Every true blue organic believer is going to tell you that a steady supply of compost is the one best thing you can do for your soil.
Soil too sandy? Compost.
Soil too heavy? Compost.
Not enough earthworms? Compost.
And it’s all true. Compost even apologized to the hazelnut and mulberry trees I abused and brought them back from the dead.
The one place you don’t want to add compost is that nice bare stretch of dirt where ground-nesting bees are cruising about.
And the best thing about compost is that while I’m hanging out at Readercon, it will continue to ferment and break down and encourage new sprouts. Just like all the ideas in the back of my brain.
I started my latest batch last Monday. Two bags of weeds, one of them already fermenting and gross, went into the tumbler. The bags themselves, torn up. Several layers of dry leaves collected last autumn. All topped off with the sunflower shells rotting under the bird feeders.
With the tumbler filled up to the top, it’s easy to turn. As it cooks, the material will compact. In about a month, the compost will be sitting in the lower half, making it very hard to turn. That’s when it’s time to take a peek.
Let it rot!
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