Back Yard Composting

   Back yard composting is a great place to start. You’re probably asking yourself if you need to purchase a container to produce compost. The answer is no. You really don’t need a bin to compost. In fact, you can compost in a pile on the ground. That is one of the two ways our house is composting at this time.        
   If you have the space in your yard to compost on the ground in a pile you can go the ‘no-turn’ route or you can turn your pile a few times a year to help aerate and break down your pile quicker. The ‘no-turn’ method will break down but you should do a few things to ensure air flow. The secret is to thoroughly mix in enough coarse material, like straw, when building a pile. There are some studies that show nitrogen levels may be higher in ‘no-turn’ compost than turned compost. Oh, you can also use a container for the ‘no-turn’ method as well. This is not limited to a pile only. I have found that it is a bit discouraging in a bin however.
   Ok, another option is a bin. You can build a semi enclosed bin like the one my husband Greg and I built in our previous home. This was constructed out of reclaimed cinder blocks. It was a three bin system. Each section should be no larger than 4ft x 4ft and about 4ft high. Ours was open in the front so we could turn them over and add materials easily. You may also want to consider a barrel or tumbler. We currently have three barrel type bins at work now. We were able to pick them up at our local Master Gardening program. Now a really quick way to compost out doors is a tumbler. This is so cool, I am definitely picking one of these up this year. You add your materials turn the tumbler and in just a few weeks you have black gold. It can really be that easy. The key is what materials you put into your bin, tumbler or pile. There is a secret sauce I will share on Thursday.
   This is only scratching the surface of backyard composting. If you have a specific question, feel free to e-mail me and I can get specific information to you. I have a product I can recommend if you are interested as well.