Nutrients for Plants
#5 How to Build a Healthy Compost Pile

When I started gathering information about composting, I learned that in the month of
May there is an International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW).  It is always held the
first full week of May.   

International Compost Awareness Week focuses on broadening the understanding of
compost use and promotes awareness of composting. Globally, it shows that innovative
programs and successful efforts have improved community sustainability and promotes
the use of renewable resources in landscaping, horticulture and agriculture.   

Those who believe in the compost message will be planning events in their community
to promote the value of compost. All types of composting events -- from "do it yourself"
composting in your backyard to large-scale community-wide composting -- can be
promoted during the week.  So put this on your calendar, and check with your
community to find out what events they have planned, and if they’re not planning
anything – then you start something!  

Be a part of the solution and be a part of the world's largest environmental education
event for composting. Everyone can be involved, from homeowners with "do it yourself"
composting to large-scale, community-wide composters.    

Compost Awareness Week is a fun and educational week of events that offers an
opportunity to learn more about the many benefits of composting while enjoying the
backdrop of fun activities. For a list of resources to plan your event, visit www.
compostingcouncil.org.

So – on to composting!  

Composting is good for the earth in many ways. First, it keeps garbage out of landfills.
Second, the finished product will make your garden grow beautifully, without the use of
chemical fertilizers.  It breaks up the hard soil and holds moisture while feeding the
plants. You will be amazed to see the finished product – grass clippings, shredded
newspapers, kitchen scraps, etc. – turn into “black gold”.

When it comes to a bin for your compost, you can go simple or elaborate.  It can be as
simple as a 32 gallon trash can, or as complex as a “build it yourself” project made with
wood.  I’m somewhere in the middle – mine is four pallets screwed together and set on
top of cement blocks at each corner.   

If you use a trash can, drill 1” holes all the way around it – top, sides, and bottom –
about 6” apart.  Raise it up somewhat on a few bricks to get better air circulation.  Some
towns sell plastic composting bins at a good price during the Compost Awareness Week
in May, so check with your town before you go out and buy one – you may get a better
price through your town’s program.

Click here for directions to make several different kinds of compost bins.

What “ingredients” can you put into your compost pile?

  • Fruit and vegetable peels, and cores
  • Leftover cooked vegetables
  • Any produce that’s past its prime
  • Coffee grounds and filters, tea leaves and tea bags
  • Egg shells (crushed)
  • Shredded newspapers – a paper shredder works good for this
  • Weeds – your pile should heat up enough to kill the seeds
  • Leaves, shredded if possible – if not, don’t worry about it, they’ll just decompose
    slower
  • Grass clippings – they tend to clump together, so it’s best to mix them with dirt or
    leaves.  (Avoid clippings that contain pesticide or herbicide residue.)
  • Spent flowers from the garden
  • Vegetable garden refuse
  • Mineral-rich plant food – excellent source of nutrient-rich composting material.
    Apply one-half pound per cubic yard.
  • Wood ashes from your fireplace (occasionally) – they are alkaline, so add
    sparingly.  I add a few gallons a year.
  • Manure (horse, pig, sheep, cow, goat, chicken, rabbit)  

What should not go into a compost pile?

  • Meat, meat products, dairy products, and high-fat foods like salad dressings and
    peanut butter.  They will all decompose eventually, but they smell bad and may
    attract pests.
  • Dog, cat, and human waste
  • Coal or charcoal ashes
  • Diseased or bug-infested plants

There are many books and articles about composting that recommend using specific
ratios of “green” and “brown” materials to make perfect compost.  

  • Greens = Nitrogen Materials - Green weeds, green crop residues, and
    vegetable trimmings are readily available sources of nitrogen materials. Young,
    green plants, such as new spring grass, are very high in nitrogen. But as a grass
    plant grows older and browner, it loses some of its nitrogen or uses it to produce
    seeds. To capture the most nitrogen for your compost pile, pull out finished crop
    plants and weeds while they are still green. If you let them languish in your
    garden, they not only lose some of their nutrient value, but also can serve as
    hosts to mildew, insect pests, snails, and slugs. Cover green materials with a tarp
    to retain moisture and nitrogen until you are ready to build your pile.

  • Browns = Carbon Materials - “Brown" materials, such as straw, leaves, dry
    grass, and sawdust, can be thought of as carbon sources for the compost pile.
    Brown materials can be stored easily in a bin for later use. For example, you can
    stockpile fallen leaves or dry weeds in autumn and layer them with fresh green
    materials the following spring.

I don’t make it that complicated, although you certainly can do that.  Just add what you
have on hand, and compost will happen.    

Many articles also suggest turning your pile every week.  Again – if you want to and
have the time, do it when you think about it.  Every so often I will take a few shovelfuls
of compost out from the bottom of my pile and throw it on to the top.  You can also buy
big augers to aerate your pile.  If your compost is in a garbage can or a composter, all
you have to do to “turn the pile” is just roll it around a bit.   

Your compost pile will decompose quicker if it is kept moist (but not soggy wet).  If you
live in a very dry region, you may have to water it occasionally.  Keep that in mind when
you are choosing a site for your pile.  

Finished compost will be dark, crumbly, and earthy smelling.  

Composting is just another way of recycling. Every little bit helps the environment, and
you'll end up with a beautiful garden in the process.
COMPOSTING RESOURCES

The Complete Compost
Gardening Guide (book):
Compost Aerator:
The following are some very nice composters:

Mantis Compost-Twin:





Compost Tumbler:





















Deluxe Pyramid Composter: