How to Create Compost for Your Garden

Creating compost for your garden can be compared to baking a cake. Just follow a simple recipe using ingredients you have on hand and let it "cook"!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Green material: Any fresh organic material such as vegetable and fruit peels, seeds, rinds, coffee grounds, fresh grass clippings, plants, manure, etc.
• Brown material: Dried vines, leaves and grass, newspaper.
• Spores and microbes: use a few buckets full of good garden soil or old compost.
• Moisture: Just a little is all you really need, all the time, never allowing your compost heap to thoroughly dry out.

1. 
    

   Build a wood frame bin to contain your compost heap or simply use wire mesh fencing to form a large circle and wire the ends together. It is not absolutely necessary to build a bin for your compost, but it will keep the wind from blowing some of the materials away and hopefully keep critters and pets from digging through and adding...um...let's say "undesirable ingredients" to your beloved compost.

2. 
    

   Begin your compost pile with a layer of brown material as described in the "Things You'll Need" list. Make this layer several inches thick and then top it off with about an inch of green material and about the same amount of garden soil to add those much-needed microbes and spores, which do all the real work. Moisten each layer of compost as you lay it in. Continue adding layers in this order until you fill your bin or have enough compost for your needs.

3. 
    

   Use a shovel or pitchfork to turn and mix your compost after about two weeks and then mix again every week thereafter. Your compost will be ready to use when it has all "cooked" and blended together and each individual ingredient is unrecognizable. The compost should be rich and brown. The entire process could take anywhere from two weeks to several months depending on the exact content. Add nitrogen and turn your compost more frequently to speed up the process.

Tips & Warnings

• ALWAYS keep your compost moist!
• The proper ratio should be two to three parts brown material to one part green.
• Top your compost pile with straw, other brown material or even a tarp in order to discourage critters and to conserve moisture.
• DO NOT add such things as human or pet manure, wood, ash, coals, meat, dairy products or animal fats!

Resources

• Get the Most Out of Watering Your Lawn & Garden

[butternutsquash]

on 12/1/2009 This is great! My dad used to do this with leaves that he raked. Thanks for sharing 5*

[mfrussell]

on 10/10/2009 As a Libertarian, I'm always looking for more ways to become self sufficient. Definitely an A+ article!

[didi8u]

on 10/8/2009 Excellent tips and advice on How to Create Compost for Your Garden. 5* Thanks for sharing them with us.

[xtraordinary]

on 10/8/2009 Excellent article - great way to dispose of things without being wasteful AND help your garden. 5 stars~

[kittykat3]

on 9/19/2009 Great tips on how to create compost for your garden.