r-

t i Small Stock Journal

Composting
GUIDE

Countryside Composting Guide

Index
Index
Compost: How It
It Happens .....................................................................3
3
It's Not Fertilizer
Fertilizer But
But It
It Is
Is Magic
"Magic" ..........4
4
Start With Some Compost, Its
Sheet Composting Has Benefits, But Some Disadvantages Too .........8
8
UNTRYSIDEBookstore.............................9
Bookstore
9
Composting Resources From C
CO
ountryside
Composting Is For The Worms ............................................................10
1
0
1
1
Make A Compost Barrel .......................................................................11
Making Compost In The City ...............................................................12
1
2
Compost And Soil ...............................................13
1
3
An Easy Way To Sift Compost
Quick And Easy Compost Method .......................................................13
1
3

2
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CE
ountryside Composting
Composting Guide
Guide

C
o
POSE
Compost:
HowItitHappens
Happens
How
Some bacteria that break down organic
or
Some
organic materials function only where there is air, or
oxygen (aerobic).
(aerobic). Others
Others survive only in an airless environment (anaerobic). Both kinds
kinds
will produce compost, but most gardeners prefer aerobic bacteria because they
they work
work much
much
faster. Many complaints about compost not
"not working
working" or
or taking
taking too long
long can
can be
be traced
traced to
to the
the
type of bacterial action taking place.
This is the reason for several steps compost-makers take to produce their black
black gold
gold
often without understanding why they are important. These include grinding or shredding,
moisture
moisture control, and turning.
Turning compost is one of the better-known requirements of the process, but why
why is
is itit
so
so important? To provide air to the aerobic bacteria, so they can keep on working. Without
Without
turningwhich usually
usually means transferring the material from one pile or bin to another
another
aa heavy wet mat forms. Aerobic bacteria cant
can't live
live in
in this environment,
environment, and
and the
the slower-acting
slower-acting
anaerobics take over.
anaerobics
However,
even recently
recently turned
turned compost
compost heaps
heaps can
can quickly
quickly develop
develop pockets
pockets that
that
However, even
are
sealed
from
the
air
if
some
of
the
components
have
a
tendency
to
mat.
Thus
the
are sealed from the air
components
tendency
popularity
of
shredding
or
grinding
the
organic
matter
first.
Shredded
leaves,
for
example,
popularity
for
are
are much fluffier than unshredded leaves, and will allow the aerobic bacteria to
to work
work longer.
longer.
The added
added surface
surface area of the shredded materials,
materials, especially those with thick
thick stalks, is
another
another benefit
benefit of
of shredding.
Proper
moisture
important
Proper moisture i is
s aalso
l s o aan
n important
factor
in
composting.
A
water-logged
heap
factor in composting. A water-logged heap 0 ,
will smother
smother the air-loving bacteria
although
although a pile thats
that's too dry isnt
isn't
their ideal environment
environment
either.
either.

C
ountryside
CO
UNTRYSIDEComposting
Composting Guide
Guide

33

Start
With Some
Some Compost
Start !WTI!
Colipcst

Its not fertilizer, but it is magic

BY CROW
CROW MILLER
MILLER
BY

hen gardeners speak of soil, they are referring to earth that looks, feels, and smells pleasant; fertile soil with good
structure, depending on the extent to which the inorganic
inorganic soil particles, sand, silt, clay
clay and
and humus
humus are
are bound
bound together.
together.
W h eNo
n matter
gardeners
speak of soil,
referring
to earth that
feels,
and smells
pleasant;
soil
with good
yourthey
it can
into looks,
stuff
of which
which
great gardens
gardens
arefertile
made.
Composting
how miserable
soil, are
be transformed
into
the stuff
of
great
are
made.
Composting
itself in the form
form of
of humus,
humus, as
as plants
plants and
and other
other
starts the process. Compost is nature recycled. It is the garden rejuvenating itself
organic components decompose through microbial action.
to work
work in
in this
this natural
A compost
compost pile
pile is
is teeming
teeming with
with microbial
microbial life
life as the
the beneficial
beneficial bacteria, fungi
fungi and protozoa
protozoa go
go to
of a few weeks, depending on the
the materials
materials used,
used, their
their relative
relative
cauldron. This process can take place slowly or in a matter of
sizes and quantities,
quantities, and how they are mixed together.

