Do any of you have any ideas about how to mature compost quickly, and cheaply? I have a lot of leaves now, all in a pile, but I am worried somewhat that they won't be ready in time for the spring planting. I was hoping to use these as fertilizer, so I don't have to buy anything.

This may also be the last year that I have access to any gardening, so I would like to make the best of it. thank you for any suggestions! I bought a small composter, about 50 gallons. And yes its small for the amount of material I have available. It might be that all I can use is what is made in the composter. That seems to make it pretty fast, just not enough room.

its very unlikely they will be ready by spring unless you have some fairly hot sunny winters, I used to use a black tarp over the pile, and id turn the pile at least once a week, sometimes twice... when using a composter, just make sure the stuff gets turned often to get a good even break down of of the organic materials...

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Oh, mirror in the sky
What is love?
Can the child within my heart rise above?
Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?
Can I handle the seasons of my life?

I tried seaching this site for, I believe it was one of Angie's posts relating how she was starting a huge new garden and that over the winter was going to spread a thick layer of coarse raw compost-ables like fresh fallen leaves. I've done similar spreading leaves, pine needles and even small sticks over a garden for the winter. A lawn mower works great to chop it up so it will lay down more neatly and also will help it brake down faster, but even a coase layer works great. If it's a new garden area even better because the mulch will smother the existing growth and provide relatively warm soil for microbes and worms over the winter - insects will help too. Come to find out there's a name for this method, "sheet" mulching [www.valcorerecycling.org] . I spread it about 6 inches thick but this article describes a method of layering the mulch up to 2 feet thick, and even a way to make it green over the winter by spreading a little bit of soil on top and planting a winter green mulch crop.

Come spring the mulch can be left in place, turned under or raked up and sorted depending on how well it mulched and whether planting rows, hills or transplants.

Black plastic (or clear) help too. The 50 gallon composter sounds nice for some of the leaves and kitchen scraps.

I read an article on composting where some in India were adding their own urine to the compost for nitrogen and then selling the finished product. Urine is sterile - good stuff!



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/28/2010 04:34PM by loeve.

Urine will make compost break down faster and also make a more nutritious ( to plants) end product.

We turn ours often and if it's been dry we'll add some water if needs be.