Did you know that you can create your own rich compost soil for your plants and shrubs? Even if your yard is tiny, there is always room to create a simple compost bin that you can enjoy year after year.
Building Your Compost Bin
Compost bins are easy to make and are also readily available at most home centers and other home hardware locations. It’s really not necessary to have a bin, but it’s definitely useful for keeping your pile neat, contained, warm and out of the wind. It also helps keep roaming dogs and cats away! Whether you build a bin or purchase one, it’s important to make sure that there are holes drilled into the bottom of the container to let plenty of air to circulate under the compost pile.
Starting off
Place your compost bin somewhere it will get partial shade and can easily be watered. You do not want your compost to dry out. Put a stack of sticks or twigs on the bottom of your compost bin. Again, this is to ensure there is plenty of air circulating in from the bottom.
Start with a 4-6 inch layer of plant material, such as dry grass or leaves. Lawn clippings are terrific. Follow with a layer of topsoil. You should next add a layer of fertilizer or manure to provide nitrogen. Keep layering your plant material and grass clippings and finish off with a layer of dirt. This will help keep in the moisture. Give your compost pile a good watering and remember, never let your compost pile dry out. At first your compost will seem to repel water, but once the vegetation starts to break down it will soak it up.
Your compost will begin to warm up within a couple of days and eventually get hot. Make sure you turn your compost pile at least every 2 weeks. Stir it in from the sides into the center to the area where it’s the warmest and give it a watering. In about 2-4 months, depending on the weather and the quality of your compost, you should have a good rich compost to use in your garden. Compost is ready to use when it’s crumbly, uniformly dark, and smells like soil.
What you should add to your compost:
- Leaves
- Shredded paper (torn into small pieces)
- Grass clippings
- Orange peels
- Apple cores
- Banana peels
- Sawdust
- Scraps such as lettuce, onion skins, carrot peelings
- Coffee grounds
- Eggshells
What NOT to compost:
- Do not throw in any animal fats, bones, meat.
- Do not throw in weeds that have gone to seed or diseased/sprayed vegetation.
- Dairy products
What about winter?
Don’t worry – your compost will be just fine over the winter. It will continue to work slowly through the winter.
Article Source: Katherine Leighton
