Ads abound for compost bins declaring compost in 2 weeks! The bins are expensive, rather complicated and do not deliver what they promise. The more expensive they are, the less effective they are! Compost is a natural process which occurs whether we are involved or not. Having your own bin allows you to utilize many household ingredients and yard waste that would otherwise go to the landfill. It provides nutrient rich soil, which will in turn give you beautiful flowers and nutritious, organic veggies. Here is some fascinating information I found in a free booklet, Celebrating the Wonder of Soil, from Our Daily Bread; “Canadas’s Agriculture, Food and Rural Development agency provides even more amazing figures about life in the dirt. A single spade full of rich garden soil contains more species of organisms than can be found above ground in the entire Amazon Forest. A teaspoon of soil contains more than 2 billion microorganisms and the total weight of living organisms in the top 6 inches of an acre of soil can range from 5,000 to as much as 20,000 pounds. Earthworms can move as much as 100 tons of soil per acre per year.”
In my new gardening book, High Altitude Gardening for the Inter-Mountain West I have an entire chapter on composting. There is also a full page of ingredients for your compost that will surprise you! We all know leaves and grass clippings, all grain fed animal manure, egg shells, coffee grounds, and veggies, but there is SO MUCH MORE! The print book is available in Northern Arizona. The 120-page eBook is available from Amazon for 99 cents, www.funhistorystories.com.
In this video I show how to make a compost bin out of an old garbage can, but there are many other possible ways to build them as well. The important thing is to have a three-foot square area as that optimizes the ingredients to heat up the pile and break down the ingredients quickly. Using pallets, wire, hay bales, cement blocks and many others. The list endless! Get started composting today!