Make Your Own Planting Mix (updated 2024)

Note: for all recipes, coir can be substituted for peat moss.

 

The Rodale Instute Mix (organic):

Finely screened compost  4 parts

Peat Moss  2 parts
Perlite  1 part
Vermiculite 1 part

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Another organic mix (from the book, "Rodale Organic Gardening Solutions"):

shredded peat moss  1 bushel
perlite or vermiculite  1 bushel
ground limestone  1/2 cup
bloodmeal  1 cup
colloidal phosphate  1 cup
greensand   1 cup

(1 bushel = 1.24 cubic feet)
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From: Oregon St. University's E-Organic Program

Seedling mixes for starting transplants

Seed mix (Biernbaum, 2001)

• 2 parts screened compost
• 4 parts sphagnum peat
• 1 part perlite
• 1 part vermiculite
• Lime as needed to adjust pH to 6

Seed mix - standard soilless (Biernbaum, 2001)

• 50–75% sphagnum peat
• 25–50% vermiculite
• 5 lbs of ground or superfine dolomitic lime per cubic yard of mix
• Blood meal, rock phosphate, and greensand at 5 to 10 lbs per cubic yard

Organic seedling mix (Biernbaum, 2001)

• 10 gallon of 2 year old leaf mold, sifted
• 10 gallons of sifted compost
• 5–10 gallons of sphagnum peat
• 5 gallons of perlite
• 5 gallons of coarse river sand
• 3 cups blood meal
• 6 cups bone meal

Soilless potting mix (used by Windsor Organic Research on Transition project, E. Zaborski)

• 1 part compost
• 1 part vermiculite
• 1 part peat moss

Screened with ¼ inch screen to mix together. Per 1 gallon mix add:

• 0.6 oz blood meal (17.01 grams)
• 0.4 oz clay phosphate (11.34 grams)
• 0.4 oz greensand (11.34 grams)

Soil-based seedling mix (Hamilton, 1993)

• 2 parts loam (stacked turf to kill any weed seed and disease)
• 2 parts sphagnum peat
• 2 parts coarse grit (sand)
• 30 g or 1 oz lime for each 2 gallon bucket (9 liters)
• 60 g or 1 oz blood meal for each 2 gallon bucket (9 liters)

Organic potting mix (credited to Eliot Coleman in Kuepper, 2004).

• 1 part sphagnum peat
• 1 part peat humus (short fiber)
• 1 part compost
• 1 part sharp sand (builder's)

to every 80 quarts of this add:

• 1 cup greensand
• 1 cup colloidal phosphate
• 1½–2 cups crabmeal or blood meal
• ½ cup lime

Soil block mix (Kuepper, 2004; adapted from Coleman, 1995)

• 3 buckets (standard 10-qt. bucket) brown peat
• ½ cup lime (mix well)
• 2 buckets coarse sand or perlite
• 3 cups base fertilizer (blood meal, colloidal phosphate, and greensand mixed together in equal parts)
• 1 bucket soil
• 2 buckets compost

Seedling mix for soil blocks or seedling flats (from John Greenier of Stoughton, WI in Kuepper, 2004)

• 2 3-gal. buckets Sphagnum peat moss
• ¼ cup lime
• 1½ cups fertility mix (below)
• 1½ buckets vermiculite
• 1½ buckets compost

Fertility mix: 

• 2 cups colloidal (rock) phosphate
• 2 cups greensand
• 2 cups blood meal
• ½ cup bone meal
• ¼ cup kelp meal

Directions for mixing:

1. Add peat to cement mixer or mixing barrel.
2. Spread the lime and fertility mix over the peat.
3. Mix these ingredients thoroughly.
4. Add the compost and vermiculite and mix well again.
5. When done, examine the distribution of vermiculite to ensure that it has been mixed in evenly.

Note that all bulk ingredients should be screened through 1/4 inch hardware cloth. Well matured, manure-based compost should be used (avoid poultry manure and wood-chip bedding).

Mixes for larger plants or containers

These mixes require the addition of mined nutrients from natural sources.

