Learning to make your own Compost & Some Gardening Tips :)

Over the last 6 months of gardening I've received all kinds of advice... From fellow gardeners, friends, and family on the process and also recommendations on composting... Thankfully there is also a wealth of information online to assist in every question you may have! Ultimately, it's up to you to figure out what works best, through trial and error!

About a month into my garden adventure, I set up a compost bin to generate my own nutrient filled soil in a corner of my plot. I just used a big square bin and put some mulch at the bottom and began to deposit all my left over food scraps every few days, again covering it with more mulch and covering it. The bin has a lid on it with a little crack so some moisture can get in. But I still cover it with a plastic tarp & a rock, to prevent any pests from getting in there! You can put in just about any vegetable scraps in there to start the process (eggshells are ok - but other than that you need to be sure nothing has been contaminated by meat or your in for some nasty disaster!) Every few weeks I turn the compost to see how it's developing. It normally takes 3-4 months for it to break down before you can start turning it into your soil. I've waited about 6 months now, it looks pretty black and nutrient-rich, so I plan to use it (along with horse manure) in the next month when I start a new round of winter planting! I'm excited to see how well it treats my new seedlings :) Here's sample pics of what compost looks like at the beginning stages BEFORE & AFTER it's broken down...

Here's an insightful article from Maui No Ka 'Oi Magazine (March-April 2009 Issue)

10 Organic Gardening Tips
How do you keep your garden green? Kula farmer Ann Carter shares her organic wisdom.

1) Test your soil. Find out if you have any mineral and micro-nutrient deficiencies, as this can affect the plants' ability to draw nitrogen and other important nutrients for healthy growth and resistance to pests. You can get a good mineral and micro-nutrient sample done by Perry Agricultural Lab in Missouri.
2) Know your pests. The CTAHR (College of Tropical Agriculture & Human Resources) extension office at Maui Community College will identify pests for you.(UH GARDEN IN PEARL CITY CAN HELP TOO!!)
3) Follow the ebb and flow of nature. Sometimes your garden will look beautiful and other times it will look tired. It’s all part of the cycle; let it not be perfect. (SOO TRUE!!)
4) Sometimes benign neglect will yield the best results.
5) Compost is your friend.
6) Good compost should be composed of 25 parts carbon (woody, decaying material) to 1 part nitrogen (green leafy material).
7) Compost should not smell. This can be achieved by making sure compost heats up to at least 120 degrees, but not hotter than 160 degrees F.
8) Compost, when finished, will be light & fluffy.
9) Use companion plants (ex: garlic, onions, chives, and Mexican marigolds) to help with pest & disease problems.
10) When growing vegetables, rotate your crops. Legumes (beans, peas) will fix nitrogen; root crops like carrots and beets will aerate the soil.

HAPPY GARDENING! :)