What Is Compost?
Compost is the result of decomposing organic matter such as leaves, grass, weeds, and vegetable trimmings. It improves soil structure, adds nutrients to the soil, and helps increase water retention. Best of all, it is an excellent way to recycle much of the yard and kitchen waste that would usually be trucked off to a landfill.
Where To Make Compost
Compost can be made just about anywhere. If you have a big yard, you can simply pile your compost in an unused area. If you have a smaller yard, there are several compost makers on the market, ranging from tumblers to plastic compost bins. The most inexpensive option for a compost bin is to make it yourself. A simple wood bin or a three-foot wide ring of hardware cloth make excellent compost bins. Even if you have no more than a balcony or a porch, you can still compost by drilling plenty of holes in a plastic storage container or by purchasing a vermicompost (worm composting) bin.
Two Composting Methods
There are two general ways to compost, and both work equally well depending on your situation. 'Hot composting' is for those gardeners who are impatient to have finished compost on hand. This method is the more work-intensive of the two, but generally results in finished compost in anywhere from four to eight weeks. To hot compost, you construct your compost pile in layers, alternating between browns (twigs, dried leaves, hay) and greens (grass clippings, vegetable scraps, weeds) and regularly turning the pile. It is called 'hot composting' because the careful attention to the ratio of ingredients, as well as the regular turning of the pile, increases the amount of microbial activity. This heats up the pile and makes the compost decompose faster.
'Cold composting' is the easier of the two, and is perfect for anyone who isn't concerned about having finished compost right away. Basically, the method is: throw your compostables into a pile and let them sit. It may take a year or more to have finished compost, but everything decomposes in time. You don't need to turn this kind of pile unless you want to try to speed things up a bit, and you don't really need to worry about layering greens and browns.
Finished Compost
Finished compost is dark brown, crumbly, and smells earthy, like garden soil. Once your compost is finished, you can use it to topdress garden beds and lawns, or you can dig it into sandy or clay soils to help improve the soil structure. Basically, there isn't a single area of the garden that wouldn't benefit from a healthy dose of compost!
