Composting
No matter how you actually achieve it, composted material is a great thing to have. Compost enriches a garden’s soil and benefits potted plants too.
Our compost heap or pile, as we refer to it, has been brewing for years. Probably at least ten. We keep adding to the top and digging from the bottom. You can also be fancy and spend some money on a composter, like my son and his wife recently did. But I’ll put my compost heap up against his anytime. Take that, Sean!
Regardless of what construct you use, the rewards of good rich black soil are worth it.
We throw everything in an area that, until recently, was wedged between an old shed and our backyard fence in the far corner of our yard. We recently removed the shed and now we have much more access to truck out our wheelbarrows full, if need be.
For years though, we always managed to squeeze into that little corner of composting material and shovel out as much as we needed. So, the point is, you don’t have to be fancy and you don’t need much space to get some great compost.
What to add? Well we add just about everything EXCEPT dairy products or meats. Either will make it stink and bring maggots which is not something I would particularly want to work around or look at.
I’ve read that you should not add fish or shellfish either, but we do add shellfish. I think shrimp shells and clam shells enhance the nutrients. Of course, if you just add whole clam shells, it will take FOREVER for them to break down, but we don’t care, we do it that way, anyway. When I spread the material in my garden beds, I leave the shells in and scatter them too. When I use it in my clients’ beds or pots, I remove them. Some people who do use them, actually grind them and then add them to the mix.
So, what else do we add? Well, any vegetable or fruit peelings or rinds. That unrecognizable thing in the vegetable bin that used to be a green pepper or zucchini goes in there too. We also add egg shells, coffee grounds and tea bags.
A few years back I went online and purchased a compost tin bucket and lid for my kitchen. It’s probably ten years old or more. Still as good as the day I bought it. I line it with a plastic bag and dump it out every few days as the need arises and then discard the bag in the trash. Perhaps if I wanted to be more earth-friendly, although I try, I might find a biodegradeable alternative to the plastic bag and just toss it in the compost heap as I empty the container.
As a matter of fact, since I just emptied it this morning, I think I’ll try a paper towel instead and see if it works for me. I have cut back considerably on my use of paper towels in my home by using old dishtowels and the like and just tossing them in the washer instead. Maybe I should try to use newspaper to line the bottom of the tin. I’ll think on that one. At least I can migrate away from plastic.
We also add any grass clippings, weeds pulled or scraps from deadheading our flower beds. Because I also have several clients where I provide four season gardening, any of the last season’s plants end up there too.
So, as you can see, there is plenty that you can add.
How to care for it? Well, we use a pitchfork to turn over the materials to get faster decomposition and when we’re ready to dig we just clear off a spot and start lifting out that fantastic black, fine material.
If you are fancy folk, a composting bin will do the turning for you.
Also, if you live in a bear area, you will want an enclosed bin and not a heap or you might find yourself in a heap of bear trouble. That goes for other rascally varmints too. We never mind the occasional opossum or squirrel though.
No matter how you compost, don’t miss this great opportunity to enrich the land and recycle.
