Making A Compost Pile In 4 Easy Steps

As gardeners or homesteaders we can never have enough compost. There is science involved in composting, but there's art too. Blending together the right ingredients at the right time in the right way to produce power-packed compost is a valuable skill ... and a lot of fun.

Composting is a process of decomposition. Bacteria, fungi, nematodes, worms, and all kinds of tiny critters work on organic matter to break it down. This happens usually slowly at all times in a natural environment. As compost makers, we can orchestrate that natural process to quickly make a superior product in large quantities.

Well made compost will not only add nutrients and stable humus to the soil. It will improve water holding capacity. It encourages the formation of beneficial soil-borne organisms. It can also make soil nutrients more available.

What are the basic elements of composting?

1. Pick your location.

The compost should have contact with the soil, otherwise soil must be mixed with the compost material. The organisms in the soil contact the pile and enter into the process. A well built pile will not attract pests, nor will it smell bad. But it's best to consider the neighbors in case your results are a little less than perfect.

Bins are helpful to contain the materials but not at all necessary. Various tumblers and containers can be purchased or built but aren't really necessary. Also it's good to have an area for accumulation of the raw materials for the pile. There is always an on-going accumulation of raw materials to build piles. Often piles might be at different stages of completion too.

What goes in the compost piles? The supply of compost materials is limitless. Anything that is biodegradable and contains things usable and available to microorganisms can be composted.

2. Gather the materials.

Two general categories of materials go in compost piles: high carbon materials and high nitrogen materials. There is overlap between these two categories. The ideal carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) for stimulating the composting organisms is 25:1 - 30:1. Finished compost is 14:1 - 20:1.

High carbon materials are usually dry and bulky. Common examples are hay, straw, fall leaves, sawdust, pine needles. The C/N ratio varies from 500:1 for sawdust to 12:1 for alfalfa hay.

High nitrogen materials include manures, grass clippings, table scraps, cottonseed meal and soybean meal.

Other useful additives can bolster the micro-nutrients of the finished compost. Examples are rock dust, limestone, seaweed, rock phosphate, greensand, and wood ashes.

Activators are available rich in enzymes and microorganisms to boost the activity of the organisms in the material.

3. Mixing it up.

We're trying to start and maintain a controlled aerobic (in the presence of oxygen) fermentation process in our compost pile. As a rule, if we mix roughly equal parts of high carbon materials and high nitrogen materials, the C/N ratio will be about right.

The particle size is also important. In living topsoil, only about half the total volume of the soil is solid. The remainder is air and water. Our compost should be similar in make-up. So the particle size of our material is best quite fine. Grind or chip very coarse materials like corn stalks if you can. Particle size should be from dust-like up to 1/2 inch in size.

The pile should be moist. Moist to the touch, but not so wet that you can squeeze water out by hand.

Layer in the materials alternating high carbon materials with high nitrogen materials. Add 5 - 10 percent garden soil throughout the pile.

4. Keep it going.

A well built pile will rapidly grow microorganisms and temperature will climb rapidly. Temperatures may spike up to 170 degrees F over a few days or weeks. Then the temperature will drop off and remain elevated for days or weeks. Turning the pile can speed or slow the reactions especially if the mix is less than ideal. If the mix is right, the pile need not be turned or it may need turning only once.

But, never fear, even if conditions are far from ideal you'll still get usable compost. If the pile doesn't heat up much it'll take longer to decompose and the quality may be inferior. It will still do the soil good!

Conclusion

Compost making can vastly improve your gardening success. Making compost is fun and a valuable skill. It's art for your garden!

To learn more about making great compost Click Here!

Al Bullington is a former automotive engineer who enjoys a rural lifestyle with his family. His specialty is home-based rural businesses.