As if by magic, my husband and I turn our garbage into beautiful, nutrient-rich soil. It's
incredibly easy, and you can be a magician, too! It doesn't require a lot of space, time, or
effort.
The basic recipe is: Pile the following in alternating layers:
- 50% dry matter (dry leaves, wood chips, sawdust, hair, etc.)
- 35% fresh matter (grass clippings, vegetable and fruit clippings, eggshells, coffee grounds,
etc.)
- 15% soil or finished compost
- Water: enough to keep the mixture as wet as a wrung-out sponge; air should circulate around
the exterior.
Frequent turning or stirring speeds up the process.
At our house, we are very casual about this recipe, but it takes several months to get results.
We keep a one-gallon bucket on the kitchen counter. When full, we throw it on the pile and cover
it with dry matter. We try to remember to water it in the dry season, but if we sometimes forget,
it just takes a little longer. Periodically, we shovel the whole pile onto the space next to the
current pile, and mix it up so the interior portion is outside and vice versa. The more often you
do this and the smaller you chop your ingredients, the faster the compost "cooks;" You'll know
it's working when the center feels hot. The pile can be left as such, or you can build a wood
and chicken wire framework for it.
One can also get very fancy. If you layer the ingredients exactly according to the recipe, are
religious about maintaining the moisture level, and turn the pile twice a week, you can have a
finished product in as little as three to four weeks!
A variety of compost bins can be purchased, including ones made for apartments and ones that can
be cranked for easy turning. Finished compost will generally still have to be sifted through a
screen. Anything uncomposted goes back into the pile.
Compost can be used as soil amendment, fertilizer, potting soil, and mulch.
The benefits of composting are many. Combined with recycling, buying in bulk, and reusing bags
and containers, our household generates almost no garbage-- that's a nice contribution to
improving the environment. In addition, many sanitation companies give reduced rates for
households that use smaller cans. Besides the good feeling of protecting our environment and
giving back to the earth, compost also helps grow beautiful and healthy.
For further information, free literature, and a schedule of free composting demonstrations,
call the Rotline at (510) 635-6275.
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