Last week I wrote about composting, which I thought was a pretty simple project: make a pile of garden waste, chicken, rabbit, horse or cow manure and food scraps, mix things up, keep it moist, cover it up, turn the pile over now and then, and voila! Compost happens.
But the boss here at The JOLT wanted to know more:
“There's a lot more to know about composting,” he wrote. “Whole books. Courses.”
Then he fired off a series of questions:
At first I sighed. Then I reflected. It’s true I have a rather laissez-faire attitude on this subject. I’m not in any hurry for things to rot, and have faith that they will. Others, however, like to be more precise.
Plus, he’s the boss. So here’s the scoop:
If you have rabbit or chicken poop, count yourself compost wealthy; they add a ton of nitrogen and other nutrients. Yes they are “hot,” which means that, when fresh, they will chemically burn plants’ roots. But mixed in a compost pile, their heat will help rot the pile faster. And they will make your compost richer with usable nutrients when the compost is ready.
4. Fast and slow piles might be a good idea, though I’ve never tried it and can’t find any reference that specifically recommends it. Maybe the boss has a good idea there.
Editor’s Note: Matter of fact, I do! It’s from the Empress of Dirt.
Twigs might be ok in your compost, but don’t try to compost woody branches unless you chop, cut, or grind them up first. And if you’re going grind them up, you might as well use them as mulch instead of putting them in your compost pile.
6. If you’re in a hurry, you can buy compost accelerators at the garden store that speed up the process.
7. Worms are little digesters; they eat your food scraps and poop out lovely compost. Worm bins are a good idea, and YouTube has lots of videos about how to make one. You can order red wiggler worms online and give your delivery driver a thrill. You can also buy a zillion kinds of worm bins, even some for use indoors.
In fact, you can spend a fortune on gear for composting and worm bins, but why do that? The point of gardening is to be a producer, not a consumer. And nearly all the purchased compost and worm bin options are plastic, and the world needs less of that. But please don’t tell the boss I said so; he likes his plastic compost bin.
Jill Severn writes from her home in Olympia, where she grows vegetables, flowers and a small flock of chickens. She loves conversation among gardeners. Start one by emailing her at jill@theJOLTnews.com
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here