KitchenCompostGuide.com

Nature’s fascinating process of recycling decomposing organic material into a rich organic soil is how compost works.  Anything that was once living, will decompose.  Backyard composting can speed up the decomposing process of nature.  By composting your organic waste you are returning nutrients back into the soil in order for the cycle of life to continue.  Finished compost looks like dark brown soil (almost black), crumbly and has the scent of a forest floor.

To keep things easy to manage, you need a nice and functional container to collect food scraps in the kitchen, the container can be cleared outside when suitable.  You also need an area to put all the organic waste while it is decomposing.  It will not smell if you keep heaving clean dry soil on the waste.

How Compost Works: What is Composting?

Recyclable organic material makes up 30% of our waste.  Recycling your yard waste and food scraps decreases the amount of garbage you produce.  The yard and food waste create 30% of our waste.  Composting helps redirect that waste from the landfill, waterways and water treatment facilities.  Plus, compost is crucial to a great garden.  Beginning  your own compost pile guarantees a free, regular supply of good soil.  Watching food, grass and leaves slowly turn in to soil is captivating.  Once you understand the process, compost effort can be one of the most interesting parts of gardening.

How Compost Works: How to Maintain a Good Pile?

Oxygen, Moisture, Variety, Agitation – All are Helpful

* Dampness: You can gauge the moisture level of your compost pile by its odor.  When you dig around in a heap and do not smell the desired earthy fragrance, lack of  moisture is usually the reason.

* Stirring or Turning: Rotating the pile is good, but not necessary.  It assists in aeration and breaks up the organic matter for faster decomposition.

* Good Compost Ingredients:
Leaves, hay and other dead plant material
Fruit and vegetable trimmings
Herbicide-free grass clippings
Manure from horses, cattle, goats, poultry and rabbits
Paper or cardboard, torn into strips or hand-sized pieces

* Do NOT Add:
Meat scraps
Very fatty, sugary or salty foods
Chips or sawdust from treated wood
Clippings from herbicide-treated lawns
Manure from omnivorous animals (dogs, cats, humans, etc.)

How Compost Helps the Garden?

Good compost makes plants stronger.  Compost develops into what soil scientists call active organic matter, a dark, flaky soil, that’s rich with micro-organisms and earthworms, as well as the useful waste these life-forms release.  Adding compost to garden soil intensiys its water-holding capacity, and provides wonderful plant nutrients.  Compost also contains substances that helps plants respond well to challenges from insects and disease.

How Compost Works: How does it help my plants?

If you want the best compost, you want cured compost.  This is mature compost that is set aside in a covered place where it can age for at 3-6 months.  Microorganisms continue to work as the compost cures, including a special group of bacteria that produce compounds thought to “prime” plants to do a superior job of defending themselves from pests and diseases.

How Compost Works: Which Methods Work the Best?

Should I Go Hot or Cold?

Good compost can be either hot or cold.  Most people who meticulously manage their compost piles for a balance of ingredients are trying to produce hot compost, which heats up or “cooks” as the materials decay.  Hot compost is the fastest type of compost to make, but it’s not necessarily better than compost that rots slowly without heating up.  High temperatures in the compost heap will make the compost decompose faster resulting in higher nitrogen level; however it will also have a lower level of beneficial microbes.  The trade off is up to the gardeners preference.

Differing Opinions?

Gardeners who compost is often discouraged as they try to learn the method conflicting sources are saying is right.  This is an understandable problem since there is so much material available about composting.  Take heed: there is no absolute “right way” to do it.  Even if you just put a bunch of organic yard/food waste in a pile it will eventually decompose and you will have compost.

How Compost Works: When is it Ready?

The compost is ready to use when you can no longer tell what was in the pile.  Keep the compost covered until you add it to your garden to prevent rain from leaching out nutrients.