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Gardening Tips: How to Start a Compost Pile
Image Source: Flickr. By: Johnsam.
Spring is finally here and gardens will soon be in full bloom. One main part of garden work in general is composting. I’m sure you’ve heard that composting is also good for the environment, but how much do you actually know about it? If you already do composting, great! However, if you are new to the idea, this article may be of help. There’s more to composting than people may realize and hopefully these tips will help get you started.
First of all, composting involves the decomposing of plant remains and other waste. This decomposition creates a nice, crumbly substance that is great for adding to garden soil or even potted plants. Not only does it make your garden and plants healthier, it also keeps all that waste from being sent to landfills.
Did you know that there are certain things you can and can’t add to a compost bin or pile? It’s not just about throwing waste onto a pile and forgetting about it; some things simply cannot be added with the rest of it. Items that can be added to compost piles include: kitchen waste (fruit and vegetable peels, tea bags, eggshells and coffee grounds, for example), grass and lawn clippings, hay/straw, leaves, weeds, woodchips and sawdust.
There are exceptions to some of those items. For example: wood and sawdust that comes from chemically treated products cannot be added. Why? There are times when those pieces of wood can contain things that are damaging to the soil, such as arsenic. Diseased plants and pernicious weeds also cannot be added. Pernicious weeds are the type that can keep on growing even after they’ve been chopped up. To ensure that weeds do not take root in your compost pile, make sure they are thoroughly dead before you add them (dried up and brown is best). Meat, bones and fatty food wastes are other things that can’t be added to compost piles. Human and animal waste are also out of the question—although it has been suggested that some forms of that waste can be used as fertilizer, it’s still a good idea to keep it out of the compost bin.
Now, as for how to compost, there are a variety of bins, systems and techniques out there; but here is some basic instruction to help get you started:
• Start by making a pile of the addable items outside.
• You will want to make sure that the pile is capable of getting proper air flow throughout it; otherwise it will start to smell like a pile of garbage. To ensure this doesn’t happen, you can put straw in the middle of the pile, since it doesn’t mat down as easily as other items. Also, be sure to regularly mix and turn the pile to ensure that all items are evenly exposed to the air.
• Another thing you will want to do is keep the pile moist. We aren’t talking about hosing it down or making it completely soaked through. Instead, try to make sure the pile is a bit damp—like a wrung out towel or sponge. If you live in a wet or rainy climate, you may need to get a bin or cover the pile with a tarp to keep out extra moisture. For those of you in dry climates, you may need to add water to the pile, or simply add more items like fruit and vegetable peels, since they contain a good amount of moisture in them.
• The compost pile also needs food. Well, now, hold on a minute. The composting pile needs water, air, and food. It’s starting to sound like a living, breathing creature, isn’t it? Technically, it is! Compost piles contain tiny things called microbes. These microbes are responsible for all the composting work that’s being done. Without proper aeration, watering and food, the composting process simply won’t work and you’ll be stuck with a growing pile of stinking garbage. As for the food—the pile needs a good mixture of browns and greens. This means a healthy balance of fresh material, such as new grass clippings or recent fruit and vegetable peels, and also dead/dried up material, like straw, woodchips, and dried up autumn leaves.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons. By: Kessner Photography.
That’s all the information on composting for now. To find out more about composting, available supplies, and other useful tips and techniques, check out How To Compost, Veg Web, and Compost Guide.
By Heidi Marshall
Tags: compost bins, compost piles, composting, composting tips and techniques, gardening, how to compost
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“As for the food—the pile needs a good mixture of browns and greens. This means a healthy balance of fresh material, such as new grass clippings or recent fruit and vegetable peels, and also dead/dried up material, like straw, wood chips, and dried up autumn leaves.”
…
“Greens” are fresh waste items, like fruit and vegetable peels (including bananas), fresh grass clippings, etc.
“Browns” are dead, dried up materials and include straw, wood chips and dried up leaves.
I’ve heard a lot about mixing a proportion of “browns” and “greens” in compost. Is that a good idea? And if so what is a good source of “browns?” Are things like banana peels browns or greens? Thanks!