Summary: Before I get started on Composting, here is a video that explains the balance needed for hot composting, and does it very well. Compost if one of the most important ingredients to add to your vegetable garden. It adds nutrient back to the soil, and can reduce garbage otherwise sent to the landfill. But to many it's a complicated process with "browns", "greens", ratios, hot compost, cold compost etc. I hope to help you clear the subject a bit so you can get started making your own compost. Successful composting needs 4 things: 1.Greens 2.Browns 3.Air 4.Water “Green” or “Brown” does not refer to the color. Refers to the Carbon:Nitrogen Ratio. Those highest in Nitrogen are called “Greens”. Higher in Carbon called Browns. Greens •Grass Clippings •Vegetable trimmings •Animal Manures ( well composted) •Tea Bags, coffee grounds •Old Flower Bouquets Browns •Straw •sawdust •wood shavings •branches Start Keeping Kitchen Scraps, Lawn Trimmings for your compost pile. You can find compost pails with odor filters online, or if you prefer, keep a big box store 5 gal bucket with lid outside your kitchen door, emptying it to your pile when possible. I have found it is best to keep your pile as near to your garden as possible as you will have a lot to add to the pile from the garden throughout the season. Bowl on the counter or bucket on the porch Types of composting Hot Compost Balance the browns ( carbon materials) to the Greens ( Nitrogen material to get roughly a 30:1 mixture When starting out in sometimes help to have a “recipe” of sorts for fast hot compost. Example Compost recipe: 3 parts fresh grass clippings 1 part kitchen scraps 1 part damp straw Prepare the materials: cut chunky materials like melon rinds into roughly 1” chunks for faster decomposition. Manage the moisture. keep a hose nearby to keep the pile moist Be sure to frequently turn the mixture with a garden fork or pitchfork. Check internal temp with a compost thermometer, adding water or a nitrogen booster like grass clippings or high protein meal like Soybean or cottonseed meal. These are inexpensive and organic. Finish and Cure When no longer warm, it should be ready to use. Cold Compost Can sometimes be better than hot compost as it doesn’t kill of some of the beneficial organisms that are so important to our soil. Slow but less labor intensive - a year or more Build in Some Balance Plan for passive aeration Build a healthy heap Patient, not absent Turn when mood strikes Types of Compost Piles For an excellent tutorial on composting including the different types of bins, download the free Composting Book at - http://centrecountyrecycles.org/Pdf%20Files/composr.pdf Types of Compost bins/Piles to consider: Piles Wire Bins Commercial Tumblers Traditional 3 Bin Systen
