Composting: Let’s Talk Dirt!

If you truly want an organic garden, you must have compost.  Compost is composed of organic matter such as kitchen scraps, manure, leaves, garden clippings and grass.  These components are left to decompose for a period of time, resulting in a very nutritious conditioner for soil.  By adding compost to your garden, you help to improve your garden’s structure and water capacity, attract beneficial bugs and create an ideal environment for plants to grow.

A compost heap can be very easy to produce and can take little effort.  With a little prep work, you can have a beautiful pile of compost waiting to nourish your garden in just a few short weeks.  You will need to start off with a variety of plant and organic materials.  Kitchen scraps, garden waste and grass clippings are an excellent source of nitrogen, while dried materials such as leaves and straw will provide much needed carbon to the heap.

Once you have your compost pile started, all you will need to do is mix your starter pile with other organic materials as they become available.  It is suggested that you turn your compost pile every other week in order to speed up the decomposition process.

In a few weeks, you will have noticed that your compost pile has shrunk up quite a bit.  This is because the materials have decomposed and turned into a rich soil ready to spread over your garden soil.  Your finished soil should smell earthy and crumble when picked up.  If you find that your pile smells bad, either it is not getting enough oxygen or it is staying too wet.  You will need to add more oxygen creating ingredients to your pile and monitor the moisture content until you have the desired consistency before adding to your garden. 

That’s all there is to creating a very beneficial compost pile that will be ready for all of your gardening needs this summer.

Jerry J. Jansen
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