How to Make Organic Compost
- 1). Choose a location for your compost pile. Look for an area that gets mixed sun and shade and is reasonably close to the house and a water source.
- 2). Build a structure, a minimum of 3 feet square, to contain the compost. This can be done inexpensively, with chicken wire or wire fencing, and wood supports or fence posts. Other options include wooden pallets, cinder blocks or bricks.
- 3). Layer both "brown" and "green" organic materials. Green materials include grass clippings, vegetable and fruit scraps, eggshells and coffee grounds. Add a roughly equal amount of brown materials, such as dried leaves, twigs and shredded newspaper.
- 4). Push fresh ingredients into the center of the pile once it's about 10 inches deep. Bury them under the existing compost to speed their decomposition.
- 5). Add some cow, chicken or horse manure for nitrogen. The University of Minnesota Extension Service website recommends adding 1 to 2 inches of manure for every 8 to 10 inches of organic material. If you don't have manure available, it suggests using 1/3 cup of pesticide-free nitrogen fertilizer per 25 square feet of garden surface area.
- 6). Keep the compost pile damp, but not soaked. If you live in a sunny, dry climate, place a tarpaulin over the pile to keep it from drying out.
- 7). Turn the pile every one to two weeks with a pitchfork, moving the more recently added material into the center of the pile.
- 8). Remove the compost from the bottom of the pile once it has become black, crumbly and smells like rich dirt. It is now ready to use in your garden. This process can take from two months to two years, depending on a variety of factors.
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