So, how do you start a compost heap? Do you just start throwing all your garden clippings and kitchen scraps on one big pile, cross your fingers and hope for the best? Surely (don’t call me Shirley!) it can’t be as easy as all that. There must be some kind of nefarious trick to it?
Well, there are some things to keep in mind when building a compost pile. Let’s list a couple of steps that will help you in starting and maintaining a healthy compost heap.
For your ground layer, or first layer, try finding some bigger stuff to start with, like twigs and little branches from your garden clipping pile. This will help keep your first layer slightly aerated, since there are bigger pieces to help create ‘breathing spaces’ in the bottom layer of the pile, which will help aerate the rest of the heap.
From then on you can add the scraps you’ve collected in your kitchen compost bin , plus your garden clippings and what not to the heap, with one thing to keep in mind. You should try to do a layer of brown veggie scraps and garden clippings, and then alternate it with a layer of green scraps and clippings. The brownish refuse will have a higher carbon content, while the greener scraps will have a higher nitrogen content. Alternating layers (as far as possible) will help maintain a healthy compost heap.
Photo by Gabriel Jimenez on Unsplash
When adding new scraps and garden waste to the heap, make sure you mix the new top layer you just added a little bit with the existing materials in the heap, to help them get comfy with each other.
You should also turn your compost about once a week to help get some air into it and also mix the materials up a bit, so that they all get a chance at composting.
Useful Tip : Depending on the space you have in your garden and the amount of scraps and waste you have to work with, you can start more than one compost heap, perhaps a month or three apart. This way you can have one heap nearing completion while the other one is getting going. |
You should also make sure the compost heap is kept slightly moist (not drenched), to help with the general air and process of decay. Especially if you are living in a dry area, and if summer is in the air, as water evaporates quicker in the heat, and having a dry compost pile will slow the process considerably.
Depending on different factors, including the size of the compost pile, getting to the stage where you have a nice, dark, soily texture to your compost heap material can sometimes take up to a full year, but generally around 5 to 8 months.
These are just a couple of basic things to keep in mind, but starting a basic compost heap is generally heaps of fun, and not too big of a headache.
Thanks for reading my article on making a compost heap. Have a good garden day! |