Backyard Composting
Composting will bring many rewards to both you and your garden. Kitchen scraps add up quickly and reduce the overall garbage waste going to landfills. Begin this pile in the fall, start by gathering up some old twigs or branches or corn stalks for the base. Next, get a piece of perforated PVC pipe about 5-6 feet in length and drive it down into the bottom layer. Build the rest of the pile around the pipe; it serves to provide an air source to
the middle of the pile.
On top of the first layer of brush, add 6” of leaves or straw, topped with 2” of kitchen scraps or grass clipping or weeds. Then add a 2-3” layer of fresh manure, garden soil or previously made compost. Continue to layer starting with straw or leaves, until the pile is of a manageable height or until your materials run out. A good sized compost pile is about 3 feet by 3 feet and 3-5 feet tall. Be sure to water each layer as you build the pile and water afterwards, if the pile is drying out.
A heap made this way will take about 1 year to break down. If you would like the compost sooner you can mix the pile every so often. Preformed compost bins are also available.