Gardener's Gold
Gardeners
Compost is multi-faceted, but not intended to be used as a fertilizer. In its
compost offers
its finished form, compost
offers a relatively
relatively low
low
proportion of nutrients, yet what it does is close to magical. When applied to your
your garden bed as mulch,
mulch, compost
compost reduces
reduces
evaporation, inhibits
inhibits weed
weed growth,
growth, and
and insulates
insulates the soil
soil from extreme temperature
temperature changeskeepchangeskeeping
warmer at night. Yet compost
compost has
ing the topsoil cooler in the daytime and warmer
has humble
humble beginnings.
beginnings.
Common,
barnyard manure,
manure, and
Common, easily accessible material such as lawn clippings, barnyard
and kitchen
kitchen
garbage decaying together in a pile will give your
your soil the gift
gift of
of minerals
minerals and
and other
other comcomponents
ponents it needs.
Regardless
Regardless of
of the particular
particular ingredients, making
making compost
compost is
is akin
akin to
to making
making bread
bread or
or
beersimilar
bacteria need warmth, moisture,
moisture, air,
beersimilar to yeast, soil-digesting bacteria
air, and
and somesomething to feed on to keep
keep them alive and growing. Almost
Almost all the
the practical
practical problems
problems
associated
compost stem from
associated with making compost
from an imbalance
imbalance of
of these
these basic
basic factors.
factors.
The traditional method, referred to as fast
composting, produces
produces aa lot
fast or
or hot
hot composting,
lot
of
of compost in just a few weeks. Heat is
is the key
key element
element here. A
A well-constructed
well-constructed
compost
temperatures of
compost pile can reach temperatures
of 160 to
to 170F. In addition,
addition, a carbon
carbon to
to ninitrogen ratio of 30:1 must
must be maintained, and the pile
pile must
must be
be turned
turned every
every two
two to
to
three days over a span of
of two
two to four
four weeks.
Timing is crucial. Your
Your pile is
is fully
fully composted when itit fails
fails to
to heat
heat up,
up, after
after being
being
turned. Then it is ready to use. Use itit with a good feeling for
for its
its your
your gardens
garden's natural
natural
fuel.
Remember
of every
Remember your objective: The foundation of
every successful
successful garden
garden is
is to
to achieve
achieve
healthy
healthy soil.

Compost
Compost Basics
Basics
Anyone today
today can make a compost
compost pile to add to their soil's
soils nutritional diet. Include
Include peels, tea
coffee grounds,
tea bags, coffee
grounds,
leaves and grass clippings (pesticide free, of
of course). You can also add manure, soil, old hay, straw, and
and weeds
weeds (as
(as long
long as
as
they are not in the seeding stage). There is a place and use for
for everthing that will rot.
Compost piles are easier to manage if they are small. If you do
do not
not have much space for
for aa compost
compost pile,
pile, you
you can
can build
build
mini-piles in several
several locations on your property, or build one in a large garbage can with holes
holes punched
punched in
in the
the bottom.
bottom. You
You
can also purchase pre-made compost bins, or
or make them yourself
yourself out
out of
of plywood and chicken
chicken wire.
The top of the pile needs to be slightly concave to
to catch rainwater. If the
the rains
rains dont
don't come, water
water the
the pile
pile once
once a week
week
with an inch
inch of water to help it cook.
It is best to layer what you add to
to the pile. Don't
Dont stack two feet of
of grass
grass clippings
clippings on
on top;
top; sandwich
sandwich them
them between
between layers
layers
of manure, soil,
soil, non-animal kitchen scraps, and lime. This prevents matting in the
the heap
heap and odor
odor problems.
problems.
Never add fat, meat, bones or any greasy scraps to the pile. They
They will attract
attract scavengers
scavengers and
and the
the pile
pile will
will not
not break
break down
down
properly. Do add fish meal, bone
bone meal or blood meal to heat up.
Every two or three days take a pitchfork and turn the pile to let air
air circulate
circulate and help
help speed up
up the
the decomposition
decomposition of
of the
the
materials. You
You can also put a steel, hollow pipe in the center
center of
of the pile to let air
air in, or
or build
build your
your pile
pile around
around a large
large fence
fence
post so that air gets into the pile.
4
4

CCountryside
OUNTRYSIDEComposting
Composting Guide
Guide

bacteria is
is digesting
digesting the
the carbon
carbon comcomAbout two days after you have built your first compost pile, it will start to heat. The bacteria
or water
water should
should
pounds in the vegetable matter and giving off heat energy. This is a good sign! Manure tea, compost tea, or
be added to the pile frequently.
will reward
reward you
you by
by
Composting is a natural, non-toxic, and non-polluting mulch for the garden. Earthworms love itthey will
aerating your soil and providing nutrient-rich worm droppings. When spread around the base of fruit trees, compost seems
to increase production. It can be sprinkled on lawns and shrub beds, as well.
vegetables and
and
On my farm, I use compost for drought management and to add mulch and nutrients to the soil around vegetables
fruits. Tomatoes, peppers, melons, and strawberries all have higher yields if I mulch with compost.
nature's best effort to build soil and because compost is
is so
so efficient
efficient and
and practiBecause the compost pile is symbolic of natures
by the
the
cal in
in its
its work in the garden, it has become the heart of organic growing. It is the basic tool for the job to be done by
organic gardener: to give nature a hand and create the finest garden soil that he or she possibly can.

