Let the worms in - whether you buy a bin or just pile up the material, making compost on the ground allows soil organisms to entire to help in the rotting process.
The perfect size for a compost pile is one that is at least 1 cubic metre. It’s not only a manageable size to turn, but it’s ideal for retaining heat while still allowing air flow.
Add fine material to the compost heap or bin as it becomes available. The finer the material you add the more quickly it will turn into usable compost. Break up twigs or run them over with the lawnmower before adding. If you have a mulcher, pass branches through the mulcher first. There’s no point adding thick woody pieces as they will take years to rot.
The microbes responsible for breaking down your compost pile need a balanced diet of nitrogen and carbon. Good compost is produced by blending leafy ‘green’ matter (Nitrogen - from green materials such as food scraps, manure, and grass clippings) with harder ‘brown’ matter (Carbon - from brown materials such as dead leaves, hay, wood chips and shredded newspaper). Newspaper or plain white paper from the computer is excellent for composting – just remember to shred it first to speed up the process. A ratio that contains equal portions by weight (not volume) of both works best.
Try to add the brown and green matter in layers, not making any layer too thick. If you put in too much green matter, the compost may go sludgy and smelly. Too much brown matter and it won’t break down quickly. With a good balance of the two, composting will proceed quickly.
Don’t compost fats, pet droppings, or animal products as they will attract pests to the pile and can spread disease.
Worms love coffee grounds!
Plants that have been treated with pesticides and/or herbicides (weeds and lawn clippings) should be avoided.
Algae and seaweed make excellent additions to your compost pile. Be sure to rinse off any salts before using.
Compost decomposes fastest between 48 ˚C and 71˚C. Decomposition will occur at lower temperatures, but it takes much longer.
Keep your compost pile in a black plastic bin and in direct sunlight to continue the composting process through the winter. Hay bales can be used to further insulate the pile.
Wooden pallets make excellent compost bins. Start with one pallet on the ground. Drive two metal stakes into each side. Slide additional pallets over each support and you have a bin ready for compost.
Straw is an excellent source of carbon for your compost pile. However, it may contain weed seeds, so make sure the pile is “cooking” properly.
Compost piles should remain damp but not too wet. As you build your compost pile, make sure that each layer is moist as it is added. The surface should also remain damp (think of a wrung out sponge), especially during the summer months.
Does your compost pile smell? It’s probably due to a large number of anaerobic microbes, which are working hard to break down your compost, but creating a smelly situation in the process. To cut down on the anaerobic process, aerate your pile regularly, creating air spaces and limiting the anaerobic microbes while stimulating the less stinky aerobic microbes.
Help start a new compost pile with aged manure, cottonseed meal, alfalfa meal, blood meal, or compost starter. They are rich in nitrogen and help jump-start the microbes responsible for breaking down organic matter into compost.
Soak finished compost in water to “brew” compost tea, a nutrient-rich liquid that can be used for foliar feeding or for watering plants in your garden, backyard, or houseplants.
Apply finished compost to your garden about 2-4 weeks before you plant, giving the compost time to integrate and stabilize within the soil.