Composting in the City

          Composting fights against soil erosion and provides a superior alternative to chemical fertilizers for the lawn, flower beds, and the vegetable garden. Chemical fertilizer alternatives wash away quickly and do nothing to permanently repair soil deficiency. Compost builds good soil structure and texture by creating aggregate particles in the soil. These aggregates or “clumps” promote aeration, water drainage and nutrient retention. Adding compost to a poor soil can repair nearly any deficiencies.

         So, to put it all together for you; compost provides and releases plant nutrients, protects against drought, controls pH, supports essential bacteria, feeds helpful earthworms, stops nutrient leaching, acts as a buffer against toxins in the soil, controls weeds, and conserves a nonrenewable energy resource.
      
         Why aren’t you composting? Are you afraid of offending your neighbours with the smells of putrefaction?
    
     There are many ways to compost on a small or large scale and there’s an appropriate method to suit to any situation, even an apartment balconygarden!

     The 3 keys to a “working” outdoor compost pile are simple…

i) moisture level; compost should be as damp as a moist sponge, but not sopping or dripping.

ii) aeration; Anaerobic (no air)conditions create the worst smells… aeration speeds the decomposition process integrally, the more you turn your pile to aerate it the faster the compost will digest. Turning your pile twice a year is alright, you can have finished compost within a year or two, but turning a pile every three days, for instance can yeild finished compost in as little as a month. A good happy medium is twice a month. Some hardware stores supply rolling barrel composters that turn with a crank. How easy is that?!
        Be sure to mix the kitchen waste with an equal amount of yard waste i.e. grass clippings or leaves, then sprinkle with a layer of soil and a little more yard waste to keep down smells. That means keeping a separate pile of grass clippings and leaves and for heaven sake , don’t throw them out with your trash!

iii) nitrogen ; Nitrogen is considered an activator for a compost pile. Nitrogen is required by the bacteria and fungi doing all the hard work in the compost. It is also required as a nutrient by plants that will later feed off of the compost. An easy, effective, source of usable nitrogen is bloodmeal (you can by it in the gardening section of the hardware store), approximately 1:15 weight ratio to yard waste and food scraps. Another easy source of nitrogen is human urine, yup, you heard me, encourage the boys to pee on your compost pile rather than against the side of the garage. They’ll be happy to oblige you, I’m sure!


There you have it! Give it a shot. It’s easy and forgiving and the reward is great…


Rich, loamy, dark humus for a beautiful garden;The good gardener’s secret weapon, and an intitiative to contribute back to the earth…         

BB