Mixing the Pile

It’s been roughly a week and a half since the first layers of compost were placed so I decided to turn the pile. I talked to an acquaintance a couple days ago about how often a pile should be mixed. She replied with about a week to a week and half. She has been composting for a couple of years now so I trusted her judgment. The pile has grown to about five times as big since a week ago. Ideally, the bin will be full and healthy by winter so the heat generating from the pile will sustain the worms throughout the winter. The progress has generated optimism for me. The top layer is dried leaves which will control the smell. More to follow…

Adding Worms to the Compost Bin - by Jan Christensen

Tuesday, June 29. I got some worms from my friend Tonia who has a worm box in her kitchen. They’re really healthy little red guys – just perfect for the compost bin. Take a look at Tonia’s worm box in the photo. It’s a Styrofoam cooler with a good lid and a few holes around the top of the box. She adds scraps and the worms eat them and make this amazing black dirt – worm castings. This stuff will make your garden grow! I added them to the top of the pile, then put some fresh kitchen compost on top of them. I know they will be especially happy, because I have cantaloupe seeds and rind, and they love sweet things like that. My sister just gave me a stainless steel compost bucket that used to belong to my Aunt Dorothy. I guess it’s an antique. It’s very heavy – this thing is going to outlast me! After I fed the worms with the kitchen scraps, I layered on some straw. The compost in the box is neat and doesn’t smell at all. I think the addition of the worms will get it going faster. It has rained enough that it hasn’t dried out, but we may water it today because worms like it moist. Oh… one important thing about compost buckets. It’s important to wash them out with hot soapy water after you empty them. It just makes your kitchen a nicer place to be. -Jan Christensen