Compost

Composting is fun and an easy way to enrich garden soils by putting kitchen scraps and yard waste to good use.  You can create a compost pile or invest in a bin to disguise and protect your compost from too much sun or rain.  The microorganisms do all the work, but I've found you can get faster results by following a few guidelines.  

Size.  The recommended size for a home compost pile is no smaller than 3 ft X 3 ft X 3 ft, and no larger than 5 ft X 5 ft X 5 ft.

Moisture Content.  To work effectively, compost piles should be about as wet as a squeezed out sponge.  If yours is outdoors in a pile rather than a bin, you will probably need to water it with a spray from the hose every few days.   

Biodegradables.  The correct mix of raw materials is one in which 'greens' are mixed with more fibrous ‘browns’ at the rate of four parts (by volume) of ‘greens’ to one of ‘browns’. Too many greens, especially grass clippings, can lead to a smelly, slimy mess which will take a year to compost.  

'Greens'

grass clippings

leafy hedge clippings

green weeds

vegetable trimmings

seaweed

fresh horse or farmyard manure

'Browns'

straw

dry grass or hay

shredded prunings

dead leaves

sawdust or shavings

A small amount of soil mixed into the heap will add soil microbes and contribute to the composting.