How to make Compost a Lot Easier and Faster Too
Most people who choose to garden are knowledgeable about of composting and know the basics of creating good compost, but often are unsure exactly what the best equipment, if any, is actually required.
The most basic form of a compost pile is exactly that, a pile of vegetation, garbage and scrap items such as leaves and grass, which then may be surrounded by an enclosure. This works very well, but requires a fairly long period of time and a certain amount of maintenance to ensure a good final product.
Finished compost should have the appearance of fine loam with a sweet earthy aroma and should not be a wet glob of muck. An important process in achieving this quality is to turn the pile over quite often in order to mix and aerate it and let oxygen enter in to create aerobes, which are the microbes that hasten the breaking down of your pile into good compost.
The disadvantages of a pile are obvious. They are rather ugly, they may attract vermin and small animals such as raccoons, dogs and rats, they may have an unpleasant odor, and they will also probably irritate the heck out of your neighbors if you live in a fairly well populated area. As a matter of interest, many municipalities now ban compost piles because of the above reasons. The one advantage of a pile is that it is fairly easy to pitchfork the raw compost over, in order to mix and aerate it, also larger amounts of compost can be processed at one time.
Compost bins are designed for the home gardener. They should be vermin and child proof, be odor free (if you provide the correct proportions of carbon and nitrogen in loading the bin this is not a problem) and visually more pleasing. A bin can be problematic when you aerate the compost because it is usually difficult to turn the compost over efficiently. Another drawback is the emptying of the bin if it does not have an access door at the bottom. Also if a bin sits directly on rough, sloped or uneven ground or is designed as a ball which has to be rolled in order along to mix the contents, that system mixing operation could be extremely difficult. Aerating need to be done on a regular basis, so the easier, the better.
A compost tumbler is probably the best of all worlds. Tumbling the contents provides aeration without the use of tools and also speeds up the decomposition time. Do not believe the claims of "compost in just a few weeks". This sounds good but Mother Nature works at her own pace and we can speed her up just so much. The great advantage of a tumbler is the ease of turning and aerating the compost, which should provide a finished product in about 10 weeks.
Things to be aware of:
Dark colored containers to absorb the suns heat, especially important in cooler climes.
Solidly built stands or legs, a full composter can weigh over 150 pounds or more.
Can the composter be moved if necessary in order to be closer to the garden area currently being worked on.
Is there a method of collecting the compost tea which collects at the bottom of the tumbler, and if saved, is a fantastic product to pour on your planting beds or directly on the plants as a fertilizer
Other items to consider:
Depending on your needs, will one composter be enough? New material can always be added to your composter, but the process is quicker if one load is processed at a time. It is extremely convenient to have "ready to go compost" when you need it.
Hide a kitchen composter pail in a handy location to toss your daily scraps into. - 17269
The most basic form of a compost pile is exactly that, a pile of vegetation, garbage and scrap items such as leaves and grass, which then may be surrounded by an enclosure. This works very well, but requires a fairly long period of time and a certain amount of maintenance to ensure a good final product.
Finished compost should have the appearance of fine loam with a sweet earthy aroma and should not be a wet glob of muck. An important process in achieving this quality is to turn the pile over quite often in order to mix and aerate it and let oxygen enter in to create aerobes, which are the microbes that hasten the breaking down of your pile into good compost.
The disadvantages of a pile are obvious. They are rather ugly, they may attract vermin and small animals such as raccoons, dogs and rats, they may have an unpleasant odor, and they will also probably irritate the heck out of your neighbors if you live in a fairly well populated area. As a matter of interest, many municipalities now ban compost piles because of the above reasons. The one advantage of a pile is that it is fairly easy to pitchfork the raw compost over, in order to mix and aerate it, also larger amounts of compost can be processed at one time.
Compost bins are designed for the home gardener. They should be vermin and child proof, be odor free (if you provide the correct proportions of carbon and nitrogen in loading the bin this is not a problem) and visually more pleasing. A bin can be problematic when you aerate the compost because it is usually difficult to turn the compost over efficiently. Another drawback is the emptying of the bin if it does not have an access door at the bottom. Also if a bin sits directly on rough, sloped or uneven ground or is designed as a ball which has to be rolled in order along to mix the contents, that system mixing operation could be extremely difficult. Aerating need to be done on a regular basis, so the easier, the better.
A compost tumbler is probably the best of all worlds. Tumbling the contents provides aeration without the use of tools and also speeds up the decomposition time. Do not believe the claims of "compost in just a few weeks". This sounds good but Mother Nature works at her own pace and we can speed her up just so much. The great advantage of a tumbler is the ease of turning and aerating the compost, which should provide a finished product in about 10 weeks.
Things to be aware of:
Dark colored containers to absorb the suns heat, especially important in cooler climes.
Solidly built stands or legs, a full composter can weigh over 150 pounds or more.
Can the composter be moved if necessary in order to be closer to the garden area currently being worked on.
Is there a method of collecting the compost tea which collects at the bottom of the tumbler, and if saved, is a fantastic product to pour on your planting beds or directly on the plants as a fertilizer
Other items to consider:
Depending on your needs, will one composter be enough? New material can always be added to your composter, but the process is quicker if one load is processed at a time. It is extremely convenient to have "ready to go compost" when you need it.
Hide a kitchen composter pail in a handy location to toss your daily scraps into. - 17269
About the Author:
Dick Murray is a retired urbanite who has kept his love ofgardening alive with the creation of informational web sites such as backyard compost tumbler More and more households are beginning to grow their own fruits and vegetables due to their increased concern regarding the quality, price and safety of our food supplies.
posted by X - Men at
4:27 AM
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