Composting:

Breaking Down Composting

by Nicky Rogers

I grew up in urban Chicago, with a tiny yard made up mostly of dirt, dirt, shards of glass, and the grit blown in from the nearby Interstate. But my mother always kept gardens, though, and everything from green beans to blueberry bushes to roses peppered the depressing yard with life and color. This was growing up for me, gardening and living in the city near a highway. Yet what intrigued me more about gardening, however, was what I found when I left my home, at the edge of the woods behind my grandmother’s house.

Each summer, as we grilled steaks and burgers and drank sun tea and ate fresh berries, I couldn't help but notice how things were selectively discarded into a "special" trashcan inside the house. Rinds and peels made their way out to a strange pile in the edge of the woods soon after dinner, looking like the talking leaf and garbage pile from Fraggle Rock. This was the compost heap that would eventually become the top soil for Grandma’s flowers.

As the world becomes increasingly more aware and concerned about waste disposal and renewable resources, composting is not something that is just confined to rural areas or even suburban homes lucky enough to have a woodsy backyard. A few talking heads predict that within ten years composting will become as commonplace as recycling glass bottles and aluminum cans.

The sheer simplicity of composting can easily become part of a daily household routine. Using kitchen and yard waste to create compost for a healthier lawn or garden is a practical way to reuse waste and also save money at the same time.

Basically, composting is a way of aiding the decomposition process of plants and organisms that will eventually become part of the soil and add nutrients to the garden. Compost bins or piles are almost alive in how they break down nitrogen. Like any living organism, your compost pile needs copious space for air, and it also thrives on water. Microbes that aid in the breakdown process also work faster when the compost pile is hot, but any temperature above 50 degrees Fahrenheit can sustain a compost pile.

There are two general categories of compost, color coded as green and brown. The best compost piles are a proper balance of both brown and green.

Green includes waste like vegetable or fruit leftovers, grass clippings, coffee grinds, banana peels, and other kitchen wastes. Brown compost includes sawdust, wood chips, dry leaves, and stuff of that nature. Also note brown compost may need to be watered before being mixed into the compost pile.

There are things that you should not compost, like wood treated with chemicals, weeds, diseased or infested plants, animal products, and pet waste. Think of the compost process as creating a healthy diet for the microbes that are creating this good soil and fertilizer for you. If you meet their conditions, they will reward you with a good and free final product in the end

To start your compost pile or bin, decide whether you want to enclose it by using a store bought bin or making your own, or if you want just a mere pile. You can construct your bin from an old trash can (a large one, with holes in the side and bottom), scrap wood or wooden palettes, or chicken wire. Remember to allow easy access for stirring and/or transferring compost from one pile or bin to another.