I’m a bad composter.
Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE composting. I made two huge (free) compost bins out of wooden pallets. I faithfully separate food scraps and yard debris into buckets for the chickens, the dog and the compost bins and throw stuff in daily.
But, that’s all I do.
I don’t toss it, water it, shake it up, or give it air. I neglect it. I didn’t even start my bins with a few sticks and straw in the bottom (like some have suggested), to help the airing process.
I just dump and run. Unless it gets too smelly. Then I add dry stuff. Like dry leaves or shredded paper or straw.
I even bought a pitchfork this spring. I thought a pitchfork would make me feel official and give me motivation needed to start tossing compost around.
It didn’t.
As a matter of fact, my chickens pay much more attention to the compost bins than I do. They occasionally scratch the surface to see what might be lurking there. They put my composting habits to shame.
But here’s the amazing thing. Dirt happens. Even when you neglect your compost bin and do everything wrong.
This week I finally took out that (largely unused) pitchfork and stabbed it into my bins. What did I find under the layer of straw (that I put down to control odors earlier this summer)? Beautiful, lovely, dark chocolate, nutrient rich dirt. Dirt that smells good, even! Glorious, incredible dirt.
Nature is amazing, isn’t it?!?!?
Fall is a great time to start composting because of all those leaves soon to carpet your neighborhood. They’re a free resource begging to allow you to let them turn into dirt.
If you’ve been dragging your feet about starting that compost bin, take it from me. I’m the world’s worst composter. I didn’t flip my pot o’ stewing compost even ONE TIME. Never. Not at all. And I still got the gift of enriched dirt. Nine wheelbarrows full. All it required of me was stringing a few free pallets together and regularly feeding the pile with things I’d normally throw away.
Oh yea, and buying a pitchfork, so I’d feel official. lol.
(If you’re interested in more information on composting and on making your own wooden pallet compost bins for free check out my City Girl Farming website.)