Cornell Organic Substitute for Classic Mix (as modified by Biernbaum, 2001)

• ½ cu yd. sphagnum peat
• ½ cu yd vermiculite
• 5 lbs ground limestone
• 2–4 lbs bone meal
• 5 lbs blood meal

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Check out all the information about potting mixes for Certified Organic Production at the NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Project Website

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Cornell University Modified Peat-Lite Planting Mix:(especially good for seedlings)
for large jobs (1 part=one full wheelbarrow, about 4.5 cu. ft.)
Peat Moss 2 parts
Perlite  1 part
Vermiculite  1 part
Dolomitic Lime (raises pH) 4 cups
Superphosphate (0-20-0) 5 cups
Osmocote or other slow release fertilizer (19-6-12)  8 cups

for small jobs (1 part= a 32 oz. coffee can)
Peat Moss 2 parts
Perlite  1 part
Vermiculite  1 part
Dolomitic Lime (raises pH) 1 tsp.
Superphosphate (0-20-0) 2 tsp.
Osmocote or other slow release fertilizer (19-6-12)  1 Tbs.

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Note: when using peat moss, pre-moisten the peat moss to aid moisture retention. In a hose-end sprayer, put one tablespoon liquid dish detergent in the jar. Set sprayer to mix one tablespoon per gallon of water. Thoroughly water the peat moss with this solution before mixing with other ingredients.

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Purchasing a commercial potting soil or planting mix?

Some tips from the California Master Gardener Handbook:

• Select mixes high in bark, forest materials, or spaghnum peat with vermiculite or perlite.

• Thoroughly leach any potting soil before placing seed or plant material in the mix. Leaching will reduce soluble salts to acceptable levels in most mixes.

•Fertilize with a soluble fertilizer according to manufacturer's directions within two weeks after plants are growing in the new potting/planting mix or potting soil. This will replace leached nutrients and those taken up by the plants.

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The difference between a potting/planting mix and potting soil?

There are no hard and fast rules. Ask 100 experts, you may get 100 different answers. Generally speaking, if the bag says "soil", it probably contains soil and sand, along with ingredients such as perlite, vermiculite, peat moss or bark.

When you buy a garden product with the word "soil" - especially at a low price - you are increasing the chances of buying someone else's problems: a package that contains weed seeds, nematodes, fungal diseases, heavy clay, sludge.

Your best bet, as stated above: choose a product high in forest materials (especially for woody plants), or peat/coir with vermiculite or perlite (for herbaceous or non-woody plants).

How Can I Improve My (Expletive Deleted) Clay Soil?

From the garden e-mail bag, Gordon of Lodi writes: "I've about had it with clay/hard pan soil. The soil map for Lodi/Stockton says we are supposed to have sandy loam.  Give me a break!  I bought a 30 lb. bag of gypsum pellets and I'm willing to dig it in everywhere. But, how much do I use? I found an article online. It says to add 20-30 lbs. per 1000 sq. ft. of garden area. I'm not going to work up 1000 sq. ft.!  How about a cup full in 10-20 sq. ft. every three years?"

Gordon, how about getting a soil test done first? California's Central Valley is made up of many different soil types, so yours may not be representative of what you researched. 

Gypsum is effective on soils high in salts; it does nothing to improve the permeability of our clay soils, most of which do not have a salt issue. Still, only a soil test can determine that. By the way, gypsum is very slow to work. It needs to be added (for that salinity problem) on a regular annual basis, not once every three years.

Usually, the reasons for the expletives used against clay soil include symptoms such as slow draining soil, difficult to dig soil, or hardpan layers.

This time of year, especially after a rainy winter, compaction of clay soil is not uncommon (quit walking on wet clay soil!).
  

Don't want to be a scientist? Then, build a raised bed and plant in that, using a high quality commercial soil mix. To improve water penetration, be sure to mix in some of the new soil into the existing soil base at the bottom of the raised bed.

Raised Beds, Fair Oaks Horticulture Center

If you want to improve the soil drainage and permeability of your existing clay soil, add quality compost, top the soil with several inches of mulch, and grow a cover crop. 

The Yolo County Master Gardeners put together an easy-to-understand chart of soil symptoms and possible solutions. More info is available in their online publication, "Using Soil Amendments in Yolo County Gardens."

A word of warning about one of those suggestions: adding sand, perlite or vermiculite to your soil may be counterproductive. According to retired college horticulture professor Debbie Flower, "I would not add those to my field soil: Too little sand added to clay = cement. Perlite is ugly (and it tends to rise to the surface). Vermiculite just compresses when soil is worked or walked on."

Elsewhere in that publication, they explode some of the myths about certain soil amendments: 

Myth #1. Gypsum softens clay or loosens compacted soil. 
Gypsum (calcium sulfate dihydrate) is effective in counteracting the effects of sodium, which in excess (in soil or in irrigation water) causes soil aggregates to disperse, sealing the soil surface and reducing water infiltration. The calcium in the gypsum replaces the sodium, making for more stable soil aggregates, which do not disperse and form a seal so readily. This process is the basis for the misleading claim that gypsum “loosens” the soil. Gypsum does not reduce or prevent soil compaction, dissolve hardpan, soften clay soils, or convert clay to loam. 