Composting Techniques
or oxygenic
oxygenic bacteria
bacteria and
and fungi (there
(there is
is also
also aa
Most composting methods rely on the bio-chemical processes of aerobic or
organisms that thrive
thrive in decaying organic
organic materials).
materials). These
These invisible
invisible magimagimethod that relies on an aerobic or non-oxygenic organisms
cians produce the valuable, dark, fluffy, humus-like compost that smells like the floor
floor of
of aa forest.
forest. There
There are various
various ways
ways of
of
promoting the action of such beneficial microorganisms. These are discussed below.
In order
order to thrive,
thrive, the
the organisms
organisms in the pile must
must be given
given ingredients that supply both high-carbon and high nitrogen
nitrogen
materials in various ratios. These include: high-carbon brown
"brown" substances
substances like hay, leaves, ground
ground bark
bark and
and twigs;
twigs; and
and highhighnitrogen "green"
green material like manures, fish meal, soybean or alfalfa meals, and moderate amounts
amounts of fresh
fresh grass
grass clippings,
green weeds, and vegetable garbage. The final ingredients are water and warmth (aerobic bacteria
bacteria require
require oxygen as
as well).
well).
Method One
First,
First, scrape or spade the grass from an area five feet wide by five feet long, or more. A heap any larger
larger would
would be hard to
turn when it is time to fork it over to get air in.
Bacteria come up into the heap from the bare soil. After the heap has cooled, earthworms appear, too.
On the
the bottom,
bottom, pile
pile twigs or brush about eight inches thick. This allows the air to circulate. Add a series
series of
of layers as
follows:
1.
1. An eight-inch layer of dry, brown, high-carbon material like leaves, straw, spoiled hay, sawdust or
or wood
wood chips.
chips.
2. A three-inch layer of manure or other green, high-nitrogen material such as fish meal, alfalfa
alfalfa meal,
meal, cottonseed
cottonseed meal,
or soybean meal.
3. A one-inch layer of garden soil.
4. A sprinkling of rock minerals like dolomitic limestone, granite dust, and greensand to provide
provide calcium,
calcium, phosphate,
phosphate, and
and
potash.
Repeat layers one through four until you build the pile up to five feet high.
The pile needs water, so sprinkle every second or third layer as you build
build the
the pile and
and water
water the
the top.
top. A
A pile
pile that
that is
is too
too dry
dry
will soon look white and moldy. A pile that is too wet will get soggy and smelly, so fork itit open and give itit more
more air.
air.
You need a regular method for turning over your compost pile. The easiest way
way is
is to move
move the
the entire
entire pile
pile to
to an
an adjoining
adjoining
bin or spot using a large pitchfork. This should be done after the first week. (If you dont
don't want
want to
to move
move the
the whole
whole pile,
pile, make
make
sure you
you fork
fork it enough so that the warm insides mix sufficiently with the cool outsidealmost like stoking a fire.) Wait
Wait at
least three weeks, fork again, and then repeat a month later. Fork once more a month afterwards. This method of
of compostcomposting will provide fluffy, fine compost in three to four months.
Method Two
In
In this easier method, you use the same materials, but pile them up slowly year after year in three bins. You never
never turn
turn the
the
piles, and merely add more high-nitrogen materials and soil whenever you see that nothing
nothing is
is happening
happening or
or that
that something
something
is amiss. The
The incorrect carbon to nitrogen ratio can really wreak havoc on your compost pile. Remember: it should be 30
parts carbon to one part nitrogen. An incorrect ratio results in putrefactiona slimy
slimy mess
mess that smells
smells bad
bad and
and should
should not
not be
be
used as a soil conditioner.
The catch is that you have to wait three years for the materials to ripen and compost. The hazard is that
that you may
may lose
lose
many good nutrients from leaching during that period.
5
C
ountryside
Guide
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UNTRYSIDEComposting
Composting Guide
5

Method Three
Three
Method
A third method is very quick, but requires a lot of
of manpower. You need aa shredder
shredder to
to first
first break
break the
the materials
materials down
down into
into small
small
bits to accelerate decay. Use the same ratio of eight parts high-carbon material to three parts high-nitrogen
high-nitrogen material
material to
to one
one
part soil. Just turn your pile every three days or whenever you notice that it is beginning to cool off.
Method Four
Four
Method
A fourth method is the anaerobic process, mentioned above, which is accomplished by microorganisms
microorganisms that
that do
do not
not require
require
oxygen. Here those who do not like to turn piles can relax.
bags (heavy-duty garbage
garbage bags
bags will
will suffice),
suffice), tie
tie them
them tightly, and
and leave
leave
Put all materials inside large, dark, double plastic bags
reduced to compost. This will
will take
take approximately
approximately six
sixmonths,
months, and
and itit
them alone until the materials heat up and are eventually reduced
same 30:1 ratio as method
method two).
two). It is
is also
also possible
possible to
to bury
bury the
the materials
materials
is important to include high-nitrogen materials (in the same
in a soil-covered trench and let them rot underground.
no garden
garden of your
your own
own and
and all
all you
you are
are
Whichever way you go about it, composting is greatly satisfying. Even if you have no
doing is converting garbage and leaves, you know that you have avoided waste and made something of value.

