How to Be Awesome at Composting

User Manual

How to be Awesome at Composting

By John Ross

Those looking to boost next year's garden and reduce the amount of plant matter tossed into landfills can kill two birds with one stone—with a backyard compost pile.

Essentially, composting expedites natural decomposition by fostering an environment friendly to microorganisms that break down plant matter into a nutrient-rich mixture. With a little practice, you can turn grass clippings, dry leaves and vegetable scraps into perfect soil additives.

The age-old technique isn't difficult, but it's best to know what you're doing, especially in tight urban quarters. Veteran composter Brian Heath, who works with the Franklin Park Conservatory, had the following tips.

One: For smaller, urban spaces, containment is key—you don't want your backyard to become a giant leaf heap. Fancy bins are available at hardware stores, but a handmade frame with three sides will work fine. Pallets or cinder blocks will trap heat and moisture needed to aid decomposition.

Two: Start with some dry leaves, grass clippings and uncooked vegetable scraps. An ideal composting mix is 30 parts carbon-rich material to one part nitrogen-rich. Grass and kitchen scraps are high in nitrogen; sawdust and leaves are high in carbon.

Three: The two biggest concerns are odor and critters. If a pile starts to smell, add carbon-rich material like more leaves. To avoid a rancid pile full of rats, don't add cooked food, meat products or dairy.

Four: Keeping piles warm and moist and turning them about once every two weeks yield properly broken down material in about six months. Less active composters can expect results in about a year.

Five: Rich, dark, crumbling compost contains nutrients that will aid potting and gardening soil. A shovelful near tomato plants will boost health; adding a one- to two-inch layer above a flower bed will work wonders.

October 18th, 2007