Myth #2. Gypsum lowers the pH of alkaline soils. 
In very high pH soils (pH > 8.5, characteristic of high- sodium soils), gypsum will lower the pH, but only slightly. At lower, though still alkaline, soil pH values, gypsum has little or no effect on pH. Chemically, calcium sulfate is a “neutral salt”, i.e., when it dissolves in water, it does not change the pH of the solution. If the objective is to lower soil pH, elemental sulfur, iron sulfate, or aluminum sulfate should be used.

Myth #3. Inoculating soil with microbes or microbial preparations, will improve “dead” or infertile soil. 
A wide variety of “microbial” products that contain (or claim to contain) microorganisms are commercially available for farm and garden use. A review of the claims made for such products is beyond the scope of this bulletin. Keep in mind that most soils, including soils that have been fertilized only with synthetic fertilizers, or have suffered years of abuse (compaction, erosion, loss of organic matter) still contain a great diversity of microbial species. To establish or re-establish a healthy soil food web, all that is needed is to apply a variety of organic amendments and ensure that pH and nutrient levels are adequate for plant growth.

More information about: 
The benefits of adding compost to the soil.
The benefits of topping garden soil with mulch.
The benefits of cover cropping.

 

Which Mulch is Best for You? 2010 Update

Adding a three to four inch layer of mulch now beneath shrubs and trees, out to the drip line, can help stop weeds, keeps the ground evenly moist and feeds the plants as well. But which mulch is best?
   

Each type of mulch has its Pros and Cons:

Bark: lasts a long time, looks nice, feeds the soil slowly, suppresses weeds. Beware of finely shredded redwood bark: the hairs can easily ignite if someone tosses in a cigarette butt.   Medium to large bark stays in place better than the mini-bark. Buy bark bulk from a sand and gravel yard to save money. It may seem like a lot of bark, but you'll find a place to use it!

Cocoa shells: look nice, last a long time, but some varieties may be toxic to dogs, due to the potential of theobromine poisoning.

Chipped/Shredded tree trimmings: inexpensive, feeds the soil, supresses weeds, but needs to be replenished yearly.  In the good old days, you could bribe a tree trimming company doing work on your street to drop off their load in your yard; after all, they were probably just going to take it to the dump. Not any more. Due to the demand of this as a mulch, many arbor companies are keeping or reselling chipped/shredded tree trimmings. Still, it can't hurt to ask! However, consider this: you may be importing someone else's plant pests or diseases into your yard. One way to mitigate this: keep those trimmings in a pile for several months. That can help to destroy pest eggs and certain pathogens, if the temperature in the pile gets up to 140 degrees or so. The downside of keeping tree trimming in a large pile: ant colonies might move in. Be careful when shoveling!

Pine needles: best spread about three inches deep around acid loving plants. Don't let it get too thick though. It might block the transfer of air and water into the soil, creating an anaerobic environment.

Compost: Inexpensive (if home made), provides soil nutrients and improves soil structure. But weed seeds can germinate in it. And, it needs to be replenished every year.

Grass Clippings: inexpensive, but should be applied when thoroughly dried. Also, clippings from weed-like grasses, such as bermudagrass, may get established in other areas. And, don't use grass clippings from a lawn that has been treated with weed killers; in particular, postemergent selective herbicides. This could harm the roots of desirable plants.

Straw: Not to be confused with alfalfa, which can germinate if used as a mulch. Keeps weeds down, retains soil moisture, adds nutrients as it breaks down. Can be bulky to transport in bales (get bale hooks!). A good mulch for walkways, too. Ruth Stout wrote entire books on the subject of using straw mulch in the garden. They're collector's items now.

Leaves: Why do you think God named them "leaves"? "Leave" 'em be, where they fall. Better yet, shred the leaves with a bagging lawn mower to create a quicker nutrient source for your flower beds and borders. They break down quickly, so leaves must be constantly added to an area.

Worm Castings: The Master Composters at Texas A&M University do not recommend using worm castings as a mulch. Worm castings, they report,  are too nutrient-rich to use as mulch on outdoor plants; they tend to dry out and the nutrients are wasted

Permeable Weed Cloth: Not recommended by Washington State University. It is inorganic, suppresses weeds while allowing air and water to pass through. Needs a layer of bark on top to keep it from disintegrating from sunlight. May keep soil too moist. May lead to surface rooting of plants. Pulling up weeds that are growing in weed cloth may pull up portions of the cloth as well.

