A lot of people ask me about compost. I have to admit, well made compost makes a huge difference in the veggies you can grow. My good friend asked me, the other day, how I grew such beautiful veggies and herbs. I let her know my secret; raised beds full of manure rich compost. It makes all the difference. If you would like to see how I make my compost, I’ve got you covered!

The Secret to Great Compost

Compost is about layering carbon(browns) with nitrogen(greens).

Before I got animals I made my compost with grass clippings and fall leaves, both collected from the curb. The problem is grass clippings are readily available all summer while fall leaves are NOT.  Just when grass clippings come to an end, Fall leaves, well, start to fall. So you can see the dilemma. Y I ended up saving Fall leaves in the bags piles under my trampoline. These I could use all Summer to add to the grass clippings.  

Shred, Shred, Shred!

If you are a very patient person,which I am not, you can put your leaves in whole & wait. On the other hand if you want quick hot compost you can shred your leaves.

2 ways to shred your leaves

• chop them with a blower/vac combo(link below post)
• pile them up and run over them with the lawn mower several times
• Empty them into a stationary chopper(for lots of bags of leaves)

Obviously the blower/vac is a lot less work, but most people have a lawn mower so that option is more budget friendly;)

Water & Stir

If you are going to produce good rich, seed free compost you have to do two things; keep it moist and stir it at least once per week. Here is a link to my favorite tool to turn over my compost with: Heavy Duty Compost Fork

Keep reading till the end to see how to get SUPER HERO stirring strength!

When I got animals my compost started to ROCK! Even through the winter my compost pile cooked with the hottest nitrogen source; chicken manure. All through out the year I can add rabbit pellets as a top dressing to my beds because they are a cool manure & can go right on the garden bed. It was then that my garden really started to take off. It was then that I really was able to produce food for my family and more to share with others.

How your local coffee shop can help you get great compost

If you really can’t see yourself with animals, but would like to garden then get closely acquainted with your local coffee shop. Coffee grounds are a good way to heat up your compost. Yes, add your table scraps, but don’t expect them to heat up your pile.

Where is the best place to put your pile? In a corner of your yard is great, but don’t make the mistake I did. I put it up against my wooden fence. In an attempt to protect my fence, I attached plywood along where my compost would be piled up against it.  Sounds good, right? Wrong! The fire ants moved in and made a colony between the fence and the wood that was something to behold. I wish I had taken a picture of the huge labyrinth they made in the space available to them. After we took this down I moved my compost a foot away from my fence closing it in with cement cinder blocks. The blocks in front also serve another purpose.

Super Hero Stirring Strength!

You can use them as a lever to help you stir your compost, therefore increasing your available arm strength. Yes, I just gave you a way to double your strength. Pay attention, this is super hero stuff here. Using a pitch fork you can lever against the cement cinder blocks to stir your compost. Surrounding your compost with cinder blocks can help you keep it aerated and cooking. Remember, your compost is the key to great veggies!