Composting, Let's Keep it Simple!

         There's actually a lot of science and good information behind composting, but I want to start out simple.  I wan't you to read this and think to yourself, "I can do this!"  And really, it IS simple, and can continue to be until you find yourself having a greater need an purpose for your compost.  I remember the huge round composting cages my great grandfather had on his property in California.  I think he must’ve truly been the master gardener in the family.  The garden was massive, and there were fruit trees everywhere, and don’t forget my Grandma’s fresh Strawberry Rhubarb pie, straight from the garden.  I only wish I had been old enough to really learn from them.  Gardens were a necessary way of life in their day.  You gardened because you wanted to eat.  

     When I first tried composting, I bought one of those Stationary black bins with a lid and just started throwing all of my kitchen scraps in it.  While in theory I wasn't doing anything wrong, Compost needs air, and water to properly break down and heat up.  And it was pretty hard to “stir” anything in such a narrow space.   So on my second attempt, I decided to do “open composting” where my pile was out in the open and somewhat contained.   I purchased some 4 ft. T-posts from Home Depot along with some 2 ft. wire fencing.  I basically made an “E” shape with two sections so I could keep track of older and newer compost and be able to get a pitch fork in there and mix it around good.

I am by no means, an artist, but I thought it would be helpful for you do have a sketch of what I’m talking about.   I can’t even take a picture of mine, because its piled so high, you  wouldn’t be able to see the stakes anymore.  So basically there are 6 T-Posts, and I’ve wrapped and attached the wire grid all the way around.  You want to keep it nice and tight so it can help support your pile as it grows and as you mix it.  I have found that the easiest way to mix well is to use a pitch fork.  You basically throw everything out of your pile, and make a new pile on the ground beside it, effectively mixing as you go.  Then pitch it all back in.  I only have to do this maybe every month or so.  But for me, this was still a lot of work so I wanted a better solution.

A few years ago I found a Rotating Compost Bin that would hold 80 gallons!  (Thats over 10 Cubic feet!)

And finally it was something I could handle!  It is made by “Lifetime Products” so it is very good quality.  I purchased 3 and had my teenage boys assemble them, so we could put them to use immediately.   I still use my old compost “frame” as a holding tank for fresh manure, leaves and lawn clippings to start decomposing before adding them to my composter.  The reason this works so well is because it makes it so easy to give compost the 3 things it needs most.  Heat, Air, and water.   I simply open the latched lid on my composter and wet it down with a hose once a week, as well as dump in my kitchen scraps whenever I have them.  And then turn the barrel a few times and I’m done.   The black barrel absorbs the heat from the sun, so even if we only turn it once a week, we get compost in about 2 months.  I think if we were out there turning it daily it might result in compost much quicker.

I know you guys are probably starting to think I am just selling you something here, but truthfully, I USE everything I recommend to you.  I  am a big fan of technology in all departments of life.  I love gadgets and things that make life easier.  And without alot of these “tools” and “gadgets” I wouldn’t have the time or energy to accomplish much of what i do.  I also realize as a prepper, that it will be a sad day around here if the power goes out and I have to do things the old fashioned way.  :-)

Back to compost.  Theres a few other things to be aware of if wanting to create good compost rapidly. 

1.) Size matters - If you start throwing in big orange peels and banana peels and Pineapple greens, you are going to be able to recognize them for the next 6 months in your bin, likely.  It is much better to break things down to a smaller size.  This allows more surface contact with other decomposing materials, water, and heat, allowing these items to decompose more quickly.  There are a few easy ways to  break these things down.  If you juice with a masticating juicer, when you’re done, simply run your citrus peels through the juicer, it breaks them into bits, effortlessly, and you can just add it with the pulp from your juicer, into your composter.  Also throwing items like egg shells and banana peels into your food processor for a quick whiz can help as well.  I’ve even just snipped them up with a pair of kitchen scissors as I’m holding them over the bin.  

      If your not interested in the additional effort.  Use those items differently.  For example, Banana peels are said to have a highly positive effect on Rose bushes and other Acid Craving plants.   Rake away some of the mulch around those things and bury a few banana peels underneath.  

   2.) You need to make sure you have a good ration of Brown waste compared to Green waste.  What does this mean?  Different waste contains different nutrients, and decomposes at different rates.  Remember the science I was talking about?  Things that decompose faster, produce heat and help to decompose items that may rot more slowly.  I will create a list at the bottom of the post to help guide you. 

   3.)Use an existing compost mix to get a head start.  You could almost compare compost to yogurt here.  It is loaded with microorganisms (ie: good bacteria)  that work together to break down the raw materials (ie: milk)  So if you start with compost that has already gone through the process and contains the nutrients and composition you are hoping for, this can speed up the process.  Be sure to save some of your newly made rich compost to start your next batch.

Brown (Carbon)	Green (Nitrogen)	DONT USE AT ALL
Dry Leaves Pine Needles Newspaper (shredded) Sawdust Wood chips/ shavings Twigs Hay/Straw Peanut Shells Cold Ashes from wood Dryer lint Cereal boxes (shredded)	Fruit & Veggie Scraps Grass Clippings Coffee Grounds Manure from horse, cow, Goat, Chicken, Bat, etc. Egg Shells Tea Bags/leaves Plant trimmings Moldy Bread Banana peels pulp from juicer	Milk Fat Meat Domestic Pet Waste Bones Oils Diseased Plants (Can spread disease) Inorganic materials

     Basically you need about a 50/50 ratio of Green and Brown.  So to make it easy, I like to keep a bag of last years leaves next to the composter and every time I dump a bin of kitchen scraps, I add about the same volume of dry leaves to the composter and spin it.  

      If you are filling up your composter little by little, you want to make sure that when its relatively full, you stop adding new waste to it for 6-8 weeks until you have developed your compost.  Because otherwise you will always have bitts of un-composted materials in there.  This is why I have 3 bins.  I only actively ad to one or two at a time.  That way I have a sort of rotation of Compost in progress, Compost ready to use, and a  bin for adding to.   And truthfully, in the winter, I don’t add scraps to my bins.  I give them to the geese and chickens because there is nothing for them to forage on when there is so much snow, so I dump my juice pulp and other scraps, including the crumbs from the bottom of cereal boxes (Healthy cereals) old bread, etc. to help supplement their diets in the winter.  

     Also, I am rather lucky to have a natural Brown/green mix occuring daily in my backyard.  What? No fair, you say?  It is the combination of goat poo mixed in with the discarded hay from the feeder.   We pull out at least a wagon load each week and ad to the “holding compost pile” before putting into the composter.   I have to say this combination along with twigs, leaves, and kitchen scraps have made an amazing compost for my garden each year. 

    Goat berries are not as hot as Chicken manure so they can even be put straight into the garden non-composted.  The mix works as a mulch to begin with, and then with watering and decomposition the nutrients are released into the soil. Please feel free to ask your questions, and share your thoughts below!