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                                        The tale of the Compost Bin
         Detailing the search for a perfect compost bin and ending in compromise

                                                                                                                                 

   First, the history: Before our move to Fredericksburg, my creative husband had corralled a previous compost pile with wire and other found items. Once here, as we discussed how to shelter the new mound from our rough-and-tumble dogs and wild varmints, my husband offered to make a bin. The design was good – a barrel featuring a hand crank for turning and a convenient place to drop in raw items and remove cooked compost.
   But the need for compost was immediate, and other projects took priority. So we watched as carefully layered leaves and scraps gave way to canine paws ferreting out choice morsels. Soon, the "pile" was more pancake than mound.
   This demanded an immediate solution, a compost bin that met three requirements: 1) reasonable cost; 2) ease of setup; 3) convenience in getting matter in and compost out. Two reasonably priced wire bins fit the bill. Once they arrived, finding a spot for them in the back yard proved easy. Setup took about 30 minutes from unpacking to finish. Tinkering showed it was simple to remove one side of the bin and turn the compost. Soon the carefully layered rotting pile was in business.
   And before another day dawned, speedy mutts Sam and Katy demonstrated that the "heavy-gauge one-eighth-inch steel wire" was no match for a perfectly placed paw. They soon were pushing through a hole to nose out choice morsels.
    Plan B: In the storeroom sat a tall plastic garbage can with a tight-fitting lid. It now sits outside the fence, within easy reach of the cook/chief scrap-maker. Daily, kitchen scraps (no meat or dairy) mingle there with ground leaves. Katy and Sam wistfully sniff the air as the odors waft by. The two wire bins will become reserve "stoves" for cooking compost, once relocated to a place that busy paws cannot reach.    

   Here are tips for your perfect compost pile, courtesy of Ila Jean     Carothers, a Master Gardener in Crawford:
       • Adding organic matter to your soil is the signature act of a  good gardener. Most Texas soils have less than 1 percent organic matter, so adding it means more successful gardening. Compost, manures and other organic amendments are effective and cheaper than sand, vermiculite and perlite.
      • A good compost recipe includes browns, greens and moisture. Shred leaves with a lawn mower if you do not have a chipper or shredder.

      • A compost pile does its best work between 140 and 160 degrees. The high temperature kills weed seeds and germs that cause disease.
      • Impatience is the composter's biggest enemy. “Wait and see how it looks,” Carothers says. It's ready when you cannot tell what you put in it, and it smells like rich soil. Dampen each layer. Turn weekly. Provide moisture as needed.


                    “The smaller the leaves are, the quicker they are to compost,"
                                                              says Master Gardener Ila Carothers.



 

See another Master Gardener's approach to composting