Compost Crazy

Once, when I was five years old, my parents left me with my great-grandfather for a day. It was a time I will never forget... A frugal man, Pa Stewart had a huge vegetable garden, and saw my arrival as an opportunity for a little free labor, as well as his chance to teach me the meaning of hard work. Hours of building squash and cucumber hills, hauling big bags of dried sheep manure, and putting up heavy wooden tomato cages were tiring for a little guy, and it seemed like the day would never end. Then Pa handed me a small shovel and asked me to dig into the pile of compost behind his chicken coop and fill a bucket. Boy, was I surprised when the first scoop uncovered several giant earthworms! Pa explained that the little black castings made by the worms would be good for the plants in his garden. The rest of the day seemed to fly by as I eagerly dug into the pile searching for more worms and castings. Today, I have my own compost pile, three store-bought composters, and two worm bins, and am still intrigued with them as I was with Pa's pile. There is something mystical about aerobically decomposing organic matter that touches the soul; something very basic about nature and the meaning of life. Ecological interdependence and true spirituality are closely related. I spent many years seeking my place in the universe by searching the heavens, religious scriptures, and my inner self, when all along the answer was just beneath my feet.

Compost Crazy

On the practical side, a composter is a great way to recycle yard waste and shredded paper while making a biologically rich organic soil amendment for the flower bed or vegetable garden. Kitchen scraps may also be composted, but it is best to bury them deep in the pile to deter vermin, flies, and other unwanted animal visitors. Crows love to tear apart a compost pile to get to the scraps! For a better way to compost kitchen scraps, see the next page...

Good composting is best achieved with a little knowledge of chemistry. It is important to maintain a 30 to 1 carbon to nitrogen ratio and a 35% moisture content in a composter. Simply stated, add about an equal amount of "greens", like grass clippings or weeds to an equal amount of "browns", such as wood shavings, dried brown leaves, or even shredded paper. Then moisten until a handful will yield one or two drops of water when squeezed tightly. Just before this photo was taken, a three inch layer of green garden weeds and grass trimmings were added, then covered with a three inch layer of wood chips.

This photo shows biologically active, finished compost spilling from the bottom of the same composter in the photo above. Adding a two inch layer of this finished compost on top of the layers of greens and browns really speeds up the process, helping the materials in the composter to reach the optimum temperature of 160 degrees required to kill weed seeds and plant pathogens. Organic nitrogen supplements, like bloodmeal, cottonseed meal, or alfalfa meal can also be added to heat up a cool compost pile.

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