Newspapers: inexpensive, suppresses weeds. Must be replaced often, needs to be secured in place.

Plastic: Suppresses weeds, but does not allow air or water to pass through. In the summer, it may raise soil temperatures too high. Needs to be secured to the soil.

Rock: Looks good, but provides no nutrients, may raise soil temperatures, damaging shallow plant roots.

Benefits of organic mulch:
• retains moisture
• keeps soil temperature constant, reducing plant stress
• suppresses weeds
• gradually increases soil organic matter
• attracts beneficial organisms that improve soil fertility and porosity.
• mulch encourages healthier plants, reducing the needs for pesticides and fertilizers.
• protects roots and plants from mechanical injury.
• on hillsides and around homes, it suppresses the spread of brush fires.

Some cautionary notes: 
• Don't pile up organic mulch around the trunks of trees and shrubs. 
• Keep mulch a few inches away from trunks to lessen the chances of rots and other diseases.
• Don't import someone else's problems. Avoid using as mulch any diseased plant material, including suffering tree limbs, diseased leaves, herbicide-treated lawn.

To cover an area with three inches of mulch: apply about 1 cubic yard for every 100 square feet of area.

One of the downsides of mulch: native bees will be dissuaded from nesting in mulched areas. To attract ground-dwelling native bees, keep a portion of your yard unmulched.
 
For a great publication about mulch, download this pdf, "The Landscapers' Guide to Mulch" from the California Integrated Waste Management Board.

And, the video, Mulch Madness!

What are those bugs in my compost?

"A nice afternoon, perfect for floating in the pool," I muse. "But first, let's jam out a quick rant about those grubs in the compost pile that gardeners are always fretting about, specifically, the white segmented grubs and those big, buzzing flies, like the ones I have in my Can O' Worms composting bin."

The easy, fast answer about those critters, which are probably soldier flies: they're harmless. Let 'em be.

Ha! Easy, my ass. The sun is setting, and the more that I read about soldier flies, the more I realize that I have a lot to learn. Depending on the composting system, soldier flies and their larvae may be either good guys... or a major detriment. The pool will have to wait for another afternoon. 

Soldier flies do such a good job digesting your garbage, there are websites that will be glad to show you how to build a system to raise soldier flies.

 Soldier flies can be found throughout the U.S., wherever there is moist, rotting food.
 

The adults look like inch-long black wasps and do a fair share of loud buzzing when disturbed. But the soldier fly is harmless...to you. They do not bite, they only live a couple of days, usually die soon after having sex and laying eggs on the tops of partially composted kitchen scraps. Some critters have a nice life.

The soldier fly larvae - the maggots - are also about an inch long, gray-white, and segmented. When exposed to light, they will scurry deeper into the compost bin, where they are voracious feeders on decaying, nitrogen-rich foods.
 

Those maggots are very good decomposers or organic material, helping along the process in your compost bin. According to the University of California, the soldier fly also inoculates the compost with beneficial bacteria from other sources.

It is their appetite that is a double edged sword for home composters.

In a regular composting bin, the soldier fly larvae are a welcome addition, speeding along the decomposition. 

Can O' Worms

But in a vermicomposting system - a worm bin such as the Can O' Worms - soldier fly larvae are competing with the worms for food. Plus, they consume so much material, they generate a lot of heat. And in the summer, that may be more heat than your composting worms would be willing to tolerate. Temperatures over 90 degrees will bring worm work to a near halt in a worm bin, or worse, unless you work to keep them cooler.

For worm aficianados, the University of California offers these tips if you want to remove the soldier flies and their larvae from your vermicomposting system:

• Make sure you have enough leaves, dry grass, shredded paper and other organic "brown" material in the pile to cover the nitrogen food sources by at least two to four inches. 

• Be sure to bury food scraps deeply in the pile and cover them well.  

• Put window screen over any holes in the bin and glue it down with a waterproof caulking (like an exterior household caulk) on the inside of the bin to help exclude the flies in their egg laying stage.

• Birds love soldier fly larvae so you can remove them and feed them to chickens or just toss them on the ground and other birds may find them.

The Tumbleweed

And now that my pool time today has been usurped by studying the soldier fly, I'll take out my revenge in the evening: remove the maggots and put them into another of my composting systems, my favorite, the Tumbleweed, which produces usable compost quicker than the Can O' Worms...but the Can O' Worms is more fun! Even with the maggots.

