Compost is also known as black gold. It can do wonders for your garden. I find a lot of people I talk to don’t do a compost pile for a couple reasons.

1. They don’t know how to make compost

2. They think making compost is complicated.

Making compost can seem complicated, but it’s really only as complicated as you make it.  I thought I’d take you through 3 easy steps to make compost.

1. Set up a store bought or homemade composter and set it up.

You can get a compost tumbler in any garden store or online. This is an easy way to make compost, especially if you have a small space or live in the city. You just have to remember to turn it regularly. This will also make compost very quickly.

You can also create your own compost area. A compost pile is simply a space you put your compost ~ it can be as simple as that. We have had used stakes and chicken wire in a circle. I didn’t really like it ~ we made the circle way too big.  I’d stick with no more than 4 foot wide so you can always reach into the middle.

A couple years ago I got some extra steel siding my mom had laying around, and nailed it to 4X4 in a square. This is what I’ve been using since. I really like it. I’m thinking about adding a second compost box this year ~ one that’s ready to use and one that’s still “cooking”.

2. Add ingredients.

This is where people get really overwhelmed, but it really doesn’t have to be that hard. You want to make sure you add some “green” stuff, and some “brown” stuff. Green stuff includes grass, household kitchen waste (veggie peels, coffee grounds etc) Brown stuff includes, hay, non treated cardboard and the like.

You can create layers of compost ~ like a big lasagna, or you can make compost soup, and just mix it all in there. I prefer the soup method. I am just not patient enough and don’t always have enough ingredients for layers.

3.  Turn the pile

You’ve gotta turn your compost pile. This mixes up the ingredients and gets air and moisture into all the nooks and crannies. It also helps spread out the little soil critters who do the eating and composting of all your ingredients.

Turning your compost pile is as easy as grabbing a pitch fork and turning it over.  I personally like to use my garden claw. It makes for easy turning of the ingredients in my box.

That’s it, that’s really all there is to it. You will know your compost is ready when you can no longer recognize what your ingredients used to be. You may find the top of your pile is still recognizable, but the bottom half is good compost. This is where I’m at, and that’s why I’m going to start a second bin. I will just transfer the top half of my current compost bin into the new one and then keep adding new ingredients to the new compost bin. I will then have access to all that “black gold” at the bottom of the box.

I will be doing more posts on composting in the future. It’s so fun and it is just so great for your garden. You can get compost at the store if you have to, but save yourself a ton of money and just make your own.

Here’s a quick video that does a great job of  showing how to make compost.