Fast Composting |
Fast composting is a method of making compost that promotes faster decomposition of materials. This process requires a bit more work than regular composting, and attention must be paid to the pile with regards to turning and insuring the proper conditions for faster decomposition to occur. |
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Begin the pile with a 4" layer of leaves. Add a 2" layer of grass clippings. Repeat the layers until the pile is about 4' high, then add kitchen scraps. Chop vertically through the pile with the tines of a pitchfork to thoroughly bruise and mix the materials. Add just enough water to moisten the pile, then cover it with a black plastic garbage bag. Using the same chopping technique, turn the pile on the second day after the pile is built, again of the fourth day, then ever three days until the compost is finished. Except in dry weather, no further watering should be necessary. The compost should be finished in about 2 weeks. Faster composting is not an exact process. As with normal composting, the materials that are put into the pile have a direct effect on how fast the process works. For example, wood chips should not be included in a fast compost pile because they will not decompose in the time needed. Pine needles and leaves from heartier trees (oak and maple) may take longer to decompose than leaves from less hearty trees. Grass from the yard should be fresh cut and not dried - green grass provides the nitrogen needed for the pile. |
Using
the compost before it is finished will not harm the ground. Since
all the materials that go into the bin are natural, they will
not harm the soil you into which you incorporate it. Unfinished
compost is more of a mulch than a soil additive. You may add it
sparingly to the top of soil around existing plants much the way
bark mulch is used. Decomposition of the materials will still
occur out of the pile, though it may take longer. |
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