In my previous blog I wrote about how I garden.  What I forgot to mention is that I do not use chemical fertilizers.  I prefer natural compost. 

     What is compost you ask?  Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as a fertilizer.

     This stuff is amazing.  Its cheap to make, and easy to use.  It takes about a year for a good compost to be ready for use.  There are a few steps though to make good compost.

     Step 1.  Set up an area for a compost pile, bin, box, or hole.  Whichever you prefer.  Set it in a spot that animals cant easily access.  Also make sure its out of direct sunlight.  This is important because compost needs moisture to help bacteria break down the organic material.

     Step 2.  Begin your pile.  It can be as simple as putting your grass clippings in a pile, and mixing it around every couple of days.  Or as intense as I get.  Good compost will require a mixture of about 30 parts carbon material, to 1 part nitrogen material.  This is easily done by using grass clippings and fallen leaves for the carbon material, and rotten vegetables or liquids for nitrogen materials.  I kind of go the extra bit and add my pet ferrets old bedding material/droppings. 

     Step 3.  Water and turn the pile.  I tend to dump about a gallon of water on my pile every week, and turn it twice a week.  Watering the pile helps keep the temperatures down, but also helps bacteria grow.  Turning the pile allows air into the mixture, and also stops the pile from getting what I like to call a dry shell.  By turning the pile every bit of it has a chance for bacteria to grow and break it down.

     Step 4.  Monitor the temperature of the pile.  Remember this is a decaying pile of organic material, it has a shit ton of bacteria in it.  Also remember that any process in which material is broken down creates heat.  I have had my own compost pile begin to combust because I let it sit for 2 weeks without watering it or turning it.  Be careful.

     Step 5.  After about a full year your pile should have enough broken down material to use it as a top layer for a garden.  Remember, this stuff releases nutrients over a long period of time.  It also helps create better soil.  It also helps alleviate food waste in our landfills.  So if youre like me and love to garden, try it out.