by Leah Thill
Growing up, I don't remember my family having much success with composting. Piles of slimy vegetables, putrid fruits, and moldy bread piled up and sat there for months untouched. It smelled bad, attracted animals, and repelled me.
This article is for those of you who have never tried composting, or who have tried perhaps for years and wondered why the magic never happened.
What Not To Do: You can’t just dump your kitchen scraps in a pile, and expect a beautiful heap of compost to appear in several months. You’ll end up with a stinky, goopy mess and angry neighbors.
Five Important Factors:
1. Balance of Materials: “Greens” like grass clippings, green yard waste, and kitchen scraps must be balanced with "brown" materials like brown leaves, dry wood chips, shredded paper, straw, saw dust. Don't worry too much about the exact ratio. Start with about 2 or 3 times as much brown carbon-rich material as you have green nitrogen-rich material. If the pile stinks, add more browns. If decomposition is too slow, add more greens.
2. Moisture: A goopy, wet compost will smell horrid. A bone dry pile won't decompose. Aim for compost that is as wet as a "wrung out sponge." You may need to water your pile in the summer, and add more dry brown material in the cooler months to avoid a wet, stinky mess.
3. Air: This is where the real work comes in. The middle of your pile is where the action happens, but the process also requires air. You want to introduce air into all parts of the pile, and ensure that the new materials get thoroughly mixed in. "Turn" your pile every week or two. You can do this with a shovel or pitchfork. I find it's easiest to thoroughly mix the entire pile by moving the pile from one container/spot into another, and back again a week or so later. Or if you have a composting tumbler, you'll be rotating your barrel. The composting process slows down at lower external temperatures, so you'll turn the compost less often in cooler months. You might not turn it at all in the dead of winter.
4. Size: Smaller pieces decompose faster than large pieces. If possible, shred your fallen leaves and cardboard before adding to the pile. Cut up large pieces of food, otherwise you'll find that whole orange is still in your pile next year. Crush or pulverize egg shells, so that the calcium is actually incorporated into your compost. Intact egg shells will linger in your pile for a long time.
5. Temperature: The process happens more quickly at higher temperatures, but more importantly high temperatures help kill harmful pathogens, weed seeds, or parasites. Consider investing in a compost thermometer and monitor the temperature of your pile a day after your turn it. Ideally, the temperature should reach about 140F within the first week or two of the composting process. The temperature will slowly drop over several weeks or months, as the compost matures.
-Containment: There are many types of widely used composting containment methods – tumblers, wire cages, pallet bins, enclosed plastic bins, and open piles. Research each type and decide on a method based on the quantity of compostable material you produce, the space you have, your ability to turn the compost manually, the cost, and your aesthetic preference.
Other Tips:
-Do not add pet droppings. Stick with food scraps and yard waste only. Avoid dairy, fats, and meat to prevent attracting rodents.
-Avoid all pesticides and/or herbicide treated material.
-If you add weeds to your pile, make sure your pile is hot (above 140 F) otherwise it may not kill the weed seeds.
-If you have a problem with mold in the compost pile, avoid adding bread or moldy food in the future. Spray the compost with water before and while turning to keep the mold spores down and out of your lungs.
-A bigger pile of compost will more easily achieve a high internal temperature.
-Need more brown material? Ask your neighbors for their leaves in the fall and store them throughout the winter, to use in your compost pile throughout the spring and summer.
-The finished compost should smell earthy and sweet. If it stinks, let it mature longer.
-Ideally, you should add the finished compost to your garden a few weeks before you plant. Let the compost have a chance to work into the soil.
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