Has anyone out there tried composting? This is my first year of trying to grow a real garden. I am giving composting a try because I had heard it is wonderful for gardens. Right now it is a pile of compost on the ground with a couple of recycled boards framing it. In a few weeks I'm going to build a bin with shipping pallets from a friend who works in a shipping department.
Right now the dog keeps getting into it to steal the bread heels.
The best way to start is to find a corner, bin, whatever where you want your compost. I recommend a little away from the house, but not to far to discourage you from going out regularly and dumping your compost.
A good compost needs a good mix of green stuff and brown stuff.
Green includes kitchen waste. You can put anything that has ever grown in the ground and animal byproducts like milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, egg shells(but not meat or fat).Coffee filters with the grounds are excellent. Grass clippings, weeds, farm animal poo are also considered green stuff. For brown stuff, cardboard (shredded) newspaper (Shredded) tiny wood chips, leaves. Start with a layer of brown, then green, brown, green. Wait a few days to a week, then take a shovel, or pitch fork and stir the whole pile.Let it sit. Add stuff as you get it. You will want to shallowly bury green stuff to let it cook inside the pile, which is how the composting occurs. Stir it 1-2x a week making sure it isn't to wet, or to dry.
