Victory in Composting

In the September/October issue of Cypress, we visited a modern-day victory garden and talked about the benefit of making your own compost:  

“The majority of their soil is sourced from their own grass clippings and kitchen scraps. Composting. This is the process of bacteria and yeast breaking down organic matter into a rich soil-like consistency. Blended with well-draining topsoil, the mixture is brimming with the nutrients and micro-organisms that plants need to thrive. “I enjoy composting,” explains Jason. “It’s beautiful to witness microscopic life turn a bunch of junk into dirt that we can use.”  

- excerpt from Cypress Magazine

The warm growing season is coming to an end but that doesn’t mean garden plans have to end as well.  The Fall months are perfect for building and starting a compost heap. See the tips below and follow along to ensure you have wonderful organic matter to mix into your garden plots this spring.  

Tips for Composting

You’ll need a “pail” and a “pile”.  Keep a pail in your kitchen (I recommend keeping it under the kitchen sink) to hold your kitchen scraps.  If you use a compostable bag in your pail, it’ll help with odors and in keeping everything neater. Not to be confused with your pail, your pile should be in the yard somewhere.  A word of advice, you will want your pile somewhat out of site but also relatively close to your garden beds. Take notice of how close it is to a water source as well because you’ll be keeping your pile slightly moistened.   

When it comes to structure, you can make your compost heap as simple or as complicated as you wish.  Some people compost out on the open ground while others prefer to have a 3-bay system through which to rotate their compost.  Brandi and Jason used 6 metal posts and chicken wire to establish the composting zone. Compost also needs to be turned frequently so make sure and build your structure large enough that you can move the materials around but shallow enough that you can reach everything with a pitchfork.  

Now, Location, Location, Location!  In the MidSouth (specifically Zone 7) having the compost in full sun isn’t necessarily ideal as it tends to dry out too quickly.  When it is in part-shade/part-sun, the compost gets hot enough to break down the nutrients without drying out too fast. Also, take care to not place the heap too close to trees--they may leach the nutrients out of the heap.  

A well-balanced compost heap has a 50/50 ratio of “greens” to “browns”. Green materials would include kitchen waste and fresh grass clippings where brown materials are straw, sawdust, and fallen leaves.  If this balance gets off at all, the compost ends up being very smelly and can take on a weird appearance. Within 2-4 weeks, your scraps should all be converted into dark, crumbly compost, ready to use.