Composting is not something new, it has been around since before Moses. The job of the Master Gardner is the creation of the finest garden soil he knows how to make “. . . and composting has proven itself through thousands of years of use to be the tool for the job.”

For that reason I believe it very important to know how to create compost. Believe it or not it is not that difficult. It requires just four things: Oxygen, nitrogen, air and water.

What I propose to do, is teach one simple way to compost which will almost guarantee your success. You will need just two tools, a good pitch fork and a thermometer. Pick an area where you don’t plan to plant your garden but close enough to your garden to make the transfer of the finished compost easy.

Find or make a level spot about 10′ by 10′, just enough space to allow you to build two 3′ by 3′ compost piles, although you will only be using one site at a time. Start you pile (3′ x 3′ x 3′).

First: select a few small limbs and twigs and lay them on the ground approximately 3′ by 3′.

Second: keeping a ratio of approximately two to one, green material (nitrogen) to brown material (carbon). The green material usually consists of fresh cut grass, weeds and kitchen scraps. The brown material consists of dry leaves, grass, weeds and cardboard or newspapers (do not use any of the slick colored papers). If possible reduce the size of the material by shredding or running your lawn mower through it several times. The cardboard and newspapers should be cut up or shredded.

Third: Pile the green and then brown material about six inches thick, alternating until you a have a pile about three feet high by three feet wide. If you have some dry cow or chicken manure you could add a shovel full between each layer. When your compost pile is complete, water it down thoroughly.

Fourth: In three to four days re-stack you compost to the space next to your pile.

Fifth: check the temperature, it should be between 120-160 degrees and then thoroughly mix. Now add some more water.

Sixth: Continue this process of checking the temperature and re-stacking your compost pile every three four days and don’t forget to water. In two-to-three months, you will have some beautiful compost to add to your garden. You can also adjust this concept and only re-stack your compost every 10-14 days. This will increase the time to complete the process, instead of two-to-three months it will now take four-to-five months. If you have a very busy schedule this adjustment might work best for you.

By constantly doing this year after year you will rid yourself of weeds, leaves and grass and make your garden one of the finest in your community. If your compost pile is not heating it up, it is most likely because you have over watered or let it get too dry. If that does not seem to be the case you might want to give me a call and I will try to help you correct the situation.

Incidentally it is not the heat that makes the process work but rather the microbes. For that reason, make sure your compost pile is never too dry or too damp. A good check is to pick up a handful and squish it and if only a few drop of water comes out you are doing great and continue doing the same thing – you are on your way to creating compost.

One additional item you might want to add to your compost pile is an air vent. It will increase the amount air in your compost pile which may shorten the time required to develop your compost.

Get a three- to four-inch PVC pipe about four or five feet long and drill ½ to 3/8 inch holes all around the pipe up to about two feet. Now insert the pipe immediately after you complete your first layer of material (see illustration).

In order to make your composting a little easier I have illustrated the process below. Once you have gotten the hang of creating your compost this way I would suggest you build a container for your compost. You can make your own composter by using a 50 gallon barrel or using old pallets or buying one of the large black ones that are available at most hardware store.

However, for my money I prefer to make mine out of old pallets (see illustration). The addition of your compost to your garden will increase the quality and quantity of vegetables.