More information about small scale vermicomposting from the University of Hawaii 

A good book about vermicomposting: "Worms Eat My Garbage" by Mary Appellhof.

Give Problem Plants the Heave-Ho

Today's rant is short and bittersweet: get rid of under-performing plants.

There are a lot of other plants out there that would be very happy to take their place, and offer you more hassle-free enjoyment. 

Many years ago, Sacramento-area landscape designer Michael Glassman told me something that has stuck: "Life is too short to put up with problem plants."

Roses that won't bloom? Shovel prune them. Plant another rose, better suited for the area.

Nut trees that aren't nutty enough? Bring out the chainsaw.

Late blight on a tomato plant

Tomato plants that sulk or are diseased? Off with their heads (and roots)! Get thee to a nursery. They have healthier veggies available.

Frosty the Ficus

And that frozen ficus? It ain't comin' back from the dead. To the compost pile!

Which brings up a good question... what do you do with that poor performer?

If it is in critical condition due to the weather or produces an unsatisfactory crop, chop it up and put it in a compost pile. 

For those who get overly sentimental about their sickly plants, think of the compost pile as a way for your plant to keep on performing: as it breaks down, it is creating wonderful soil amendments.

If that sickly plant is riddled with insects, a hot compost pile will kill the bad bugs and their offspring. Otherwise, trash it.

If the plant is diseased, though, put it in the trash. Chances are, your compost pile isn't hot enough (140 degrees) to kill those pathogens.

The bottom line: putting the right plant in the right place, and properly cared for, reduces your need to commit horticultural homicide.

What to Add? An Easy Backyard Composting Formula

2 Brown and Dry + 1 Green and Juicy + Water + Oxygen + Bugs = BLACK GOLD

(courtesy of Project Compost at UC Davis, where you will find easy, step by step instructions for starting your own backyard composting system).

Thinking about getting a compost bin or tumbler? Watch This!

Where The Heck Are You Gardening? Ask the Snarky Farmer!

      All gardening is local. The outdoor plants that grow for me, may not grow for you. And vice versa (especially vice versa!). With that, it's time to delve into the Ask the Snarky Farmer mailbag!

     Gramma Dori writes: "I received two small azalea trees, with one having green houseplants planted with it. Could you tell me if I should keep them in the house or put them outside? And, when should I plant them in outdoor pots or in the ground?"

   You don't say where you live, and that can have a big bearing on where and when to plant azaleas. In the Central Valley area and foothills of California, they are best planted where they can get some filtered shade, such as the east side of the house. For those areas of coastal influence, they can be planted in full sun. Why the difference? Because the sun seldom shines along the Northern California coast in the summertime! And it drizzles! And it's cold! When I lived in Fort Bragg, I would drive inland two hours to Ukiah...just to get warm! But I digress...

      Wherever azaleas are planted, they need acidic soil and good drainage. You could plant them now, just be sure to mulch the area thoroughly to preserve soil moisture. 

     BUT...an azalea AND houseplants, together, in the same pot? Sure would help to know about those "houseplants"!  Depending on your climate, they may also survive outdoors. Are you sure that it isn't a bonsai specimen? Perhaps someone is trying to hook you into another time-consuming, expensive hobby!

     "Ortho's Complete Guide to Successful Houseplants" says this about growing azaleas indoors: "After flowering, many are simply used as indoor foliage plants. Most azaleas sold as houseplants are not hardy enough for northern gardens. To encourage an azalea to bloom again inside the home, put the plant outside in early summer. Bring it back inside in early winter, after the cool days of fall, and put it in a cool place until it blooms again. After flowering, provide at least four hours of curtain-filtered sunlight from a bright south, east or west window. Keep evenly moist. Discard drainage."


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     Wendy asks: "Please tell me what you think of a product called Liquid Aerify, which is supposed to condition clay soil. Is it safe and effective?"

     Despite having acres of heavy clay soil, I have never tried Aerify. When examining an unfamiliar garden chemical, read the "Active Ingredients" or "Analysis" portion of the label, and then do your homework. Fortunately, the manufacturer of Aerify, Nature's Lawn and Garden, provides a link to that label: 

 You can read what Wikipedia says about that 60% active ingredient, Ammonium Laureth Sulfate. My big question is, what is in the other 40%?

