Compost.
What is it, and do I need it?
Compost is decayed organic material. Period. Properly broken down, compost is probably the best all around fertilizer you can get your hands on. And it's environmentally friendly too! Since everything that is in compost started in nature, there are no harmful chemicals to destroy the ground water. Your vegetables will taste better, and your flowers will grow bigger and be brighter. An added advantage is that you are recycling waste in an eay to do manner.
Whatya mean by organic? Is that animal organs or what?
Organic simply means natural products versus artificialy manufactured ones. A prime example of organic is landscape waste. In many states, you can no longer put your yard waste into the trash, since it takes up a large part of landfills. So what can you do with those leftover grass clippings? You have three choices.
- Leave it where it falls.
- Bag it in special (expensive) bags or...
- COMPOST IT!
Now let's look at the three choices.
Number 1, leaving it where it lays is not a bad choice. This is natural recycling, and forms a mulch on your lawn. This helps your lawn grow healthier and stay moist longer. Only problem is, only your lawn will benefit.
Number 2. Bagging it in special bags. In cities where you can no longer dump the yard waste in the trash, you must buy special bags to put your waste in. These bags generally run around $1 apiece, and you must fill the bags by hand. No way around it. Then and only then, will the city haul off your yard waste to a special center, where they will empty the bags and...yup, you guessed it, compost it. The city will then probably sell the compost, or use it on their own parks and lawns.
Number 3, COMPOST IT!. That's what this page is all about. By composting your yard and other organic wastes, YOU retain the benefit of your labor in more ways than one. And, if you have gotten this far, YOU will have a better looking garden, not some showpiece on the other side of town.
All right Cap, You sold me! Let's make compost!
Whoa, slow down, bucky! There is some real physicial work involved in the making of compost. It doesn't just grow on trees you know. The idea of this page is to explain the benefits of composting and to show you the three main methods of making the stuff. In order to make good compost, you need several things. The next few paragraphs will explain what you need.
Numero Uno. You need TIME! Composting is a decaying process. A long, slow decaying process. Normally, it will take six months to a year to get usable compost. BUT, I will show you later on in this page, how to get good, workable compost in three to four weeks.
The next thing you will need is an area to make compost in. Depending on which method you use, the space can be as small as 3' x 4'. If you use the bin method of making compost, you will need an area at least 6' wide by 4' deep. If you use the Cap's method, the area can be 6' wide by 3' deep. Again, the choice is up to you, but it MUST be located in a sunny spot.
The third thing you need is a good supply of organic material. The following is a list of what can and cannot be composted.
What can be composted:
- Grass clippings.
- Leaves.
- Leftover salad fixings.
- Horse or cow manure.
- Shredded newspaper.
- Charcoal or wood ash.
- Bone MEAL.
- Blood meal.
- Egg shells, crushed.
And what should NOT be composted:
- Cat litter.
- Meat or chicken leftovers. However fish is fine.
- Whole bones. They never break down.
- PLASTIC. Need I say more?
- Any solid waste product from meat eating animals.
- Dead animals.
OK, now that you have the idea, how do you proceed? Well, that depends on which method you use. There are three main methods to make compost; Open Air,Windrow (not WINDOWS), and a homemade compost maker. I will discuss the first two, and show you how to make the third, which is the Caps' way to quick compost.
Open Air Method.
This method involves using two open top enclosures that are located side by side. The usual dimensions are 3 foot by 4 foot by 4 foot for each bin. Both bins can be closed by slats on the front. The sides will need to be of a solid material, such as 2x8's and should be seasoned wood. see the drawing below for an idea of the layout.
The pile is first built in one bin, and then turned WEEKLY to the opposite bin. So let's say you started in the left bin (OK, you started in the left bin). Now, the next week, you use a pitch fork or a shovel to turn the pile over and place it in the right bin. The week after, you repeat the process, and return the pile to the left bin. And so on and so forth for 3-4 MONTHS!. Got a back belt, and some good pain pills? I hope so, because you will need it! You also only need to make front slats for one bin, since you will move that as well. This process is called aerating the pile and is what helps break down the pile.
OK, how does it work, Cap?
I'm glad you asked that. Now, pull up a chair and listen to the Cap's mini-lecture on the composting process.
