Compost Heap! I got a Compost Heap!
Happy Mother’s Day to me! We had been discussing it for a while, (because, whenever there is something to be done there is nothing like good old fashioned conversation to nip it in the bud,) but finally, it happened. My guy, that nutty romantic, built me a compost heap.
In case you’re thinking, what? Why on earth would anyone want a compost heap? Here’s a brief list of the finer points:
- It’s good for the earth
- It does not smell at all.
- Backyard wildlife (we’ve got bunnies, squirrels, birds, toads, etc) are not interested in it.
- Oh, the complements you will get. Like this one that had me blushing all green red in the face.
It’s our compost heap, and it’s 100% homemade. Dave followed directions he found on ecocycle, which says that as long as it’s about 3’X3′ and has some open space to allow for air circulation, we’re good to go. Ours is built from old fence posts, leftover deck lumber and some mesh netting from last year’s strawberry patch. Ecocycle has a comprehensive list of what is and is not compostable, but here’s the gist:
Ok to Compost:
- All vegetable waste (although apparently worms aren’t onion lovers)
- All garden waste
- Tea in its bag and coffee in its filter (I figure the caffeine makes the worms go faster, and that’s got to be a good thing)
- Dryer lint
Not Ok to Compost
- Proteins (ie, any meat or cheese)
- Eggs (shells are ok if they are broken up well)
- Oil
We send the girls out with a little tupperware for the compost heap each evening as one of their allowance-worthy chores. They dump it, and then cover the kitchen waste with a handful of leaves or cut grass. They’re still too small to manage the pitchfork, so every few days farmer Dave heads out to turn the pile. We also water it to keep it slightly damp, which helps the stuff cook down into yummy soil.
One Reply to “Compost Heap! I got a Compost Heap!”
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I like the training for the girls. Early lessons in the conservation of the planet should be taught in schools. We certainly have come a long way since I was a kid walking Rex in Riverside park and seeing the brown trout and silver fish in the river. Perhaps when we are full time in Cutchogue we can start a compost pile also.