That Gardenin Guy: Compost, Compost, Compost

That Gardenin Guy: Compost, Compost, Compost: Composting, everyone is talking, thinking, or going to do it. It is the right thing to do, our ancestors did it and we should be doing it ...

Compost, Compost, Compost

Composting, everyone is talking, thinking, or going to do it. It is the right thing to do, our ancestors did it and we should be doing it too.  Composting is a good way to improve your soil, while disposing of your kitchen, lawn, and garden waste.

Why rake and bag those grass clippings and leaves for the trash man to pick up when you can put them in the corner of your yard along with leaves and vegetable scraps to make rich living soil.  You can even add your old newspapers and magazine to the pile, although I would recommend shredding them first. As all this waste decomposes, you are making dirt, which when added to the hard red clay that we have around here will make better, richer dirt.

There are several ways or methods to compost.  Out on the Burress Plantation, we have several compost piles going.  We have one down at the foot of the hill where we put all the big stuff such as tree limbs and dead shrubs and other larger debris.  This pile is for things that don’t decompose very fast.  The next pile is about eight foot by eight foot.  This is where we put leaves, grass clippings, and vegetable and fruit scraps.  I keep a shovel down by this pile and turn it over every time I add to it or at least twice a week.  This pile decomposes relatively fast and I am able to harvest composted soil from it about once a month.  I usually add some nitrogen to this pile and about once a month I add a product called Carbon Boost to the pile to help it work a little faster.  The next compost pile is a little closer to the house and is a bin that my Adorable Wife made as an experiment.  She took a thirty gallon trash can and drilled one half inch holes all in the sides and also in the lid.  The lid is a snap on lid and fits tight to prevent critters from getting in to it.  She adds layers of grass clippings, leaves and food scraps to it along with some water about once a week.  She rolls the can over once a day to keep it stirred or fluffed.  She is able to harvest her composted material on the average about every two weeks.  Last but certainly not least is the compost bin that we keep on the porch.  This is a big blue tub with a lid that snaps on and is also Wiggles home.  We bought a tub and lid which can be purchased at any of the big box stores and drilled one eighth inch holes all in the top.  Next we shredded some newspaper and put in the bottom and wet it lightly.  Next we added a couple of shovels full of peat moss, then some vegetable and fruit scraps, and this is where we put most of our egg shells and some coffee grounds.  At this point we added about two or three hundred red wiggler worms, tossed in a cup of corn meal and then topped it off with some more shredded newspapers that have been lightly misted with water.  We add shredded newspapers and food scraps once a week and toss with a trowel.  This bin will yield about ten gallons of composted materials every six weeks or so that have been enriched with worm poop.  This compost, commonly known as worm castings is an excellent organic fertilizer and soil amendment.

In conclusion, I believe composting is something that everyone should be doing.  They even make small composting containers that you can use and leave on the kitchen counter.  This would be a good item for apartment dwellers to make organic fertilizer for their houseplants.  There are many kinds of compost bins available for sale at your local nursery or home improvement center or you can do like Ms. Janet and I do, make your own.

If you have any questions or comments send me an email at colorsbytim@hotmail.com or leave me a message at the Union County Extension Office at 662-534-1916.  You can also tune in to WNAU Radio 1470 on your AM dial or log on to www.wnau1470.com select streaming and choose your player Saturday mornings at 8:00 AM where I will take your call for gardening questions at 662-534-8133.

Happy Gardening and keep digging in the dirt and compost, compost, compost.