I have come to the conclusion that composting is a "science". I have tried to make a nice compost pile for the last couple years but don't seem to have the knack!!! This year I went out and strapped a few old pallets together and added grass clippings and fruit and veggie scraps and what was left of last years "experiment". Now what do I do to make this work? I keep hearing it referred to as black gold, but all I have gotten so far is yuck.. Please don't suggest those neat tumbling things they have for sale. I like to keep things cheap and simple. Thanks.

-- Kathy (jubilant@ncweb.com), May 07, 2000

Answers

Kathy: For what its worth, there are plans for a simple compost tumbler in the latest Countryside. We find that it helps alot to put a little dirt in with the compostables and you might look into adding some blood meal or chicken manure or even a bale of alfalfa or clover to increase the nitrogen content which will speed things along. Good luck!~

-- john leake (natlivent@pcpros.net), May 07, 2000.

It definitely helps to turn the pile fairly often -- that is where the tumblers would come in handy, but we've never had one. Another thing that helps is to shred the stuff going onto the pile just as fine as you can manage. Another thing you can do is what is called 'sheet composting' -- I'm not sure I'm going to give you the best directions on this, but we just bury the stuff where we want it in the garden for the following year, and let it rot. In the winter that doesn't work so well -- as we don't have any livestock other than honeybees right now, I dumped the kitchen scraps in a pile all winter that fed I don't know how many crows and other birds. They eat about the same scraps as chickens, but don't give us any eggs in return!! LOL!!

-- Kathleen Sanderson (stonycft@worldpath.net), May 07, 2000.

I love this one! to help get your compost pile going put some moist soil and mix it up also if you have a can of beer the enzimesin the beer help a great deal( or you can recycle the beer on the compost pile if you get my drift)if you live in a cool area put black plastic over it and turn it once a week hope you get your black gold Shaun

-- shaun cornish (shaun-terri@juno.com), May 07, 2000.

get free horse manure at a local boarding stable and mix into the compost to increase nitrogen, to speed up cooking.

-- kathy h (saddlebronc@msn.com), May 07, 2000.

It is important to have a balance of Nitrogen (green stuff) and carbon (dried stuff). Overload one way or the other and it slows things down. It can be hard to balance as I always have too much green in the spring and summer and too much dry (leaves) in the fall. You are suppose to turn the pile once a week; having an extra bin next to the other one is very helpful. Just move the pile from one bin to the other and back again the next week. (Sounds like military work. LOL)

If you want to chop things into smaller pieces (not sticks) just run the lawn mower over it a coulple of times. If the weather is hot and dry spray the pile occasionally with water. If it is very wet cover it with plastic on top to keep out too much water which cools it down.

-- Vaughn (vdcjm5@juno.com), May 07, 2000.

The simplest way takes the most patience and the least amount of work. You can have compost in 11/2 to 2 years if you just pile it, cover it and leave it! Construct a pile every fall (I use chicken wire and posts forming a 3-4' circle) with leaves and grass clips and anything else you can find and after a couple years you'll have a ready pile to spread on the garden in the fall. Or, you can get one of those tumblers! ;-))

Lots of good suggestions already given. Turning often speeds things up. Too wet or too dry slows things down. Too much green or too much brown slows things down...but if you go on the "1 year plan" it doesn't matter, "compost is going to happen" eventually. I just pile it, cover it, and forget about it...sometimes I don't even bother to cover it. Just let it happen. OR Speading the materials on the ground in the fall(sheet composting) and tilling it in and leaving it til spring also works well. Then, retill it in the spring as soon as the soil can be worked...you'll see lots of worms.

-- Jim Roberts (jroberts1@cas.org), May 08, 2000.

Thanks for the great answers, this a a big help. - Kathy

-- Kathy (jubilant@ncweb.com), May 08, 2000.

Hi Kathy, All the above answers are good ones. However--- I don't bother to try to keep it scientific. It depends on your climate, too. Cold winters will stop the decomposition. I make a circle of fencing (usually welded wire) about 4 feet across and place it in one of my wide beds. We live way out in the country so I don't have to make it pretty, but you could. I take the top of the last pile, which hasn't begun to compost yet, and put it on the bottom of the new pile. The bottom of the old pile will be nice and composted and ready to mix into the soil right where it is. It doesn't matter if it's still a little rough. Then, to the new pile I add weeds, kitchen scraps,(no meat, bones, grease or dairy products) and a shovelfull of soil once in a while. If the weather is dry I water the pile - water helps it decompose. When that ring is full I start another one. This method is SLOW but requires almost no work and I still get beautiful compost. I also plant tomatoes or melons around the base of the ring. Good composting!

-- Peg (NW WI) (wildwoodfarms@hushmail.com), May 08, 2000.

I've tried those scientifically designed composters, and I've gone the "leave it in a pile for a year" route as well. My best compost has always been from the pile left alone - plus you usually get earthworms as an added bonus!

-- Eric Stone (ems@nac.net), May 08, 2000.

A good source for up to date compost info is soilfoodweb.com/systems/compost/compost.html

A Dr. Ingham is the main researcher.

-- Chris Engle (engle_c@yahoo.com), May 11, 2000.