Here are the seven steps to creating a great garden compost.
Anything that was once living will eventually decompose, and as it decomposes, the energy that was once held within that life is converted into a substance that aids in the growth of new life.
Backyard composting is an acceleration of the same process nature uses. By composting your organic waste, you are returning nutrients back into the soil for the cycle of life to continue. Through this process, we find that composting, while beneficial to our gardens, is even more beneficial to the sustainability of our ecosystem as a whole.
Here are the seven steps to creating a great garden compost.
Determine which type of compost is best for you. You can compost in a pile, a trench or in a contained compost bin. Your compost will need to be placed where you can access it easily and add water, and where it will get sunlight; this will help bring the temperature up so your compost can cook. The nitrogen in the compost makes its own heat, but added sunlight helps bring the temperature up so your compost cooks more quickly. You will also want to place your compost away from the house, as it can draw critters. We certainly don’t want to give skunks a reason to come even closer to your house!
Use high-quality materials. Every successful compost system requires high-quality materials in certain quantities. For your compost, you will need brown materials (carbon materials like leaves, branches and twigs) and green materials (nitrogen-rich items like grass clippings, vegetable and fruit scraps, and coffee grounds). You will also need water and a starter batch of microorganisms to get the party started. To start, you will want a mix of 50% brown, 25% green and 25% good dirt or compost, which should already contain lots of microorganisms that can start digesting your material.
Layers like lasagna. Layering is very important for your backyard compost. Layer your materials starting with brown materials and ending with some good dirt or compost. Wet your compost bin or pile until it just sticks together, but isn’t soaking wet. The air is very dry in Flagstaff, so you may need to add a bit more water to keep it going.
Mix it, mix it good. About every week or two, you will need to give your compost a good mixing. This ensures that the compost gets fresh air and keeps the process moving along. You can stir your compost with a shovel or pitchfork, or if you have a bin, you can roll or spin the bin.
Let it stew. The amount of time needed to produce compost depends on several factors including the size of the pile, the types of materials used, the surface area of your compost and the number of times the pile is turned. With frequent turning, compost can be ready in about three months, depending on the time of year. In summer, warm temperatures encourage bacterial activity and the composting process is quicker. In winter, the activity of the bacteria slows, and we recommend that you stop turning the pile after November to keep heat from escaping the pile’s center.
Determine if your compost is ready. Before using your compost, you must determine whether it has matured properly. There are Compost Test Kits you can purchase, or you can do a DIY germination test by placing seeds in two containers – one filled with compost and the other filled with regular potting soil. If the seeds in the compost germinate within the same amount of time as the potting soil, your compost is ready to use!
On your mark, get set, garden! Use your compost to grow big, beautiful plants! You can even share with a neighbor.
We hope this information is helpful for creating your backyard compost. If you need any advice or compost supplies, please come see us at Warner’s Nursery – we’d be glad to help!
Happy gardening! FBN
By Misti Warner-Andersen
Misti Warner-Andersen is the manager of Warner’s Nursery & Landscape Co., located at 1101 E. Butler Ave. in Flagstaff. To contact Warner’s Nursery, call 928-774-1983.
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