In all honesty, I have only made half-hearted attempts in the past. I thought it would be quick and easy, with little time and effort. I reaped what I sowed...nuthin'...
This time I am SERIOUS...I want compost! Next year I want to fill my lovely new garden boxes with the "fruits of my labors". My own delicious compost.
I started doing my composting research and was immediately overwhelmed with information. There are so many ideas and methods and components to choose from. Hot composting and cold composting and fancy Japanese composting. Worm composting...no thanks...no offense worm composters... What to add to your pile, what NOT to add to your pile. How much moisture is enough but not too much? How often should you turn it? How much sun or shade does it require? In the end...there are as many opinions as items you can compost!
I've decided to use the "jump in with both feet and cross your fingers" method. Hubs made a place in the yard between two used pallets. I don't really know if it's in the best location or not...too much sun, too little sun? I read all about the carbon component and the nitrogen component. I'm not really into the science of stuff like I should be. I am happy just referring to it as the "brown" stuff (carbon) or the "green" stuff (nitrogen). I've read soooo many different theories. 90/10 brown to green, 60/40 brown to green and 50/50 brown to green...I'm going with the "throw stuff on the pile and do that crossing my fingers thing".
I started by going through my yard and raking up all the crunchy brown fall leaves and long brown pine needles that dropped last fall. I ended up with two large garbage cans full. I was pretty excited to dump that in between the pallets.
Then I started doing more research...
We've been pretty darn proud of ourselves for reducing our waste around our home. Mainly, because of the chickens! Most all of our veggie and fruit scraps go to the chickens. No more disposal waste at our house. Then...our town decided to join the 21st century a couple years ago and added the option of a recycle waste can. We were possibly the last city existing to add the recycle receptacle. Because of these changes we only need to take our garbage cans to the curb every two weeks.
I've got it down to a pretty sweet system...until...the advent of our compost pile! Of course I knew there were many things we could compost...but...it has completely changed our system of disposal once again!
I don't want to deprive the chickens of their daily kitchen treats...but, now they are going to have to share some of those with the compost pile. (Sorry, girls...)
I didn't realize we could "compost" the toilet paper rolls, or the junk mail paper ads. I didn't know I could use old office paper that was shredded and used paper towels...Wow...our recycle can waste is now going to be much smaller!
I knew about the coffee grounds and used filters but forgot about the used tea bags! And, I knew about the eggs shells, but now I can compost them instead of throwing them in the trash can!
I am in the process of a whole new disposal system! Right now there is just a bowl on the counter that the egg shells and kitchen scraps are being tossed into. There is a brown paper sack on the kitchen floor next to the blue recycle can and the official garbage bin. It is gathering the used paper towels and toilet paper rolls and usable junk mail! I'm sure I can come up with a "nicer" system. It's evolving...
This link was one I found very helpful and easy to understand...
http://organicgardening.about.com/od/howtocompost/a/50-Things-You-Can-Compost.htm
I'm motivated to make this work. I'm hoping that nature and carbon and nitrogen do their thing with a little nurturing from me.
There are a lot of really yummy ingredients hidden under that latest scoop of dried pine needles. Seriously...a couple big ole mushy squashes leftover from last fall, some delectable chicken poop infused hay, crunchy broken up egg shells, a sprinkling of toilet paper roll and some shredded used paper towels....mmmm...
I'll keep you posted...I'm a bit worried I will be a remedial compost maker...but, you can bet I will be out there tomorrow with pitch fork in hand, giving it my all!
I couldn't agree more!
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