Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 7, 1990 TAG: 9006070087
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BETH MACY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Generally, the process uses time and heat to break down organic material into its basic components - killing off harmful viruses and bacteria - and turn it into fertilizer.
In a backyard setting, methods are as varied as the stuff that fills the heaps.
Should you use containers or simply build your piles free-standing? Should you layer it like a sandwich or just toss at random?
It's an individual decision, depending on how much time you want to put into it. As a rule - the more effort you make, the quicker you'll get compost.
The following are a few suggestions on how to make a backyard compost pile that could rival the texture of chocolate cake. Information includes materials gathered from the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, Necessary Trading Co., the Clean Valley Council, and veteran composters Jane Price and Chris Barlow.
\ Setting - Experts agree that a shady place is best for your compost; it helps the pile retain its moisture. Bins range from the store-bought variety to homemade containers such as bottomless cube shapes (at least 3-by-4-feet square) constructed of wood or plastic. Make sure there are slats or holes all along the sides to allow for air flow.
Chicken wire wrapped around stakes or an empty oil drum with many drilled holes also make handy composters. Some gardeners accumulate plant refuse in one bin while the composting is taking place in another bin; a third bin can even be used for near-finished or finished compost storage.
\ Composition - Vary the materials to make a balanced food supply for the microorganisms. Generally, the pile should contain two-thirds of dry and tough materials such as dry leaves and grass, stems, sticks and straw to one-third green, succulent materials such as weeds, garden waste and kitchen scraps. Meat and dairy products are not recommended filler because they attract pests.
A few tips for speeding up decomposition: Small, shredded materials work fastest; boiled kitchen waste decomposes quicker. You can also increase your volume by gathering neighbors' yard waste, but make sure they don't use weed killer on their grass (it could transfer to your garden via compost).
\ Process - Either mix the waste together as it's created, or take a more systematic approach like the one Barlow recommends: Start at the bottom by piling up 4-5 inches of sticks for aeration, then pile about 8 inches or so of organic matter on top, then a shovel of dirt and a fertilizer such as manure (optional step); and so on, layering to the top of the pile. Then soak it with water. Two or three days later, the pile should reach 150-170 degrees - that means it's working.
Two to three weeks after that, turn it with a shovel or pitchfork. Depending on the level of effort you make, compost can be made in two months to a year. The low-maintenance method of mixing together a singular heap at random works fine - it just takes longer.
Hints: The more often you turn it, the quicker the mixture will become compost; to protect the pile from too much moisture, shield it from drenching rains with black plastic.
\ Usage - The finished product, a brown and crumbly humus, protects your plants from soil-borne diseases and parasites. It restores the soil's natural organic characteristics, increases its ability to hold water, improves aeration and helps protect against erosion.
Use it as a potting mixture for seedlings and houseplants; as a liquid organic fertilizer when mixed with three parts water. You can also till it into your garden soil, and spread it as a mulch for plants, shrubs and trees.
Additional information is available through the extension service and the Clean Valley Council.
by CNB