Composting

It is fall, so we should have started to notice those leaves of brilliant colors falling around us. These leaves can be turned into something rather wonderful with a little help from you.

Composting is not hard to do. To be done properly a compost pile should have a mix of brown matter and green matter with just enough water like that of a wrung-out sponge to make a compost pile start to decompose.(Around here you may have to cover your pile so that it doesn’t get too wet.)

Don’t add: anything to it that isn’t organic, weeds, or diseased plants and never add table scraps that have meat, cheese or oil in them. Your pile should have a ratio of 30 parts of brown stuff such as fallen leaves or small sticks, bark or sawdust to 1 part of green stuff such as grass clippings or plants that you have pulled from the garden, or vegetable peelings from the kitchen.

Some people save their fallen leaves in bags so that they can start their compost pile as soon as they start to mow the lawn. You can have more of the brown stuff in your pile but it will take longer to decompose. It is also best to try to have all of the “stuff” in as small pieces as possible. The microbes work more easily on them. You can layer the material in your bins or mix it up together.

You need to find a suitable place to start your pile. The larger surface area your pile has, the faster it starts to decompose. So, find a place in the yard that is out of the way and either build a three way bin to contain your pile or make a temporary containment pile out of fencing or material that allows air circulation. The height of the pile and the air temperature will also assist in helping to decompose your pile, so a pile of 3’ to a maximum of 5’ is best.

The hotter the pile the faster it will decompose so check the temperature with a long temperature gauge often.

When the pile decreases in temperature for more than 5 days it is time to move or turn the pile over. After two weeks or when the pile cools again, turn it again. If you find that the only place that your compost pile is warm is in the middle and it has adequate moisture, your pile is too small and you will have to add more material. If this does not solve the problem and your pile still smells sweet add a nitrogen source- which could be either from blood meal or just add more grass clippings.

Tiny bacteria in the soil will start to break down the tissue of organic matter and then the fungi and later the centipedes and earthworms will come in to finish the work of “turning” the pile into a rich resource for your garden. Once completed the extra fluffy, good smelling composted waste can be used almost anywhere. Each time you add composted material to your soil you are increasing the production and quality of the plants that you grow so it makes good sense to compost!

Happy Gardening!

Kellie Smith, September Song Nursery. Toutle WA on the web
www.septembersong.net
Or call us at 274-8853

Annual Toutle/Silver Lake Walk N’ Knock

December 6, 2008 from 8:30-3:00 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to help collect canned food items and non-perishable items for the Castle Rock Lions Food Bank which serves Toutle & Silver Lake residents.  A FREE Lunch will be served to volunteers!

Folks wishing to help out can contact Kellie Smith 274-8997 or septsong@pacifiercom for more information.

Last year our volunteers collected over 5 tons of food in this area alone so we desperately need your help!

The Toutle/Silver Lake Walk N’ Knock is part of a county-wide drive held first Saturday in December to fill the area food banks for the winter.