Composting

Do plan to make compost for your new or existing garden. Composting is the single best thing you can do for your garden soil. It provides enrichment and also gives the soil that desired loamy texture. Completed compost is a complex garden ingredient. However, it is not complicated to make. All it takes is a little time and a few inexpensive or free ingredients. Free materials such as grass clippings and/or leaves and a few shovelfuls of your garden soil are layered with manure and ground limestone and allowed the ferment until the time to be applied to the garden, usually with the spring tilling. Compost can be made in a bin or on an open pile. The bin is neater but requires the expense of lumber or fence to form a cube like structure. The pile is made in the open by stacking the layers in a dome shaped structure. Both work well. The bin is the usual choice of the gardener with a small plot.

Besides the lumber for the bin, the limestone and manure should be your only expense. Some farmers a happy to give away manure if you are willing to haul it. It is also sold in bags at garden supply stores. About four 50 pound bags should be enough for one bin or pile. Three 30 pound bags of ground limestone should do the trick.

A four foot cube makes a nice size. Begin the pile with a six foot diameter and work up to about four feet. Start the bottom layer with a rough material such as corn stalks or straw. The next layer are about one foot each. The thickest part of each layer is the carbon material, leaves, grass clippings, etc. Follow this with a layer of manure (one bag or equal) then a half bag of lime and a few shovelfuls of garden soil. Continue this procedure until you run out of material or room in the bin. Sprinkle each layer with a watering can of water as you go. Now let nature do its work.

If you don’t have the time or space to make your own compost a great source in the Pittsburgh area is AgRecycle.