The Holistic Gardening Series: There's (Black) Gold In Them Thar Piles! (Part 1)

I am sure that I speak for the majority of gardeners when I say that most of us start out with less-than-ideal soil conditions upon which to build our yards and gardens. Perhaps the soil is too sandy, perhaps too much clay is the problem. The good news is that soil can be amended and made into the ideal loam we all need to ensure successful gardening.

The art of composting is not difficult to learn. Nature has been doing this longer than Humankind has been growing crops or other plants. The bulk of what we call "dirt" is actually a potpourri of decayed or decaying plant and animal materials, micro-organisms, living creatures, and inert ingredients such as pebbles, sand, and minerals. Mother Nature has been busily composting for millions of years; the problem is, we often have to help her along. Here are some ideas to help develop a great foundation for gardening success:

Traditional Composting, AKA The Ol' Compost Pile

Given time, anyone can have compost by merely throwing vegetable peels, garden clippings, and other organic materials in a compost heap and letting Ma Nature do the rest. The trouble is, Ma Nature is in no hurry. Our goal is to get it done in a relatively shorter span of time than she does. So, there are a few things we would need to do in order to accomplish this task.

There are whole books and articles written on proportions, layering, etc. I will not say it is not important, but let's not complicate the process or make a mountain out of a molehill, so to speak. Just layer brown materials with green, add a starter or accelerator, which can be a few shovelfuls of manure or other nutrient and organism-rich compost or soil over the layers, and moisten. Turn the concoction every week or so and be sure the compost is not allowed to dry out or become too wet, and you will get compost more quickly than if it is left to naturally decompose. You can do either hot composting or cold composting. The difference is that with hot composting, all the materials to be composted are added at once, whereas the materials in a cold composting system are gradually added. First, let's compare both methods:

~A Comparison of Hot and Cold Composting~
Hot Composting	Slow Composting
Requires about 2:1 or 1:1 ratio of green to brown materials.	Not as strict on ratio. Still need green and brown materials.
Most if not all the materials are added all at once in alternating layers of green to brown.	Material is added gradually into the center or on the top
Use of starters and/or accelerators recommended	Starters or accelerators not essential to the process
Size should be no larger than 5x5x5 feet	Size not as crucial. Can start out small and build up
Layers start with a coarse bottom layer for aeration on bare soil.	Layers start with a coarse bottom layer for aeration on bare soil.
Alternate brown and green materials at all times	Add whatever is available, green or brown
Process depends on heat-loving micro-organisms as primary source of decomposition	Process depends on fungi and other moderate or cold-loving micro-organisms as primary source of decomposition.
Add moisture to the pile as layers are added, about the amount to keep it like a damp sponge	Add moisture to the pile as layers are added, about the amount to keep it like a damp sponge
Requires turning every seven to ten days to aerate and keep the pile "working".	May be turned or left alone.
Add new material to the center, the hottest part of the pile.	Can add new material on top of pile
Process is quick: within a few weeks to a month or two	Process is slow: May take many months to more than a season or two to complete

There's even more to know about composting, so let's head on over to the rest of this article: