Nov
Compost Pile - Building Tips
Compost piles may be contained in bins or other enclosures or simply piled on the ground. Whichever you select there’re some simple things to consider before the pile is established.
1.Make if close to the main garden. A lot of compost material will come from pulled weeds & spent plants so you may as well carry them as short a distance as possible. Likewise the majority of the finished material will be going directly on the garden.
2.Consider putting it right into the garden. If you do not plan on turning it every three or four days but just letting it sit & compost, it can be an ideal location for cucumbers & the like. The compost feeds the plants & they can be tied to the bin side as they grow.
3.Under a deciduous tree is a good place to put a compost heap. In summer they keep the pile cooler & stop it from drying out so easily while the lack of shade in spring & fall allows the pile to use the warmth of the sun to great advantage.
4.Having the pile near a hose bib allows for easier watering. Both the heat of the sun & the heat of a working pile will cause a lot of moisture to be released & it will need to be periodically replaced.
The pile may be free standing or enclosed in a bin, either commercial or homemade. Take into consideration that a reasonably sized compost pile is at least three feet high, wide & deep. This means that a fair amount of material will be needed to build the pile. There tend to be two varieties of thought as to how to gather & build the pile.
The first group tends to dump & maybe turn. As material arises, be it dried leaves or wet kitchen leavings, it is summarily dumped on the growing pile. Once the pile reaches a certain size or the gardening season comes to an end, depending on the composter’s preference, it may or may not actually be turned. This one turning is worthwhile as it mixes the materials better & will usually shorten the composting time by half. Such a pile is generally left until the bottom ½ to two thirds is composted, about a one year period, & that compost is used while the rest of the material goes into the next pile.
Group two take a more systematic approach to the whole process & tend to be hot composters seeking finished compost in a period of two to three weeks after finishing gathering a pile. Likely they will have bins, at least three of them. Dry, brown material such as dried leaves or spoiled hay is gathered in one pile & wet, green material such as kitchen waste is placed in another. At a ration of two parts dry to one part green by volume the piles are blended to form one pile at least three feet high, wide & deep. This will be turned every three to four days until finished, generally from two to three weeks.
Whichever approach is used, there will finished compost at the end. It will enhance the soil & grow better vegetables & blooms. There is more. There is more. The choice of methods is arbitrary but the value of the compost gives it the gardener’s name of “black gold.”
Darrell Feltmate is an avid gardener who has been composting & gardening for over 25 years with gardens up to 1/2 acre & compost piles for each. His composting site may be easily found at Compost Central. You can become a master composter in no time at all. Compost is a great addition to any garden & is not very hard to make. For lots more information & instruction refer to Compost Central.
