 Compost Garbage is the big issue of the moment, judging from all the attention it's receiving in the media. Promoting a good idea for once, local governments have begun encouraging composting as a means of reducing household garbage and extending the life of landfills. Composting is an excellent way to create humus for soil improvement with kitchen scraps and debris from the yard.Our local city hall sells "composters" (similar to the one shown in the photo) at a discount. Leaving aside the issue of whether city hall should be in the business of selling garden equipment, composting doesn't need to be a complicated or expensive process. The principle is simple: leaves, pine needles, grass clippings, and other garden refuse combined with coffee grounds, fruit peels, egg shells, fish bones, and other kitchen waste placed in a pile decompose into material that can be used to improve the soil. The size of the compost enclosure depends on the space available. We use a compost barrel and also dug a small trench next to the storage shed for leaves, cuttings, and other garden debris. Some friends who have a large piece of property in the mountains have used railroad ties to make a large bin to hold leaves. Some gardening guides suggest that an apartment dweller might place a small composter on the veranda, but this is probably impractical because the inevitable odor would bother the neighbors.  The decomposition process requires air and a moderate amount of water and occurs more rapidly in the warm months, when the organisms that feed on the waste are more active. Our old composting barrel doesn't have air holes, so we have to aerate the mixture by turning it regularly. We originally made the mistake of pouring too much water in the barrel along with the kitchen scraps - too much moisture reduces oxygen content, inhibiting the composting process and producing a rotting smell. We also use activator powder to speed decomposition. However, compost will break down naturally, without any intervention, with the right amount of air and water - it will just take more time.It's best not to put weeds in the compost mixture. Many have seeds that can withstand the heat generated during decomposition and tuberous vines appear to positively thrive in the moist conditions of a compost pile. Cuttings from diseased plants should not be put in the compost mixture. Fruit peels appear to take longer to decompose, so we tear them up into small pieces before adding them to the pile. Also, meat and cooked foods attract maggots, unsurprisingly, and an uncovered pile that contains bones and food scraps will lure scavengers. We add coffee grounds and other kitchen debris to the mix almost daily, so the barrel tends to fill up pretty rapidly, especially during cold weather. We've found that it's more practical to use the composter as a starter, turning the mixture regularly, and then transferring partially-composted material to other locations so that it can break down completely. If we had more space we could probably devise a more effective arrangement. At least by not throwing our kitchen waste out with the garbage we're doing our bit to help eliminate the problem with the local crows who tear up trash bags in search of a meal. |