COMPOSTING: Good for the Earth and Your Garden

Did you know one of the best things you can feed your garden is not only free, but readily available right in your kitchen? It’s your garbage! Composting your kitchen waste and plant matter creates a rich humus that nourishes and aerates soil and feeds the plants growing in it.

Getting Started:

You can build a simple backyard compost bin using 2x4s on the bottom as a frame and wire stretched around to contain the compost. The key to composting is layering. Put the big material on the bottom (sticks, for example) to allow air to get through and to prevent the compost from getting matted down. Next, add a thick layer of leaves and then a layer of soil to help break down the leaves and start the mixture “cooking.” The temperature will reach 150 to 160 degrees in an effective compost heap. Pile on a thick layer of grass clippings next. Be sure to keep the heap moist and mix it every third day with a pitchfork. In a couple of weeks, you will have great humus for your garden.

If you’re short on space, use a plastic garbage can. Remove the bottom, set it on top of the soil and layer the materials listed above inside. Then, put the top on. In a week, lift up the garbage can and the compost will fall out. Take the can to a new location and put the old compost back in the can. In a few weeks, you will have rich humus from composting.

For even greater convenience on a smaller scale, visit your local garden shop or home improvement store for specially made, countertop compost containers you can use right in your kitchen.