Spread
Spread It Around
How should compost be applied?
How
your garden
garden once aa year.
year. There is
is no
no danger
danger of
of burning
burning from
from
About two to four inches of compost should be spread over your
overuse, as is the case with chemically concocted fertilizers.
If you are ambitious, you can apply it twice a year. The amount depends on the
the fertility
fertility of
of your
your soil
soil (determined
(determined by
by aa soil
soil test)
test)
and on what and how much has been grown in it. One cubic yard of compost (27
(27 cubic
cubic feet) weighs, on average, 1,000
1,000 pounds.
pounds.
This figure varies according to the materials used and the length of time composted. However, half-finished (partially
(partially decayed)
compost should only be applied in the fall after harvest,
harvest, not during the growing season, so that
that itit has
has time
time to
to decompose.
decompose.
When applying
applying either
either half-finished or finished compost, first turn over the soil thoroughly
thoroughly and then mix
mix the
the compost
compost in
the top five inches. If you use a rotary tiller, you can simply spread the compost on the soil surface and go over
over itit aa couple
couple
of times to work it in.
To quickly improve the structure and
and fertility of poor soil, give it a thorough compost treatment
treatment in the fall. Spade
Spade itit up
up
to 12 to 18 inches deep and mix in all the half-rotted compost you have. Then leave the surface rough and cloddy
cloddy so
so that
that
the freezing and thawing
thawing of winter will mellow it or plant a green manure crop that will add more fertility when tilled in next
next
spring.
Putting
compost deep down in the soil gives your plants built-in
Putting compost
protection
protection against droughts-the moisture will be held in the humus
humus so
so
that
your crops
that plant roots can drink it up in dry weather-preventing your
crops
from
from starving to death during a drought.
drought.

Vegetables
Vegetables And
And Flowers
Flowers
Apply
Apply compost
compost to
to your
your vegetables.
vegetables. In the
the fall,
fall, bury
bury ititin
in trenches,
trenches, put
put
itit in the furrows
furrows when
when planting
planting and
and in the
the holes
holes when
when transplanting.
After
After the
the plants
plants start
start shooting
shooting up, mix
mix compost
compostwith
with equal
equal amounts
amounts
of
of soil and use it as a top-dressing or heavily
heavily mulch the shoots with
partially
partially rotted compost or raw compost
compost materials
materials such
such as
as hay, straw,
sawdust,
sawdust, grass clippings and shredded leaves.
Finely
Finely screened compost is excellent to spread around all growgrowing
ing flowers as a sidedressing. Compost tea
tea watering is an excellent
excellent
way
supplementary feeding during their
way to give your plants supplementary
their growing
season.
season. Fill a can half-full of compost,
compost, add water, and
and let
let sit
sit overnight.
overnight.
Sprinkle
Sprinkle liberally around the plants.

Lawns
Lawns
Want a lawn that stays green all summer, has no crab grass and rarely needs water? Then use compost
compost liberally
liberally when
when
making and maintaining it.
In building a new lawn, work in large amounts of compost to a depth of at least seven inches. The best time to make aa
new lawn is in the fall, but if you want to get started in the spring, till in your compost and plant Italian ryegrass, which will
look quite neat all summer.
summer. Till under this green manure crop at the end of the summer and make your
your permanent
permanent lawn
when the cool weather comes.
Feed your lawn regularly every spring. An excellent practice is to use a spike tooth motor-powered aerator.
aerator. Make
Make about
about
five holes per
per square foot,
foot, then
then spread a mixture of fine finished compost and bone meal over the soil. Rake this into the
holes made by the aerator. You can use a fairly thick covering of compost,
compost, just not
not thick
thick enough
enough to cover
cover the
the grass.
grass. This
This will
will
feed your lawn efficiently and keep it growing a dense mass of roots that laughs at droughts.
6
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CCountryside
OUNTRYSIDEComposting
Composting Guide
Guide

