Every year I say the same thing…..I’m going to start a compost bin. Every year I don’t. Any gardener who wants to grow organically knows that you have to start with healthy soil. There’s no better way to reduce disease in the garden, retain moisture, and improve your clay soil, than to use compost. With the garden winding down, and leaves falling, now is the perfect time to start one.
There are many ways to create compost, and I could try to list them all here, but I like simple….and easy. I think I have put off creating a compost bin because I thought it was complicated and messy, but I found out it’s not, so no more excuses.
According to Mrs. Greenthumb, who was not only a comedian, but a great gardener, composting can be simple. It may not be fast like some of the “hot composting” recipes, but I’m okay with slow and easy.
Mrs. Greenthumbs’ Composting Recipe
- Start with alternating layers of brown and green matter.
- Top it off with brown matter and a little soil. This will help decrease odor.
- Water until it is saturated all the way through from top to bottom.
- Leave it to rot.
Green Matter includes:
- left over green plant material from the kitchen such as celery and lettuce
- green grass and plant material. Weeds okay but without seeds. Be sure your grass is untreated.
Brown Matter: coffee grounds, eggshells, dried garden matter, tea leaves, and small twigs. Be sure you have broken any larger pieces down into smaller pieces so they will break down faster.
Do not include:
- Any diseased or treated plants.
- No meat or dairy, or you may attract unwanted guests, and it smells when it is decomposing.
If you like, you can turn your compost pile. Once every week or two should be sufficient in the summer. Now sit back and let Mother Nature do her magic.
Karen
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