composting 101
Posted on 01. Apr, 2009 by Carrie in op-ed
words > LAEL EWY
photo > JEREMIAH RITTMILLER
Composting is a quick way to turn organic matter–food scraps, yard waste, what-have-you–back into usable, high-quality, nutrient-rich soil. That soil can then be added to existing dirt in a flower or vegetable garden or even a pot or window box. Composting is exactly what nature does anyway, but in a quicker, more controlled way. Here are some pointers:
1. It can be cheap: Expensive spinnable composters or ones that are neatly contained in flashy plastic boxes sure do impress the neighbors, but they don’t really perform any better than some wire fencing and some metal posts. The compost just needs to be relatively contained.
2. It should be (mostly) vegan: Produce scraps are great, as are grass clippings, coffee grounds, and the like. Meat and cheese don’t work as well as you’d think and attract neighborhood critters. Eggshells, though, tend to help keep the final product loose and workable, so they’re ok.
3. It should be active: Turn your compost every few days to keep it aerated and loose. Things degrade better when exposed to light and air.
4. It should be wet: make sure when the days are dry to keep your compost moist. The microbes and other creatures that turn organic matter into soil need water just like you do.
5. It can be supercharged: Ashes from your fireplace, grill, or woodstove can add carbon and loosen your compost. And a cupful of worms can eat through a layer of leaves in no time.
6. It’ll be obvious when it’s ready: It’ll look like dirt.
The good stuff from the bottom of your compost pile can go directly into your garden as a soil amendment, or it can go into pots to enhance potting soil. It’s a quick, cheap, easy way to fertilize your as-local-as-it-gets food from your vegetable garden, plus it avoids the packaging and eco-expense of commercial fertilizers, which are usually petroleum-based.
