By Karen Stephenson

Making great compost is easy once you have the right ingredients. The proper mix of ingredients is required in order to get compost that's rich in nutrients and high in humus.

What Exactly Is Compost?

Simply defined, compost is decomposed organic material. Some people think that composting is complicated yet it's really a very simple and natural process that occurs in nature without help from people. Forests are an excellent example of natural composting.

Backyard composting is good for two very compelling reasons: it's great for the garden and it's environmentally responsible.

Compost is great for the garden because it improves soil quality, which in turn provides healthier plants. Home-made compost provides virtually all of the essential nutrients for healthy plant growth and it also improves the soil's structure, making it easier for soil to hold and use the right amount of moisture and air. Compost improves the texture of both clay and sandy soils and is the best additive to transform these two types of soils into rich, moisture-holding, loamy soil. Compost improves plant vigor and provides for improved immunology from diseases.

Composting 101

Step One: Choose a compost bin. There are many types of plastic bins available on the market that are square or cone-shaped. Some are open and some have a lid. Making a bin at home is inexpensive. Each type of bin has advantages and disadvantages, so choosing the type that is best for you is important.

Advantages and Disadvantages of an Open Bin

• Open bins collect rain water.
• Provides convenience for adding materials.
• Attracts flies, bees and possibly rodents and urban wildlife.
• Bins can become too wet from rain if not covered.
• Materials can be difficult to mix.
• May be an eyesore to you or your neighbours.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Compost Containers

• Containers rarely attract pests.
• Upright containers may be more aesthetically pleasing.
• Rotating drums are easier to mix and unload.
• Enclosed containers means you have to add water.
• Upright containers may be difficult to mix or turn.

Step Two: Choose a location in which to place your bin. A compost site needs to be level, well-drained and easily accessible year-round. Place the bin over bare soil rather than concrete or paving to ensure that worms and other beneficial organisms can make their way into the pile. It's a good idea to remove any grass or plants and turn the soil to a depth of about 6 - 8 inches.

Step Three: Add compostable ingredients. Generally, composting ingredients can be divided into two categories: brown and green materials.

Brown Materials (Carbon)

• paper and cardboard
• woody prunings
• eggshells
• coffee grounds
• tea bags / tea leaves
• hay and straw
• sawdust (that is not chemically-treated)

Green Materials (Nitrogen)

• fruit and vegetable peelings
• grass clippings
• green plant cuttings
• annual weeds
• young hedge trimmings
• fresh manure

Step Four: Know what not to add to your compost. Adding some items to your compost can be potentially dangerous due to the chance of poisoning or disease. Human and pet feces, chemically-treated wood or sawdust, as well as meat and animal fats should never be added to compost. Adding some items like vegetable fats and dairy products is okay but they will slow down the composting process by excluding the oxygen that helpful organisms need to do their job.

What Not to Add

• meat and bones
• poultry and fish
• fatty food waste
• whole eggs
• human and pet feces
• pernicious weeds
• treated wood

Step Five: Making nutrient-rich compost. At the bottom of the bin, create a 10 cm. layer of brush, twigs, hay or straw. Add a 10 cm. layer of brown material, then a thin layer of good garden soil. That's one layer. Add a 10 cm. layer of green material topped with a thin layer of good garden soil. Moisten each layer by misting it lightly with a garden hose. Keep adding material in alternating layers of browns and greens until the bin is full. Microorganisms need both carbon (energy) and nitrogen (protein synthesis) to thrive. For every one unit of nitrogen used by bacteria, they will consume 30 units of carbon. Using different combinations of green and brown materials will help accelerate the composting process. Too much brown material will result in a pile that takes longer to break down, and too much green material will result in slime that smells and doesn't heat up effectively.

Once full, turn the pile every 10 to 14 days until the composting process is completed. It can take anywhere from two months to a year to produce compost. The time frame varies depending on the combination of materials used.

Step Six: Using your compost. When ready, compost is dark and crumbly and broken down, and has a pleasant earthy smell. It's common to have some recognizable pieces of leaves or tiny twigs remaining. Compost is good for:

• house plants
• soil amendment and fertilizer
• flower and vegetable gardens
• new planting areas
• existing trees and bushes
• lawn top dressing

Ideas for Making a Compost Bin

• An old metal or plastic garbage can. This can sit in a discreet corner of your yard. Puncture numerous holes throughout the can. Raising it off the ground will provide added ventilation.
• Old snow fencing.
• Spare wood to build a crate-like structure.
• Wire mesh or chicken wire.
• If you have lots of property, make a compost pile - no structure required.

The Composting Council of Canada offers lots of advice and provides information about everything there is to know about composting.

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