How to Make Organic Compost for Dry Weather Gardens

Beneficial organic compost is prized by both flower and vegetable gardeners who want healthy, robust plants. Making your own compost is easy. The ingredients are plant parts, kitchen vegetable scraps, paper scraps, beneficial nematodes, and moisture. These things can be mixed in almost any way, but the one that cannot be removed if you want organic compost is the water. The compost will not cook, or break down if it is dry.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Large container such as a barrel
• Composting materials
• Water hose
• Shovel or pitchfork
• Time

1. Choose a large container for your dry weather compost heap. It should be relatively water tight but have holes in it. You can also create a container with screening, chicken wire, or wooden pallets.
2. Begin your compost heap for dry weather gardens by soaking the ground well. This moisture will help the organic clippings and scraps decompose into rich, moist compost.
3. Put a two to three sheet thick layer of newspaper on the damp ground. Then, alternate layers of straw, grass clippings, kitchen scraps, denatured manure, and other organic, vegetative materials. You can include egg shells, but never include egg or any meat products.
4. Soak each layer with water as you add it. In dry weather climates, the organic compost must be kept wet with a hose. If there is rain, you can catch the rain water and direct it to the compost heap with a tarp draped over the top of the compost bin with a hole cut in the middle.
5. Wait a season, turning the compost several times and making sure it is moist continuously. You will have rich, dark organic compost for your gardens.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the compost moist but do not soak it continuously.
• Never add meat or animal products to your compost.