MAKING A COMPOST PILE

COMPOST BIN DESIGNS

MAKING A COMPOST PILE

BUILDING A COMPOST PILE for zilch

MAKING A COMPOST PILE

But if you have lots of $$$$s to throw at making your own compost, be my guest. Amazon will accomodate you!

And you know what? I haven't spent one cent on building a compost bin. But I have had quite a lot of raw materials from my garden. Seven years of neglect whilst we lived in Holland has meant that our garden has turned into a jungle, providing plenty of rotten tree trunks and branches that are just perfect for making a compost pile. But if everything in your garden has to look "just so" then I'm afraid it's Amazon for you!

COMPOST GREENS

COMPOST BUGS

I was astonished that making a compost pile produces so much heat. I couldn't even put my hand into that pile. The temperature rises to as much as 170 degrees F. (80*C)

TIP: Include not only green material as you build a compost pile. Add plenty of dry material, old leaves, dry sticks, saw dust and any old organic material that's been lying about in your garden. Go for at least 50/50 green/dry organic material.

Notice the fungus attacking these half-rotten sticks. Placed at the bottom of your compost heap, they'll continue to break down to a beautiful dark earthy compost. And provide drainage.

TWO KINDS OF COMPOST

MAKING A COMPOST PILE

AEROBIC COMPOST BUGS

Within a day or two (adequate oxygen being available) the temperature rises quickly to 70-80 degrees C (that's hot, just try putting your fingers into the heap when you build your own compost pile.) Bacteria attack the grass cuttings, kitchen compost containers waste, weeds and whatever organic material you chuck into your compost heap. Then, adequate oxygen still being available, other bacteria and fungi start attacking the organic material. Open it up and you'll spot a host of activity.

Finally, as the temperature cools, earthworms, snails, millipedes and a gazillion other tiny bugs get stuck in. The key if you want to build your own compost heap is good compost aeration - plenty of air. Depending on the amount of oxygen and the size of your organic material, the whole process will take from a few weeks to a couple months.

At this stage you can add special worms when making your own compost. It speeds up the process, but frankly isn't necessary. Better still, bring in a batch of old compost that is full of earth worms. They'll breed in no time at all. When digging in the garden, I collect earthworms when I find them, and pop them in the compost heap once it cools off. When you add the compost back into the garden, you return ten times as many earthworms.

Sentient moment: Initially, I would toss the earthworms from whereever I was working, directly into the pile. Until one day, I heard a cheep from a tree above the pile. "Thank you very much." A thrush had a mouthful of earthworm! Thereafter, I buried the worms in the pile! The little grey flycatcher peeping to me, a bunting, a loerie shouting, a hadeda complaining at my presence... Mother Nature at her best. And Stealth, a lone Vervet monkey intent on my sweetcorn, um, Mother Nature at her worst! There ain't room for Homo Sapiens and Chlorocebus pygerythrus in the Garden of Eden. One of us must go. Him!

The compost pile needs to be kept moist but not sodden. When starting a compost pile, build it in partial shade or you'll be watering it every day. The sun helps raise the temperature.

ANAEROBIC COMPOST BUGS

To test if your heap is getting enough oxygen, lift a few layers. If the substrate has a slimy look, and stinks, then you have anaerobic composting occuring. Not good. More air is needed.

TWO METHODS OF MAKING A COMPOST PILE

TURN YOUR HEAP AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK

MAKE CHANNELS FOR FRESH AIR IN YOUR HEAP

Then every layer, place criss-crossed old, half-rotten sticks which provide airspaces in the body of the compost heap. One layer green organic material, one layer dry material, one layer rotten sticks. Keep them short as possible for easy turning.

When building a compost pile, dry hay from a stable for example is perfect. The horse manure mixed with dry hay is just what the gardener ordered!

The sticks do inhibit turning the pile easily, but then you only need to turn it once or maybe twice, instead of several dozen times. Best to use half-rotten sticks - the aerobic compost bugs will attack the sticks too, rendering them ultimately into compost.

Avoid making a compost pit - that simply cuts back on compost aeration and defeats the purpose. You'll get anaerobic composting occuring.

In this next photo you can see the greens underneath (at the back), covered with a layer of browns in the foreground. On top of that will go the top half of Mark I.

MAKING YOUR OWN COMPOST HEAP - TURN IT FOR MAXIMUM AERATION.

When the second heap is half built, perhaps a metre high, turn the first heap on top of the second. Bring all the material from the bottom, where it will surely be short of oxygen, to the top for better compost aeration. Watch it get hot all over again.

You'll know when the process is complete. You'll a relatively fine, dark, sweet smelling compost that looks almost like soil. If you have any large pieces that are not completely broken down, for example maize stalks, simply add them again to the next starting a compost pile.

BENEFITS OF COMPOST

MAKING A COMPOST PILE

Healthy soil is a living material. It's full of minscule microbes, fungi and earthworms. It's fibrous, full of the coarse break-down products of decay. Then the roots of your next crop can plunge deep down into the soil for nutrients and water.

And of course compost adds those very nutrients to the soil. You can grow beautiful healthy vegetables without having to resort to any artificial fertilizers.

Have fun. I have! Just look at this crop of Lazy Housewife! They bear for months. GROWING GREEN BEANS ... Cooking green beans

WHAT'S SO GOOD ABOUT BEANS

With the bean, dried or cooked, nature has done it for you. The bean family (legumes) are the richest source of vegetable protein - it's a carb with built in protein to lower the GI. GLYCEMIC INDEX and Carbohydrate count chart of a few carbs...

Plus there's oodles of research now that vegetable protein doesn't have all the cancer-causing qualities of too much animal protein.

Make the bean family a daily on your table. Hummus, tofu, green beans, lentils, dried beans. That's if want to live long and healthy in the land...

For the gardener, legumes have another benefit. They fix nitrogen in the soil. The crop of beets that follow your green beans will be magnificent and without having to add artificial nitrogen fertilizer to the soil.

COMPOST BIN AND COMPOST TUMBLERS

But there is a cost to composting: the sweat on your brow! Mind you, there's another plus, I lose a couple pounds after every heavy session in the garden, only 80% of which is water. I'm lighter than I've been for years! And have LESS back pain.

PLANT YOUR VEG!

Update: Two months later: the first pods are forming! I can't wait to tuck into them, especially the green chickpeas. Very sweet I believe, never had them before.

GROWING BROCCOLI

The most difficult part of the compost is sorting out the worms, they go into the next compost pile, it just speeds up the process.

In the far distance you can see the chickpeas and on the right, Lazy Housewife pole beans and butternut squash.

TREE PLANTING HELP

TREE PLANTING MEMORIAL

But it's wonderful to have the tree right in our front garden where every morning I can enjoy it. Brings back all the happy memories.

And, if you're strong, along with the gift, offer to plant it for them. All the stuff from Making a Compost Heap will give that tree a wonderful start... memorial tree planting will really then come into it's own. But beware, the hole should be 3'x 3' x 3' deep. You may need a chiropractor before you're finished! Get some tips here from your proper tree planting guide... TREE PLANTING HELP ...

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MAKING A COMPOST PILE

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MAKING A COMPOST PILE

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