How to Start a Compost, Part 3

This is the final post in my How to Start a Compost series. You can read Part 1 and Part 2 to get up to speed. I’ve already covered the essential compost general guidelines, some sage compost advice, and instructed you ow to build a simple Wire Bin. Now, I’m going to throw some lists at you.

What to Do When Your Compost is Ready:
• Your compost should be ready in 12-14 months. This can really vary a lot, depending on what you put in there, how often you turned it, how wet the weather has been, etc. But 1 year is a general estimate.
• I always start a new compost pile in the spring, so that when I am ready to start next year’s garden, the compost is ready. You can add the compost to your garden beds either at spring tilling time, or fall tilling time. (I don’t do fall tilling, by the way).
• Prepare your garden beds: pull out the weeds, the rocks, etc.
• Grab your shovel and wheelbarrow and shovel out the compost from the bin. The humus should be loamy and rich-looking.
• Dump the compost into the garden. Spread evenly. Roto-til or hand turn the garden soil. Water lightly.
• That’s it! Plant your garden when you’re ready.

The composted compost (called humus) is dark, rich, and loamy.

What to Add to a Compost Pile:
• Any household vegetable food waste, such as: carrot tops, discarded vegetable peels, wasted vegetables that the kids refused to eat, etc etc
• Eggshells
• Coffee grounds, leftover tea, or coffee
• Dryer lint
• Hair. Yes, hair! Spread it out well so it won’t clump in the pile. You can even add your fingernail clippings… if you want…
• Grass clippings. Make sure the grass is not loaded with pesticides or chemicals.
• Leaves, they are full of nitrogen.
• Earthworms. Have the kids dig them up and plop them in. Earthworms love coffee, by the way. They are wonderful critters!

What NOT to Add to a Compost Pile:
• Meat waste
• Newspapers (some ink has chemicals may disrupt the happy bacteria revelry)
• Dog and cat food (contains meat and preservatives)
• Corn cobs (they take FOREVER to compost!!)
• Peach pits (see corn cobs)
• Weeds! (They will germinate in the rich soil and you will wind up planting them in your garden next year)
• Milk products– no cheese, yogurt, milk, nothing.
• Oils (vegetable, grease, etc)
• Bones
• Silverware (can you believe that we actually find forks and spoons in the compost pile?! All the kids say they have NO IDEA how silverware gets in there! :S hmm)

So there you have it! Composting can be pretty fun. Sure, you’re getting your hands dirty. But just think of how happy you are making the worms, the bacteria, the garden plants! And think of happy you will be when you sink your teeth into those luscious tomatoes that thrived in such rich soil.

Humus is tilled in to the bed, bed is weeded and raked, and ready for seeds.

Thanks for reading! Happy composting.

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