MAINE, USA — Compost is an essential ingredient in a thriving garden, and it's very easy to make your own.
"You're generating a lot of material in your property. Grass clippings, leaves, kitchen scraps. And you either upcycle them into compost or you have to bring them to the landfill," master gardener Tom Witwicki explained.
Witwicki showed bins he made to hold plant matter. He instructed that the bins should be at least 3 feet by 3 feet. His were made out of metal wire.
"The only thing that shouldn't go in it is meat scraps," Witwicki warned.
The master gardener explained that once you have a full bin, it takes about a year for the material to decompose. Traditionally, he said, you should turn the material over for the material to break down faster, but he sheepishly revealed that he doesn't turn it over and it turns out fine.
Witwicki was excited to show a machine that he built to help screen compost.
"I use a lot of compost. If you're going to use it for things like a potting mix, it needs to be screened finer, "Witwicki said.
Not only does Witwicki have bins, but he also has piles of leaves and grass that he has enriched with seaweed and chicken bedding. He explained that if you're going to compost with leaves, you're going to need to turn them because the leaves matt up and take forever to break down.
"It really is gold. I use it both in my flowers and vegetables as a mulch and also make my own potting mix with coconut core and perlite,"
To learn more about composting, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension is a great resource. CLICK HERE to go to their website.