Gardening on the Moon ( GOTM )

Written by Jeff

Air

All living organisms need air. The microorganisms in the compost pile need air to live and reproduce. Air is added to the compost pile by turning it frequently. To help provide air, compost containers should have air holes to allow for circulation. When I had my four-bin compost system in New Jersey, the sides of the compost bins, except for the front, were made of plastic-coated fencing wire which provided more than ample air to reach the compost when it was turned.

Water

A compost bin needs water, but shouldn’t be soggy. As Tyler Storey related during his presentation, it should be as wet as a wrung out sponge, but no wetter. In AZ that is a bit tricky, but attention must be paid for successful composting.

Building the compost pile

Make certain that the container is large enough to hold a significant volume of material. Mr. Storey suggested a 3′ x 3′ minimum. The bin should be in an area that enables access for turning, near to where materials will be unloaded and of course, near a water source.

Ingredients should be chopped into small pieces, but do not have to be too small (no whole celery stalks). The smaller the pieces, the better the mix and at least theoretically, the faster the material will decompose. Materials should be able to be turned with a spading fork.

Once the materials are assembled, pile the layers so that they alternate: Greens, Browns, Garden Soil (to introduce microorganisms to the mix) and Water. Mix this well.

Turn the pile on a regular basis. Tyler Storey turns his compost pile daily, but every few days should also work (remember the water on the days when the pile is not turned). Decomposition is aided by frequent turning; the more it is turned, the faster compost will be produced. Move the material from the outside of the pile to the inside and introduce enough water to keep the pile damp.

Composting generates heat and in some cases it can be quite a bit of heat. This is not bad, just a part of the process. There were numerous times in New Jersey that I could see steam rising from the pile. When the compost is cool, the ingredients are not recognizable*, it is dark brown and crumbly, it is ready for use. At this stage, it is often referred to as Brown Gold!

*NOTE – It is my experience that from time-to-time, something maybe introduced in the compost pile and because of circumstances, it does not decompose or doesn’t decompose as quickly as other items so it remains recognizable even though the compost is basically ready for use. When we say “not recognizable,” we refer to the general overall appearance of the ingredients.

During the presentation, Tyler showed the evolution of a compost pile from May 26 through October 2 which was a period of 129 days from start to finish. It should take about four months to generate finished compost. If you are using a one-container system, you will need to stop adding material for a while to allow proper decomposition of the entire pile.

Once the compost is done, it can be added to the garden at a ratio of one-third compost to two-thirds garden soil. For more information, visit Tyler Storey’s companion website:

http://thedesertgarden.com/

Happy Composting!

PS – It seems that many people are getting into composting!

Read the first part of this – Rotting in the Desert – Part I -

Gardening on the Moon, www.gardeningonthemoon.com, originally published this post

Article References:

Tyler Storey – Phoenix Area Gardening Coach – www.tylerstorey.com
Tyler Storey’s Desert Garden web site – http://thedesertgarden.com/

Additional Information may be found at Earth Friendly Gardening

http://earthfriendlygardening.wordpress.com/2006/05/09/browns-greens-what-to-compost/