Trees and
and Shrubs
Shrubs
Trees
moss or
or leaf
leaf mold.
mold. After
After makmakWhen planting trees and shrubs, make a mixture of equal parts compost, topsoil and peat moss
the hole
hole and
and carefully fill
fill in
in the
the
ing a planting hole at least twice the size of the root ball in all directions, place the root ball in the
mixture around the ball, tamping it down as you put in each spadeful.
leaves or straw will keep the soil moist
Soak the ground well, then spread an inch or two of compost on top. A mulch of leaves
and control
and
control weeds.
weeds.
Established shrubs should
should be fed yearly by working a half-bushel of compost into the soil surface, then mulching with
plenty of compost with it. Theyll
They'll get
get aa
coca shells. When piling the soil around your rose bushes for winter protection, mix plenty
better start next spring.
cultivate the
the soil
soil shallowly
shallowly
The ring method is best for feeding trees. Starting in a ring about two feet out from the trunk cultivate
to a foot beyond the drip line of the braches. Rake one to two inches of compost into the top two inches of soil.
four to
to six
sixinches
inches of
of compost,
compost, then
then apply
apply aa heavy
heavy
The ring method is ideal for fruit trees, too. You can work in as much as four
two feet
feet
mulch, which
which will
will continue
continue to feed the trees. Some organic gardeners merely pile organic materials as deep as two
around their fruit trees, adding more materials and a sprinkling of kelp meal as the covering decomposes.
harmony with
with nature
nature to
to keep
keep
Composting waste material is perhaps the simplest example there is of people working in harmony
of good housekeeping:
their habitat in
in order
order and ensure
ensure their own survival. The principle involved is simply the first law of
housekeeping:
When you're
youre finished using something, put it back where it belongs.

What can you throw on that compost pile?

t A g e a C 4 4 % y, t 2 4 4

I A 4 0

etiA g e t / Y c c i o l , e 1 4 1 t j . t 7

High-nitrogen (green) material

High-nitrogen

Alfalfa meal
Alfalfa
meal

Coffee grounds
Coffee

Cottonseed meal
meal
Cottonseed

Ground bark
Ground
bark (shredded
(shredded tree
tree bark)
bark)

Grass clippings

Leaves
Leaves

Fish meal
meal
Fish

Manures
Manures

Vegetable scraps
Vegetable
scraps

High-carbon (brown)
High-carbon
(brown) materials
materials

Ashes
Ashes

Soybean
meal
Soybean meal
0

Sawdust
Sawdust
SShrub
h r u b prunings
prunings
Spoiled hay
Spoiled
hay

Tea bags
Tea
bags

Straw
Straw

(corn cobs are not recommended)

0

Weeds (not in seed stage)

Weeds

Twigs
Wood chips
Wood
chips

Do not use:
N I

*veil t v g :

Animal bones
0 Animal
0 Fat

C
ountryside
CO
UNTRYSIDEComposting
Composting Guide
Guide

0
0

Greasy scraps
Meat or dairy products

77

SheetComposting
Benefits
Sheet
Composting Has
Has Benefits
ButSome
SomeDisadvantages,
Disadvantages,too
too
But

or years, Ive read advice to put compost on your garden. Ive never used compost. I always put the livestock manure
don't till
till it under
under
directly on the garden. II put cow, rabbit, goat and pig manure on after the garden is done in late fall. I dont
F ountil
r years,
I'veand
read
compost
on your
garden.
I've
never
compost.
I always
put the livestock
manure
spring,
it's
ready to
plant.
Everything
of earthworms.
earthworms.
Is this
this the
the
right
itsadvice
to put
Everything
seems
to do
great
andused
my garden
is full
of
Is
right
it's in the ground and the worms start working on it? Do the plant roots take up
thing to do? Doesn't
Doesnt it compost itself after its
shouldn't eat?Reader from Indiana
anything from the raw manure we shouldnt
Your method
method is often used on farms where large-scale composting
composting might
might not
not be
be possible
possible or
or practical,
practical, and
and isis called
called
Your
involves less
less work, especially
you use a manure
manure spreader.
spreader. You
You probably
probably had
had aa pretty
pretty good
good soil
soil to
to
sheet composting. IItt involves
especially ifif you
not take
take much
much to maintain fertility. Having said
said that,
that, however, we
we should
should look
look into
into the
the additional
additional benbenbegin with. IItt might not
efits a compost pile might provide.
efits

Benefits
Benefits of Compost Piles
First,
First, when you apply manure to the garden (or field) and let
let itit
dry
dry out
out on the surface, youre
you're losing a great deal
deal of
of the
the nutrient
nutrient value,
value,
particularly
You
particularly nitrogen. Yo
u can salvage some of that
that by
by tilling itit in as
soon
soon as practical, but composting is better.
IfIf you clean your barn more than once a year, you're
youre probably
probably
just piling it until fall. That's
Thats causing even more nutrient
nutrient loss. (Some
(Some
homesteaders,
homesteaders, who use a deep litter system, do clean out
out only
only once
once
or
makings then come in
or twice a year but the bulk of the compost makings
spring...
when there isnt
spring.., when
isn't enough time for
for composting
composting to
to take
take place
place in
in
the
Crops may be damaged by raw manure.) You
You can add to a
the soil. Crops
compost
compost pile
pile anytime, even when the garden
garden is
is in
in full
full production.
production. And
with
with a pile, you can add other materials, such as kitchen and garden
waste, whenever its
it's available.
waste,

