Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Building the Pile
There are many variations on how to build a compost pile. Here is how I do it, step-by-
step. This is for a 3 by 3 by 3 foot pile that makes a 1 square yard or 27 square feet pile of
organic matter, but if your pile will be going through a cold winter and you can get enough
materials, you might go for a 5 by 5 by 5 foot pile. Build it in an area with lots of room so
you can get in and out of the bin and turn the pile, and make sure your hose can reach it. If
your city uses a lot of chlorine in the water, it may be better to use rainwater to moisten the
pile.
I build my pile all at once in order to create the best possible pile. It doesn't work as well
to just throw scraps in as they come because it's more difficult to get the mass required and
the correct C:N ratio, so I make sure I have all of my materials ready at the start. If you're
generating compostable materials like garden waste and food scraps high in nitrogen on a
more continuous basis, they can be occasionally put in the pile without changing the C:N
ratio too much, although it's nice to have a carbon material to add at the same time, such as
straw.
I tend to use manure, kitchen scraps, leaves and straw as my basic materials, along with
whatever other organics I can get, such as waste from a brewery, orchard or winery. The
composting process will be much faster if big materials are shredded or chopped, but if
chopped too fine, the pile will go anaerobic.
I tend to place my pile in the sun, although this isn't crucial. If I lived in a hotter climate,
I would probably place it in the shade. I build my pile right on the ground to invite earth-
worms and other soil insects up into it. I water the ground first and put a base layer of
branches and brush three feet wide and long.
Some people like to build in layers. I just take turns putting carbon- and nitrogen-rich
materials into the pile. I usually put two or three shovels of carbon material for every
shovel of nitrogen material. If you have neighbors who are intolerant of any odor, you can
use four shovels of carbon material to be safe. I may also try to have a carbon layer on all
sides of the pile to control odor and discourage animals and flies from hanging out around
the compost.
I occasionally sprinkle in my activators throughout this process, and hit the pile with
some water every once in awhile. These activators may include any of the following: com-
post, humates, clay, EM, sea minerals, liquid kelp, rock dust, calcitic lime, gypsum, other
mineral fertilizers, urine, and biodynamic preps and other energizers. If I have any metal
poles or long, broken shovel handles around, I stick them vertically into the pile and pull
them out after the pile is made.
I top it off with a layer of leaves or straw and tarp it during the rainy season or the sunny,
hot season to decrease evaporation. I also like to make the compost pile a centerpiece in my
