinks one for himself and pours the other on his compost pile. Beer contains yeast which aids in the breakdown of your plant material.
