How To Build and Use Compost
Sue Merriam Compost, in a word, is dirt. Brand new, chock full of nutrients, rich loam that gives your garden everything it needs to be healthy and strong. Heard vaguely about a soil's PH Balance? Worried that your soil is too acidic or too alkaline? Wouldn't know an acidic ground if it jumped up and punched you? Don't worry; with enough rich compost thrown in, you don't have to worry about it. Fertilizers aren't nearly as important as you may think either. The only thing you really need is good, healthy compost. Grow enough of that, keep adding it to your garden beds, and you're set. So how do we get it? By piling things up and letting 'em rot. Leaves, grass, potato peels, watermelon rinds. Throw them in a pile, let them sit long enough, and eventually they'll turn into dirt. But as wonderful as these things are, leafy green matter isn't the only thing your garden needs for good, rich loam. There's an additional ingredient that every compost pile needs. Poop. And you thought it was just a four lettered word. For truly rich, fertile compost that will feed your organic vegetable or flower garden and make your plants strong from the inside out, you're going to need manure from an animal that eats primarily grass. Don't add dog or cat poo to your compost pile, as it will attract rats, unwelcome visitors to your garden. Cow manure is usually available in most garden centers. Be sure to add at least twenty pounds to every six-foot compost pile you build. But if you want turbo-charged compost, nothing beats a few chickens. Line the floor of your hen house with fresh straw or hay periodically and use the old, dirty hay in your compost pile. The rich nitrogen in the chicken poo will turn a compost pile into rich soil in a relatively short amount of time. Because I have goats as well as chickens, I usually have about three compost piles going at once. (Five goats, forty chickens - lots of poop!) How to build a compost pile Some gardeners keep their compost piles in a bin, but I found the bins too hard to work with. I just keep my compost in a large pile in the corner of my garden. I add dirty hay and manure every day and keep adding it until it is at least six feet in diameter and four to five feet high. Once I have enough hay and manure collected, I try to stir it at least once a week. I do this by shoveling it out of one pile and starting a new pile right next to it. Ideally, you're supposed to stir it every 2-3 days, but I've never had the time to do that. Whenever I water my garden, I add water to the compost pile as well. Adding water to the pile will speed up the process. If your compost stinks, stir it. Since I've been using primarily hay and manure as my compost ingredients, I haven't had as much of a problem with this. Back in the days before I had my farm critters, my compost pile stunk a lot and had flies. Back then it was primarily fruit scraps, which can cause problems. Stir your compost faithfully at least once a week, and by the end of the month, you'll have marvelous, rich compost. About the Author
Sue Merriam is author of Organic Gardening and Homesteading, a website that gives tips on organic gardening, homesteading, frugal living, and healthy, frugal cooking. Sue Merriam may be contacted at http://www.organic-gardening-and-homesteading.com. Click here to view more articles by Sue Merriam. Reprinted with Permission from IdeaMarketers.com
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