When Manure Is Scarce

When
Where
Where animal manure (and other compostables) are
are scarce,
scarce, and/
and/
or the garden soil is noticeably lacking in fertility, composting really

o
r
really
comes
There are two primary
comes into its own. There
primary reasons.
reasons.
First,
First, finished compost can be applied where, when, and how
how its
it's
needed. With
With sheet
sheet composting
composting you're
youre spreading
spreading the wealth over the entire garden, including the path and walkways.
Worse yet, the
the lettuce and radishes are getting as much as the corn and pumpkins, which require much more. You
You dont
don't
have anything to
to put
put in the holes at planting time to give rhubarb, asparagus, tomatoes, and others that
And
that extra boost. And
you don't
dont have the compost to side dress crops that could use a second feeding later in the growing season.
IfIf you have finished compost, you can put it exactly where its
You
it's needed, in the amount required,
required, at the proper
proper time.
time. You
might work it into the rows before planting, or use it on raised beds. While most
most gardeners
gardeners never
never have
have enough
enough manure,
manure, they
they
often have other materials: leaves, grass clippings, garden residue, kitchen trimmings, sawdust, etc. B
By
y themselves,
themselves, none
none
of these will compost properly because they lack the required carbon-nitrogen ratio. Composting
Composting is not
not rotting.
"rotting." Building aa
compost pile by knowledgeably layering a variety of materials, including manure, solves these problems.
A properly built and maintained compost pile will turn organic materials into aa rich,
rich, fragrant soil
soil amendment
amendment much
much faster
faster
than anything else. On top of the practical benefits, making compost is satisfyingand fun!
Note that manure doesn't
doesnt "compost
compost itself,"
itself, nor do worms work on raw manure. In fact, worms cant
highcan't survive
survive in aa hightemperature compost pile. (They
(They die at 130 F., and will move out long before that. Piles can reach 150-160 while
while theyre
they're
composting.) The
The very
very high temperatures
temperatures in "thermophilic"
thermophilic composting kills pathogenic organisms and weed seeds, alalthough home piles will work just as well at lower temperatures.
The chief danger of raw manure in the garden is that plants or their
their roots
roots will be burned,
"burned," (chemically).
(chemically). It should
should always
always
be composted, in the pile or in the soil, before planting.
8
8
CCountryside
OUNTRYSIDEComposting
Composting Guide
Guide

ForMore
More Information
For
Useful resources
Useful
resources from
from the
the COUNTRYSIDE
COUNTRYSIDE Bookstore:
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r
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ountryside
Guide
CO
UNTRYSIDEComposting
Composting Guide

99

Composting is for the

Composting
is for the

W
o
r
m
s
worms

reparing large holiday meals produces more than happy families with full tummies. It also produces wastepeelings,
down the
the garbage
garbage disposal:
disposal:
shreddings, and choppingsthat make excellent worm feed. Don't stuff all that food waste down
p r e turn
p a r iitnover
g large
produces
moreorthan
families
with
full banana
tummies.peels
I t also
wastepeelings,
to aholiday
worms.
Red
peels
andproduces
cores
into rich
rich comcomherd ofmeals
Red worms
red happy
wigglers
will turn
those
and
apple cores
into
post that can be used next spring.
anywhere, even under
under the
the kitchen
kitchen sink.
sink. Bins located
located near
near
Vermicomposting (composting with earthworms) can be done anywhere,
heater
a hot water heater will save trips trudging through the snow and cold carrying wastes to the compost bin. And
And the heater
will keep the worms warm, ensuring optimum recycling results.
h e length and
Red wigglers tend to be surface feeders, so the bin shouldn't be more than eight to 12 inches deep. TThe
of thumb is to have
have one
one
width of the bin will
will vary
vary with the amount of waste produced by your family, although a good rule of
square foot of surface area per pound of waste.
Plastic bins with
with 1/4-inch holes
holes in the bottom will provide good drainage and aren't as messy as wooden bins. Place
Place
the bin lids underneath,
underneath, supporting the bins on top with wooden slats. TThe
h e liquid that is caught in the lids can be used as
as
plant fertilizer.
The bedding can be made of shredded newspaper, cardboard, leaves, straw or
or peat
peat moss.
moss. Keep the
the bedding
bedding moist,
moist, but
but
not water-logged. Throw
Throw in a handful of sand to provide grit for the worms'
digestive system.
worms digestive
Red
weight in food scraps
Red worms can eat their own weight
scraps and
bedding
pounds
bedding in one day. OOn
n the average, it takes two pounds
of
waste in 24 hours
of worms to eat a pound of good waste
hours under
under
optimum
optimum conditions.
Composting
worms can
can bbe
purchased from
from a garden
garden
Composting worms
e purchased
supply
store, bait
bait shop
shop or some
some garden
garden supply
supply catalogs.
catalogs.
supply store,
When
the worms arrive, add them to the top of the moist
moist
When the
bedding
Cover
bedding and they will disappear
disappear within
within a few
few minutes. Cover
the
the top of the bin with a moist burlap bag or straw
straw to
to prevent
prevent
the
bedding
from
drying
out.
the
The
worms will
will eat
eat all kinds
kinds of waste including coffee
The worms
grounds,
tea
bags,
pulverized
egg shells, and of
grounds,
of course
course fruits
fruits
and
vegetables.
Bury
the
food
in
the
bedding
instead
of
and
Bury
of laylaying
ing it on top.
Add
Add scraps for two or three months, or until the bedding
disappears.
Then it's
disappears. Then
its time to
to harvest
harvest the
the worms
worms and
and compost
compost
the material.
Place
Place the compost on a tarp in the sun to remove the
worms.
They don't like
worms. They
like the light, so they'll move
move to
to the
the bottom
bottom
of
the
piles.
Scrape
off
a
layer
of
compost
until
you
of
Scrape
compost until you reach
reach the
the
worms at the bottom. Combine
Combine the piles and continue the process
process until you have aa pile
pile of
of compost
compost and
and aa pile
pile of
of worms.
worms. Add
the compost to your garden and the worms to the bin, and begin making a new batch of
of compost.
compost.

