Composting

Compost is an excellent source of organic material for your garden. It has the added benefit of reducing the amount of waste your household generates. All organic kitchen and garden waste except animal products can be composted. Material such as bones and animal scraps should be avoided because they attract vermin, flies, and scavenging animals.

Size of the Compost Pile: A convenient size for a compost pile is 4 feet wide by 5 feet long by 5 feet high.

Frame: A frame made of pressure treated lumber can be built to hold the compost, but this is not really necessary.

Begin the compost by adding 12 inches of organic matter (kitchen scraps, yard waste, etc.). Then apply 1 to 2 pounds of high-nitrogen organic fertilizer such as dried blood meal, guano, or poultry manure. Finally, add 2 inches of native top soil. Continue building the compost pile in this layered fashion as you generate organic matter. The center of the pile should be concave to hold rain water. The center of the pile should begin to heat up within a couple of weeks. The composting process should be complete within two to three months, depending on material and outside temperature.

Large material such as tree limbs, corn stalks, etc., should be chopped into smaller pieces to facilitate decomposition. Some materials, such as lawn clippings, will decompose very rapidly; others will require turning the compost pile (which aerates the pile) and adding more high-nitrogen organic fertilizer. This will restart the heating and decomposition process. Keep in mind that when making "organic" compost, you will not want to add lawn clippings or other substances that may have been treated at any time with a toxic chemical.