Building a Compost Pile



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Building a Compost Pile

Building a compost pile is not an exact process.
For best results, follow Nature's method:

"Pile it up and let it rot"

A compost pile can be started anytime of the year.
Find a corner of your yard where you have at least 25 sq. ft. of space.

Basic guidelines for starting a compost pile:

Pile waste material such as twigs and wood chips, grass clippings, fallen leaves, wood ashes, kitchen scraps (no meat, oil or grease), shredded newspapers, pet and human hair, lint and sweepings, sawdust, manure (cow & horse), weeds & garden residue. Avoid human, dog, cat, and bird manure, heavy cardboard, diseased plants, oil, pesticide treated wastes.

Every foot or so of organic material add a layer of organic fertilizer such as cottonseed meal and a layer of good garden soil or finished compost. Other good enrichment materials you could use are blood meal, bone meal, rock phosphate, alfalfa meal, and greensand.

Moisten each layer of material.

Pile should be 4' - 5' high. If turned weekly, you could have useable compost in one month.