Composting

This is definitely a first for me. My husband said it looked like the Clampett's had moved in. I said it would work fine once we started collecting grass clippings to "green" it up a bit. The bin is made by taking a 12 1/2 foot piece of medium wire and forming it into an upright container. You just wire it together. The bin has to be placed where sunlight can get to it. Next, you need a piece of drain hose that you drill random holes in up and down it. You do this because you need to let the compost "breathe," and you need a way to get water down inside the pile.

Since my bin/pile is not full, I had a difficult time getting the pipe to stand up straight, but with time, the bin will fill up and it will "cook."

What goes in the bin/pile? I created a "floor" for it by spreading pine cones on the bottom. Next I tore up old newspapers and raked in some dead leaves. Dead leaves and newspapers are the "brown" ingredients in a compost pile. Coffee grounds from Starbucks are also "brown." Next you put in a layer of "green." This would be household garbage. The way I started my bin is not exactly optimal. I started in January when there are very few "greens" to put in my bin. One of the best sources of "green" is cut grass, and we just don't have that in the winter. You never put meats or oils in the compost pile.