Compost Piles and Composting
There are hundreds of ways to make compost but the best methods work quickly and deter critters. Any container that allows warmth, exposure to rain and air will work within eight months or so. By making a better container you can speed this up. Warm weather also speeds up the process. It is best when the material can easily be turned over once a month or so. A trash can will allow this. By mixing the material, more of it gets a chance to settle deep in the pile where it can really cook. (Find out why at the Microbe Zoo!) A method that works is to fence a sturdy wood frame with chicken wire but this must be mixed with a shovel. A clean five gallon plastic bucket can be used if some large holes are drilled in the bottom and sides. Here is an example of a crate with chicken wire.
Start with : 10 to 20 pounds of sand 10 to 20 pounds of soil, dirt
When available, bury or mix the following possible ingredients:
Feces and meat are prohibited. Earthworms speed up the process and enrich the soil. (They can be ordered or purchased at nurseries. Keep earthworms in a jar with potting soil as classroom pets.) As the material degrades the pile will create heat. Barns have caught on fire from hay from combustion of the heat in biological degradation.
Find out much more at The Microbe Zoo's Compost Page!
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