As I mentioned last week there are many benefits of composting, the most important is the benefit to your garden. Composting doesn’t have to be hard or labor intensive. You can keep it simple with a small compost bucket next to your sink for vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee grinds, anything that’s not cooked. Once your bucket is filled you can take it outside and dump it into a larger container. In the spring empty your larger container into the garden and till it in.
There are other ways to set up composting systems. Methods range from mulched paths that are replenished every other year, to piles that are maintained weekly. Many compost systems can be built with scavenged materials. Pallets can be used for example. You want to figure out the most appropriate composting system for your unique circumstance.
Wire mesh bins are the quickest and least expensive bins to construct. They can be used as holding and turning bins, or in combination with one of the larger bins as temporary storage. You simply add yard wastes such as leaves, occasionally add moisture and turn the compost and it will be ready in 6 months to 2 years.
You can also make a portable bin using scrap lumber or pallets. This type of bin provides moderate volumes of compost with very minimal effort. The location can be changed from time to time as well.
The bin I am planning to build this year is a stationary 3-bin system. This system is used to compost large amounts of yard and kitchen wastes in a short period of time. Compost piles are made and turned on a regular basis. This system may also be used for slow composting of yard wastes without kitchen scraps. A pile made with a balance of fresh greens and woody materials and turned weekly can be ready in three weeks.
Hopefully you will find room for a compost pile on your property. Compost can be used to enrich your flower and vegetable gardens, to improve the soil around trees and shrubs and as a soil amendment for house plants and planter boxes, and when screened, as a part of a seed-starting mix or lawn top dressing. The best time to dig compost into a garden bed is when preparing the bed for planting. By using compost, organic mater is returned to the soil in a usable form. Start now and save money by making your own free fertilizer at home!
Nancy on the Home Front 