The Convenient Garden Compost Pile

Where you put your compost pile will influence your attitude toward it. Think of it as an easy way to dispose of waste you have to get rid of anyhow. It should be near, or even in, your garden. The less hauling you have to do, the more convenient it will be to stockpile and use.

If you are a scavenger who collects composting materials from other places, try to locate your pile somewhere near your driveway, as well.

Good drainage is important, so too are proximity to a water supply if you live in a dry climate and some shelter from wind.

Sensible Containers

It’s a good idea to contain your compost pile in some way. You can get plans for compost bins that would need a contractor to build. Or you can do it the easy way. For a simple system, get a piece of sturdy wire mesh, about four or five feet high, and nine feet long. Wire the two ends together, forming a cylinder. Place it at a convenient location — where you’ll be using the compost when it’s ready. Fill it with weeds, the zucchini that’s outdone itself, a shovelful of soil, then more garden or kitchen wastes. If you feel compelled to turn it, you can simply unhook the cylinder, move it adjacent to the pile, and fork the contents back in. Otherwise, just let it sit and lift or unhook the cylinder when decomposition is complete.

I have a lazy gardening friend who has spotted a few “retired” tomato cages strategically around her garden as compost makers. She never has to walk far to deposit weeds or spent plants. When she needs a bit of compost to put under tomato, eggplant, or pepper transplants, it’s right there. Scarlet runner beans or peas often maybe found climbing the outside of the cages, camouflaging their contents.

A three-sided concrete-block bin is easy to construct. Lay the blocks sideways (no mortar), and the holes will help let air in and gases out of the pile. If you want to get fancy, suspend perforated pipe at intervals between the holes in the blocks to promote even better aeration.

Or lift the pile off the ground with pipes thrust between the second layer of blocks. Place wire mesh on the pipes. Evergreen branches laid on the wire will prevent most of the compost from sifting through the mesh. Build from there with composting materials. No turning is necessary, because of the ten-inch air space under the pile.

Build two bins side by side, one for adding to, one for taking from.

Build a bin with bales of hay. The hay itself will eventually decompose. Then you can either add it to the pile and replace it with fresh bales, or toss it on your garden as mulch or to be tilled in, depending on the time of year.

If you have limited space, you can compost in a garbage can or drum. Punch holes in the bottom and sides (for drainage and aeration), set on bricks or concrete blocks, and layer materials with soil inside.

Commercial compost containers are also available. Most are designed so the finished compost can be removed through an opening near the bottom. They are quite expensive, however.

Toss garden wastes, table scraps, lawn clippings, leaves, and anything else that can be composted into a black plastic bag lining a trash can. When the can is filled, add a quart or two of water — enough to have everything moist but with no excess water. Tie the bag, then dump it out of the can and into a shaded spot. Start another bag. This is anaerobic (without oxygen) corn- posting, so until the materials are completely rotted, they’ll have the breathtaking smell of a septic tank, rather than the clean, woodsy smell of an aerobic compost pile.

Gerald Smith of the University of Georgia College of Agriculture, suggests this work-free method of composting leaves, which works fine in his mild winter season:

Rake leaves into plastic bags. Carry them to an inconspicuous and shaded area where they can be stored. Add enough water to each bag to wet the leaves thoroughly. Turn the bags over several times to wet down all of the leaves, then pour out any extra water. Gerald says, “Broadleaf leaves such as oak, maple, and pecan, collected in the fall, should be decomposed enough to work into the soil by April or May.”

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