Composting occurs when heat causes bacteria to be produced that "eat" the raw materials, and regurgitate the broken down mass known as compost. A completely broken down pile will be about 1/3 the size you started with. For the process to work in an open air bin, you need to layer the materials, to allow for some air to get in, and you must also add SOME water (don't drown the damn thing!) so that the bacteria can thrive. A suggested layering is as follows, from bottom to top.
Soil, grass clippings, a light spray of water, leaves, wood ashes,bone meal, another light spray of water, and top with some soil. Repeat this layering until you reach the top of the pile, about 4 inches from the top of the bin. If all goes well, in about 48 hours the pile will begin to heat up. The ideal internal temperature for the pile is about 150 degrees F. Once the pile is heated up, the bacteria go to work and start munching down supper. Once heated, the pile must be kept active until the bacteria is done. That's why you turn the pile so much. This is called aerobic composting.
Method two...the windrow.
This involves placing the materials in a long row about 5 feet high and letting nature do the work. No turning, just water the pile once a week. This method works best with horse or cow manure in high content in the pile. It also takes at least a year to break down. This is anerobic composting and is best done on a farm, since the smell is nasty! One year, on a farm in Illinois, we used this method, and when it was almost done, we ran it through a manure spreader to break up the chunks. That year, I had cherry tomato plants that produced five to six HUNDRED fruit apiece. Horse manure seems to do the trick, although cow pies are just as good.
And now, the moment you've all been waiting for. Introducing Captain Trips® compost maker!
This is the easy and quick way to make compost. Compost made in a compost maker like this is ready in about four weeks. All that is required is some initial labor, and the following materials:
- Steel barrel such as a 55 gallon drum or some other such barrel.
- Hinges.
- 4 refrigerator rollers, double wheel type.
- Cradle to the hold barrel. This should be about thirty inches high.
- Door Latch.
- Drawer pulls.
- Self Tapping sheet metal screws
- Flat black spray paint.
I used an old fuel oil tank, that had been THOROUGHLY cleaned out. Using a reciprocating saw, I cut a hatch into the side to make a door. I then attached hinges and a door latch to the hatch I made, using sheet metal screws and reattached it to the barrel. I then attached two refrigerator rollers on each side of the cradle. After placing the cradle in the sun, and putting the barrel on the cradle, I then painted the whole barrel flat blat black. Finally, I attached two evenly spaced drawer pulls on one side, and drilled three 1" holes on each side. The barrel turns easily in the cradle, and heats up REAL GOOD. The secret to the compost maker is that you turn it EVERY day 6-8 times in the cradle. This takes about two minutes, and allows the bacteria to get aerated. In 3-4 WEEKS, you have a rich, crumbly dark brown compost.
Make sure that you only fill the barrel about 3/4 full to allow the materials to tumble when you turn it. Also make sure that you wet the material when you add it to the barrel. I put the materials in, add Captain Trips® Secret Compost Starter Mix with Activator, and turn the barrel 8 times.
Hey! No Fair! What's this secret stuff?!
Relax! It's only a secret if you haven't visited this site. Because here is the mix:
- 1 Cup Blood Meal.
- 1 Cup Bone Meal.
- 1 Cup Wood or charcoal ashes.
Now, sprinkle the mix on top of the pile in the barrel, close the door (please don't forget to close the door! :P ) and turn the barrel three times. Next, add 2 cups of The Activator and turn the barrel five more times. Turn the barrel every day, and lightly water twice a week. In 3 weeks check the pile. If it is cooling down, and it's about 1/3 the mass you put in, it's done. If not, turn for another week.
The Activator.
This is nothing more than good old human urine. Yep, that stuff you flush every day, now has a better use. Pee in a bottle until you have 2 cups of Activator. Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda, and put it on top of the pile. Urine is loaded with urea, which is a great source of nitrogen. If you turn the pile every day, it will aerate, and there won't be any smell whatsoever.
So how good is this stuff, anyway?
The homemade compost usually has an NPK of 5-5-5, and it's all organic. Need I say more? NPK stands for Nitrogen (N) Phosphorus (P) and Potassium or Potash (K) and is the basics for all gardening. Nitrogen promotes green leaves, phosphorus helps the roots, and potassium
helps in the blooms or vegetables. Using organic compost, you will notice a definite IMPROVED difference in the taste of your vegetables or in the blooms of your flowers. In addition, I have found that compost promotes longer vegetable production and hardier flowers.
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