Perhaps further clues are here at  their link to Aerify's Material Safety Data Sheet, which reads in part:

 If you are trying to improve clay soil, here is more info from the "UC Guide to Healthy Lawns":

"Organic material improves soil structure. Although often not necessary, organic material can be added to sandy soils to increase nutrient and moisture retention. Clay soils can also be amended with organic material to help loosen the soil and provide better aeration and drainage. Compost is the easiest organic material to use. It can be purchased at garden supply stores or can be ordered by the truckload. A rotary tiller works best to incorporate the organic material to your soil. A layer of 1 - 2 inches spread over your site should be tilled to a depth of 3 - 6 inches. Even though some fertilizers are from organic sources, organic amendments are not necessarily fertilizers and should not be substituted for them."

     There are those in organic gardening circles who maintain that all you need to do is place several inches of compost on the top of the existing soil; rototilling, they say, is harmful to the beneficial soil microbes. But that story is for another mailbag!

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Saturday, August 1
Harvest Day at the Fair Oaks Horticulture Center
Where:  Fair Oaks Park 11549 Fair Oaks Blvd. Fair Oaks, CA 95628
Time:   8:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m.
Cost:   Free admission
Information:  (916) 875-6913 
or visit http://cesacramento.ucdavis.edu
Victory Gardens are as relevant today as they were during WWI and WWII.  Then they were about reducing food costs and ensuring fresh, health and tasty home-grown food.  Today, factor in concern about the environment, need to reduce the amount of chemicals in the local water supply, necessity to use water wisely&emdash;all with smaller gardening areas and competing priorities for your time and energy.  Learn to be a Victory Gardener at Harvest Day 2009.  Discover how to plant and care for ornamental and edible plants in an environmentally friendly way, and yes, savor home grown produce.

Harvest Day is considered the Sacramento area's "premier gardening event."  It is truly a celebration for all the senses:

• Taste amazing varieties of tomatoes, grapes, and fruits
• Brush leaves and flowers and immerse yourself in the aromatic bouquet
• Listen and marvel at the activity of the beneficials (bees, birds, good bugs)
• See how to water your plants and not the street, sidewalk, or weeds (prepare for water meters)
• 30 booths dedicated to garden education (water organizations, honey , garden clubs, college horticulture departments)
• Explore the Fair Oaks Community Garden, a cornucopia of styles and crops.
• Visit the silent auction.
• Purchase:  2010 Master Gardener Calendar, grape plants


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5 Steps to Quick Compost

Five Steps to Quick Compost

Turn your "trash" into "treasure"! That "treasure" is organic compost, which consists primarily of decaying garden and kitchen waste materials. 


Organic compost, when added to your garden bed, releases much needed plant nutrients, especially nitrogen, to your soil. Compost also helps reduce crusting of soil surfaces, improves soil aeration, aids water infiltration, increases soil microbial activity and eases plant root penetration.


Traditionally, backyard gardeners waited up to a year for a compost pile to "cook". Now, organic compost can be yours in as little as two weeks, utilizing the "Rapid Composting" method developed by Dr. Bob Raabe, Professor of Plant Pathology at U.C. Berkeley. 


Here are the directions, in brief. Refer to that Rapid Composting link for more information:

1. Make the pile big. To build up the necessary amount of heat (160 degrees) in the pile, start the pile full, in bins, at least 36" x 36" x 36". Use two or more covered bins with removable slats in the front to ease the turning process.


2. Mix in equal volumes. Use a 50-50 mix of green plant material (dried grass clippings, old flowers, green prunings, weeds, fruit and vegetable wastes) and dried plant material (dead leaves, straw, cut-up twigs and branches, finely shredded newspapers, paper bags and cardboard boxes). DO NOT ADD: fireplace ashes, manure from meat-eating animals or soil.


3. Keep the ingredients small. Chop, cut or grind material for the pile down to between one-half inch and one-and-a-half inches in size.


4. Keep the pile moist, but not soggy. If it's too wet, it will smell; if it's too dry, decomposition will be very slow. An ammonia odor may also indicate that there's an imbalanced mix of ingredients. In that case, add sawdust at the site of the odor. If, despite adequate moisture, decomposition is still moving along too slowly (not reaching high temperatures around 160 degrees within 48 hours), add grass clippings or fresh chicken manure. A pleasant odor and the emission of heat indicate a properly working, rapidily composting pile of organic matter.


5. Turn the pile. Turn the inside of the pile to the outside on a daily basis (for usable compost in two weeks) or every other day (for compost in three weeks).

Your compost is ready to use when the pile has become somewhat smaller, unrecognizable and the color of dark brown.