Newbie Composter

 I was never going to compost.  I have a garbage disposal.  I recycle.  I try to buy products with biodegradable packaging.  Why do I need to compost?  I approached this like I do a lot of worthwhile practices - with resistance!  

But then I did what I also do with many worthwhile practices, I started getting obsessed.  Or at least I thought I was obsessed until I read 199 Things You can Compost.    Some of the stuff on this list is just gross and weird and I wasn't planning on putting a dumpster in the back yard for composting.  But, the list opened my eyes to all the things I was throwing away so it was definitely worth the read.  

I also really love this quick video about composting and wish I had seen it like a month before I had my husband build a 2-bay compost bin.  Just kidding, I love that bin.  The video shows a couple of simple, small-scale ways us regular people can compost.  

So far, I have not really created or used any compost.  I have added shredded leaves to one compost bin and I throw the kitchen scraps, garden cuttings, etc. into the other bin then cover with the shredded leaves and enough dirt to cover and weight down the leaves.  Oh, I also purchased "Compost Maker" at the local Agway store and I sprinkle that over the food scraps before or after covering with the leaves.  Then I poke at it for a while with a pitch fork. I use the one people use for bailing hay so it has long thin prongs that make it easy to poke into wet mushy leaves.

Here is a short guide for starting and managing a backyard compost station:

Backyard Composting

• Select a dry, shady spot near a water source for your compost pile or bin.

• Add brown and green materials as they are collected, making sure larger pieces are chopped or shredded.

• Moisten dry materials as they are added.

• Once your compost pile is established, mix grass clippings and green waste into the pile and bury fruit and vegetable waste under 10 inches of compost material.

• Optional: Cover top of compost with a tarp to keep it moist. When the material at the bottom is dark and rich in color, your compost is ready to use. This usually takes anywhere between two months to two years

It's December as I write this and I started this composting hobby in late October so I don't expect to use any of the compost until Spring.  I want to start with a small vegetable garden I will plant.  Meanwhile as the vegetables are growing, I'll keep composting adding some to my flower beds, shrubs, trees, as it becomes ready.  

Happy Composting!