10
10

CCountryside
OUNTRYSIDEComposting
Composting Guide
Guide

Make a Compost Barrel

20" xx 30
30" will
will do.
do.
f you can find
find a large old (used and discarded) oil barrel, cut a hatchway out of one side; about 20
the total
Cut holes exactly in the center on each end to match the size of steel water pipe you plan to use. Measure
Measure the
length of the barrel and set in two big fence posts about two or three inches from each end so the barrel will turn
easily.

2 binges
welded on

_
I

A ittieer I I
Lame
hatch 1 - - 2

1
L
L o a , watt

hasp welded on

Now
Now cut a slot or V
"V" notch on the top of
of each
each post
post to
to set
set the
the
center
center pipe on. IIff you cant
can't weld or cut
cut steel yourself, then you
will
Make sure
will have to take it to someone who can. Make
sure you cut
cut or
drill
inch wide about every
drill small holes 1/2
every six
six inches
inches in the sides
sides
of the barrel these will let in air.
of

Side view of steel drum

(Door must he centered in middle)

-.scrc

--to-3-inch steel pipe

through center of steel drum

hist

Steel baffles
welded onto
the side of
tire barrel

Baffles are 3"

31a-, but can be
any size you need

Next cut 3
3" xx 36
36" baffles
baffles and have all of
of them
them welded onto
onto the
the
Next
inside
(See drawing.) These
These can
inside of the barrel, evenly spaced. (See
be
These
be easily welded in place through the 20
20" xx 30
30" doorway.
doorway. These
baffles
baffles (No. A to I) will toss your vegetable or manure
manure compost to
to
allow
Turn at least
allow air to
to circulate
circulate evenly.
evenly. Turn
least once
once aa day.
day. (The steel
steel
door
door must be latched so that it will not open when you turn it.)
When
When the compost is done, open the hatchway and turn the
the
barrel
Your compost
barrel so the door is at
at the bottom. Your
compost should
should fall
fall out
out
easily.
easily.
Reader
Reader from
from Washington
Washington

End view of barrel

List a deep-set fee cc post to sect he pipe ends onto.

