Compost is garden soil made by decomposing things that used to be alive. Plants love it. If you toss certain kinds of garbage into a pile or bin, you will have a batch of excellent soil amendment six months later. Now is a good time to start composting for spring gardening; like other good things in life, compost takes time to develop.
What is the easiest way to start a compost pile? Designate a space in your yard to be the compost pile, about 3-feet wide. Then add weeds, straw, leaves, dirt, water and kitchen scraps. That is all you have to do. If children or animals are likely to get into your compost, enclose the pile in a cylinder of stiff wire mesh fence, or a wire mesh compost bin such as the one available at marthastewart.com.
Following are some things that can go into a compost pile:
• Air. Compost needs air; do not enclose it in an airtight container. You can stir the compost, but you do not have to.
• Water. Add enough water to keep the pile damp but not soggy. In the winter, just let it get rained on.
• Yard waste. Grass clippings, leaves and weeds are good. Avoid crab grass. Buy straw, not hay, if you have no dry weeds.
• Soil. Ordinary soil contains organisms that help the compost break down. Soil also helps control odor. Also, a shovelful of finished compost is great.
• Kitchen waste. Most of what you normally put down the garbage disposal can go into the compost instead. Keep an open compost bowl in your kitchen and dump it on the compost every day. Do not use a closed container; it will cause the scraps to stink. Good materials include peels and rinds, smashed eggshells, fruit and vegetable trimmings, non-greasy leftovers, coffee grounds and stale bread. Avoid meats, sweets and greasy foods, because they attract pests.
• Manure (optional). Manure speeds and enriches the development of compost, but you do not have to use it. Avoid dog waste; it contains harmful microorganisms. You can put dog waste into the soil under a non-food tree where you do not expect to be gardening. Good manure comes from horses, cows, rabbits and chickens. Take a trip to a farm and get some manure; horse manure is available free at Fremont Hills Country Club in Los Altos Hills, in a big pile near the Purissima Road entrance to the stables. It is OK to include the straw or sawdust bedding.
Other good ingredients for compost include seaweed, earthworms (night crawlers or red worms), unbleached paper products (such as brown paper bags), wilted cut flowers and wood shavings.
When is it ready?
The compost is ready to use when it has turned into dirt and you can barely recognize individual ingredients. In three months, start a new pile. Give your original pile two more months to decompose. The amount of compost will be much less than what you put into it; it will have broken down.
What do you do with compost?
Mix compost deeply into your garden soil. You will be contributing to the Earth’s topsoil.
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