Compost Upgrade
The pocket forest where I buried food scraps
I first started my compost journey in Alaska with a shovel and a stainless steel kitchen compost pail. I hated throwing plant waste in the trash knowing it wouldn’t decompose properly in a landfill. Instead, I grabbed my pail of food scraps and shovel and somewhat furtively made my way out to the mini forest behind my backyard. I would dig deep, deep holes and dump all the scraps in, cover it up and add as many assorted leaves and other debris as I could. I never found the pile disturbed by creatures and months later checked to find the scraps had broken down beautifully. I was hooked.
It probably sounds a little crazy - the amount of work I put into saving a miniscule amount of biodegradable waste from a landfill - but it was satisfying, got me outside, and even included a little exercise!
When I moved to Texas, I knew I wanted a compost system. I acquired a dual-chamber tumbler as it seemed the most small-yard friendly option. In went the food scraps, shredded paper, and leaves (which most folks in the metroplex can’t get rid of fast enough). After a week, I opened the tumbler door to find the compost pile teeming with very ugly creepy crawlies (no cute worms here!). I panicked, thinking it was infested with invasive insects, but a local fellow composter assured me the white grubbies in my compost tumbler were actually black soldier fly larvae and were extremely beneficial in breaking down the food waste. Whew!
I composted this way for three years and never, not once, produced nice, soft, crumbly soil. The compost tumbler very efficiently broke down a ton of food waste, so if your major priority is to reduce the burden on the landfills, then a tumbler is great. But I ended up with chunky bits of eggshells, sticks, newspaper scraps, etc, none of which I wanted in my raised beds.
After listening to this podcast from Epic Gardening, I had a lightning bolt moment. I would never get the kind of compost I wanted because the food scraps weren’t in direct contact with the soil! All the beneficial organisms and creatures that live in the soil are the ones who do the work to create beautiful dark, rich compost. The things I was putting in the tumbler were like putting a roast in an Instant Pot but not sealing the chamber - it will keep trying to build pressure but never fully cook!
I immediately made plans to upgrade to a better method. Here’s the labor of love I put into my compost efforts:
The food scraps still break down super fast in this pile thanks to the soldier fly larvae who found their way to my new pile within a day or two. I can already see the makings of true compost forming at the bottom where the scraps are in contact with the soil. Amazing! It feels like a small miracle to see how our Earth was created.
Tired of sending food waste to the landfill? I can get you started on composting at home. It really doesn’t take up a lot of time, and this method is easier than digging holes in the forest!
Passionate about composting but don’t want to do it yourself? Folks in the north DFW metroplex can get a subscription to Compost Carpool! You collect compostables in a bucket, they take it and turn it into lovely dirt, and then you’ll get the compost back twice a year for your garden if you want it. SO easy and no fly larvae to look at. Happy composting!
#kitchengarden #highlandvillagetx #organicgardening #healthandwellness #gardencoach #nutritionmatters #flowermoundmoms #healthyeating #gardening #lewisvilletx #healthylifestyle #flowermoundtx #gardendesign #vegetablegarden #dentoncounty #flowermound #highlandvillagemoms