A big part of having a successful sustainable garden is composting your unused plant matter. We are passionate about composting at Bernheim’s Edible Garden! Adding decomposing organic material to your garden will increase the microbes in your soil. Having a large variety of microbes will ensure that your plants absorb the nutrients they need to stay healthy. Making and using your own compost can cut down costs on excessive fertilizers and prevent soil-borne diseases.
What is Compost?
Many people believe that you can throw your food scraps into a pile, and it will eventually turn into compost; however, composting is a bit more complicated than that. The composting process necessitates a ratio of both nitrogen-rich and carbon-rich materials. The nitrogenous materials are known as “greens” which include things like food scraps, weeds, grass clippings, eggshells, or coffee grounds. The carbonaceous materials are known as “browns” and include things like leaves, cardboard, sticks, and wood chips. Compost also needs moisture and the proper aeration to be successful.
How to Start a Compost Pile at Home
It is common to use the method of “layering” when starting a compost pile. This means layering your greens and browns on top of each other. The carbon-to-nitrogen ratio is debatable, but I like to use 3 parts brown to 1 part green. I always ensure that the green is covered with brown materials. This will also keep the smell down. Once you have a decent-sized pile you will need to get it wet. You want it to be moist but not drenched. You will then mix the ingredients together. Keeping a pile around 3 feet wide and tall will ensure that it is manageable to turn by hand.
Keep the pile moist and try not to let it dry out. Once the pile begins to decompose it will rise in temperature, the goal is to reach around 130+ degrees Fahrenheit. A kitchen thermometer can be used to measure this. When the pile heats up you must turn the pile to ensure that the outer edges also decompose. Continue to turn and add moisture to the pile until it fully breaks down.
Helpful Resources:
“Yale Experts Explain Compost | Yale Sustainability.” Sustainability.yale.edu, 10 Jan. 2022, sustainability.yale.edu/explainers/yale-experts-explain-compost.
Frost, Jesse. LIVING SOIL HANDBOOK: The No-till Grower’s Guide to Ecological Market Gardening. S.L., Chelsea Green Pub Co, 2021.
“How to Make Compost – the Simplest Easy Method to Compost Piles!” YouTube, 14 Nov. 2020, youtu.be/nxTzuasQLFo?si=4j9cSAgyHvqNXNxL.
“Composting for Beginners | a Market Gardener’s Guide.” YouTube, 26 Mar. 2023, youtu.be/6Ti5g-AZiTs?si=onTYE7aP4FeOm4BH.
