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Composting

Mike, 

I have already had another inquiry about how to get started in
composting, so I will post the info for all to read. We found a great
composting site that we at: 

http://www.gov.nb.ca/environm/comucate/compost/magic.htm

Thanks for your interest. Composting has become sort of a hobby with me.
I find it to be quite therapeutic, like cooking. In a way, it is a type
of cooking. You mix up a bunch of ingredients, stir, and cook. 
This website will give you a list of materials for you to use. You don't
have to use them all. It's like making soup. Use what you've got, and
throw something else in if it comes along.

The container for making compost is really irrelevant. I have read about
a good dozen or more types of containers to buy or build, and that can
be confusing for a novice like you and me. Kind of like buying a camera.
So many types to choose from, but none can take pictures. It's really
only the photographer that can do that. It really depends on how much
space you have. If you live in a high rise, you can make it in a garbage
can. I don't live in a high rise, and have a good sized back yard, so
this is what I did.

Believe it or not, I don't even use a container, although I probably
eventually will build something just so it won't be so unsightly. We
have an 8'x4'x12" raised bed that used to serve as an herb garden, so I
piled my compost into that. First I emptied it of any good soil, and
left a little to serve as a "starter". You can mix a little compost in
for a starter, or regular topsoil, or nothing at all and it will still
work. If you use grass clippings from a lawn mower's bagger, you will
have dirt already mixed in.

You really don't have to layer the stuff, but you do need to mix it up
and thoroughly wet it. For kitchen scraps, cut them up in small pieces
to expedite the process. Try to get a relatively even mix of "browns and
greens", as the browns provide carbon, and the greens provide nitrogen.
I have been warned not to use too much wood ash, (can't remember why
right now), so I just throw some of that in sparingly. The reason that
boxed containers work so well is that they allow you to pile the compost
up in a wall. The ideal size is 3'x3'. If it's piled too high, it can
cause compression. The next important ingredient is air/oxygen.
Composting is a scientific process that occurs naturally in nature
whereby once living things are in a process of decay, and are breaking
down back into mineral form. When you put finished compost on your
garden, the minerals are leached into the soil by watering, and are then
absorbed by the roots and fed into your plants.  The process begins
initially by micro organisms, and as it continues, by bugs and worms. If
there's no oxygen, the micro organisms can't reproduce and do their job.
That's why you need to turn it every 3-5 days, to speed things up. You
don't have to turn it at all, but then it takes longer to break down.

If you want to start your first compost pile, give this a try, and I
think you'll be amazed at the results. If you don't have a container,
don't worry about it. Decide where you want to put the pile, somewhat
out of the way, but also accessible to you. Start with grass clippings.
If you vacuum your grass with a bagger, you'll get a combination of
grass and last year's brown dead leaves. That will give you a good start
of brown and green right there. Add whatever kitchen scraps you've got,
remembering not to use any meat products, or animal or pet feces. The
slowest part of starting a new pile is getting it wet. If you pile it up
three feet, and then turn the water hose on it, the water won't saturate
the pile. The best thing is to start with six inches or so of whatever
you've got, wet it good, stir, stir, stir, and repeat the process until
it's piled up in a good heap. After it's good and wet, leave it alone
and wait. Come back in about 3-4 days, and cut into the pile with a
shovel. Steam should rise up, as the temperature will rise to about 113
to 150 degrees, hence the term "hot compost". Now were cooking!  Turn
the pile really good to aerate it and give those organisms some fresh
air, water some more, and leave it alone. Don't over water, but get it
about the consistency of a damp sponge. When you come back in a few
days, repeat the process again. In no time at all you will notice an
amazing transformation in the appearance of the pile. It will turn black
and crumbly. The general appearance will look more and more like topsoil
in a course form. If it smells bad, add a little extra brown for carbon,
or try stirring first to give it air. As the temperature ceases to heat
up, the compost is nearing completion. The next process is for the bugs
and worms to move in. This further breaks down organic material, and it
is defecated in the form of castings. Yum, yum!

What I do to keep new compost separate is this. Once I've started a
pile, I don't like to keep adding to it. If I have new materials to add,
I start a second pile next to the first one. In the second pile, add a
little of the first pile as your "starter" to get a jump-start on those
micro organisms. Keep adding any daily materials to the second pile.
When the first pile is finished (as soon as two to three weeks if done
properly), then you can move the first pile onto a tarp or garbage can
to be stored until ready to use. Now the second pile will be cooking
good, and this will be your main pile that you are "cooking". Don't add
any new materials to it. You'll only slow it down. Any new materials can
go into a new pile. Now you'll have three piles!  One hot, one half
done, and one ready to go! Ideally, try to screen the finished compost
with quarter inch screen, and you'll remove unwanted rocks, acorns,
roots, etc.

My husband accuses me of being long winded, but if I answered your
questions in ten words or less, you still may not have a clear picture
of the process. I read everything I can on the subject now, and as I
said, have gotten pretty good at it. I hope this helps. Let me know if
you have any more questions, and let me know how it turns out.

Best regards,

     Paula Hicks
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