The Rural Voice, 1990-05, Page 55RURAL LIVING
near the garden which is not too close
to tree roots and is discretely away
from the neighbours if your pile is
rough in appearance. The site should
be flat enough that the nutrients will
not run away, and it might be a good
idea to put it within reach of the
garden hose in case you need to add
some water.
Your actual compost pile or con-
tainer could be a three -sided fenced
area or merely a trash can with a
perforated bottom set into the ground.
Four pallets hooked together with one
on the bottom and three for sides (and
a piece of fencing hooked across the
front) make another ideal container, as
do piles of sod for walls. Remember
to leave room for you to turn the
compost.
Air is another important ingredi-
ent. For the aerobic (oxygen -using)
bacteria to do a good job, they need
air, and this is where your turning
comes in. Once the bacteria have
started to work, the pile will heat up
to 150° F and will need more air. The
moisture content should be 50 per
cent. This is hard to measure, but
keep in mind that the pile should be
evenly moist but not soggy. Don't
saturate the pile if you have to add
water; spray it gently.
The materials you use should be
broken up and bruised. The outer
layer of leaves and plants were formed
to prevent bacteria from getting in. If
you want garden clippings to decom-
pose quickly, use a hoe or a very sharp
shovel to bruise them. Some ambi-
tious gardeners put their kitchen
scraps in the blender before dumping
them on the compost.
The pile should activate itself
independently, but can be encouraged
with a shovel -full of compost or
manure to introduce bacteria.
Adding compost to your garden
is a major step in getting back to the
basics. You are not only relieving the
local landfill site, but you are taking
an integral part in the ecosystem and
re-establishing it in your own back
yard. With good nutrition, your plants
will be better able to fight off various
pests and to produce greater yields.
And, a well-managed garden can
make your heart sing.0
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1-800-265-1714 1-800-265-7622
Zurich Grand Valley
Hubert Schilbe Larry Campbell
519-236-4792 519-928-2855
MAY 1990 51