C
ountryside
CO
UNTRYSIDEComposting
Composting Guide
Guide

11
II

MakingCompost
City
Making
Compost In The
The City
second floor apartment.
apartment. The
The only
only garden
garden II had
had was
was
COUNTRYSIDE: For many years we lived in a large city in Germany, in a second
about recycling
recycling and
and the speaker
speaker was
was telling
telling how
how
in flower boxes or pots on our balconies. One day I heard a radio program about
how II did
did it
it...
to make compost if you live in an apartment. I followed her directions and found that it really worked. This is how
came with
with
Whenever I had vegetable scraps (and we had lots since most of the vegetables purchased at the markets came
water
all the greens on them), I cut them coarsely and put them in the blender. When the blender was full I added enough water
water plants.
plants. Then I took
took the
the
to make it mix well and blended it on slow speed. I drained off the extra water and used it to water
didn't have
have
vegetable mush to the balcony where I had three large buckets, one of them filled with soil (potting soil since I didnt
access to any other). All three buckets had loose-fitting lids.
little more
more soil
soil on
II put a scoop of potting soil into one of the empty buckets, dumped the blend on top and sprinkled a little
got too
too moist
moist I left
left
top. II repeated
repeated this every time I had a blender full, basically just layering soil and vegetable waste. If itit got
the cover
cover off
the
off until
until itit dried
dried out
out a
a bit.
bit.
Every
Every so often I would
would dump
dump the contents of the bucket into the third bucket (empty at the time) to mix
mix and aerate
aerate it.
There was always one bucket with soil, one with compost, and one waiting empty. When the bucket of
of compost
compost got
got nearly
nearly
full I aerated it, then let it set for awhile. Before long it was ready to use.
The outside temperature had an effect on how quickly
quickly it was
was ready but
but since
since it never
never got
got below
below freezing
freezing for
for long
long periods
periods
it was ready quite soon.
flower boxes.
boxes. I added potpotThe first time I used some of the finished compost was when I needed to add soil to some flower
ting soil to fill one up and used compost to fill the other. After planting the flowers and watching them for
for about
about two
two weeks
weeks itit
became obvious which box had the compostit
compost... it required less water and the plants were much bushier
bushier and
and more
more vigorous.
vigorous.
The difference was really incredible and made a believer out of me!
-Reader from
from Illinois
-Reader

12

Countryside Composting Guide

AnEasy
WallTo
To
An
Easy Way

Silt Compost
eompostAnd
Soil
Sift
And Soil
compost but
but do
do not
not have
have an adequate screen? Give
Give this
this low/no
low/no cost
cost system
system aa try:
try:
COUNTRYSIDE: Do you need to sift a lot of compost
These are
are
Obtain a plastic bread/pastry tray that route delivery people use for carrying their products to supermarkets. These
work best
best for
for this
this
typically molded plastic, several feet
feet square, with holes in the bottom. Those with uniformly-sized holes work
project.
"borrowing" one
one of
of these
these from
from behind
behind aa grocery
grocery store.
store. We
We found
found two
two along
along the
the shoulder
shoulder of
of
Note: We do not condone borrowing
the Interstate.
Interstate.
the
Place the tray on a sturdy wheelbarrow and scoop a shovelful
shovelful of
of compost
compost onto
onto it. Wearing
Wearing thick
thick leather
leather gloves,
gloves, move
move the
the
Place
the matter
matter left
left over
over onto
onto aa
compost around so it passes through the holes in the tray and falls into the wheelbarrow. Deposit the
separate compost pile for further decomposition. Take the wheelbarrow loaded with compost to the garden for use.
not use a
IfIf you do
do not have a wheelbarrow, you
you can use a trash can or similar container to catch the compost. Do not
"rabbit wire
wire" mesh
mesh attached to
to the
the
container that was used for toxic or hazardous materials. If you want finer compost, use rabbit
inner surface of the tray.
The tray can be cleaned with
with a stiff brush and garden hose, or even left in the rain for a while. During the off
off season,
season,
the tray can be
be used
used to dry onions or store potatoes or winter squash. Finally, you can hang it on a nail in your
your garage
garage or
or
shed until it is needed.
-Reader from
from North
North Carolina
Carolina
-Reader

QuickAnd
AntiEasy
Easy
Quick

CompostMethod
Method
Compost
COUNTRYSIDE:
have been reading
reading many articles on composting and most of
COUNTRYSIDE: I have
of them
complain about the backbreaking
backbreaking work of turning the compost. I have come up with an
easy
easy way.
Using
Using my front tine tiller to loosen the dirt, I dig a trench about
about three feet long, three
three
or four feet long, and a foot-and-a-half or two feet deep.
II shred and store dry leaves in the fall. Each time my husband mows the lawn during
the summer he dumps grass clippings in the trench. I add the desired amount
amount of
of leaves,
leaves,
mix
mix them with the tiller, and use the garden hose to give them the right moisture. About
About
every
every three days I run the tiller through them and add moisture ifif needed.
needed. This method
method will
will
produce
produce useable compost in two weeks. It sure beats turning by
by hand
hand or
or waiting
waiting aa year
year to
to
get compost without turning.

C
ountryside
CO
UNTRYSIDEComposting
Composting Guide
Guide

13
13

Get Back
Back to
to Basics
Basics
Get

with the
of Simple
Simple Living
Living Magazines
Magazines...
with
the Grandfather
Grandfather of
m'W
' 


 
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l , , k a . #$


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nal
0 Sm
0-TorlImr4M,Driroccrf
all Stock Jour
&

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(
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LESSONS FROM
FARM
LSETSASROTVI;L:Al
STARTING A SMALLl. FARM
AS
NOT AS
MILK: NOT
RAWMILK:
RAW
AS YOU
Y AS
RISKY
T H THIN
I N KK
RISK
BEES
WITH BEES
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INTO SUMMER

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ountryside Composting
Composting Guide
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