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BUILDING YOUR OWN COMPOST PILE <br />TO DO/Choose a compost bin design: <br />You can find dozens of different styles of compost bins on the Internet and in garden <br />supply catalogs, as well as many plans for building your own bin. Your bin can be as <br />simple as a few stakes and chicken wire or as advanced as a tumbler -style bin. <br />Choosing a bin can be a bit overwhelming, so here are some points to remember: <br />• The bin should be sturdy and have slits or spaces on the sides for air <br />circulation. It should be made of a rot -resistant material such as cedar, <br />plastic, concrete block or wire. The bin can be square or round. <br />• The lid or cover should fit or lock firmly to keep out critters and not be <br />blown off by strong wind. <br />• The opening from which you retrieve the finished compost should be <br />large and easily accessible with a spade or garden fork. <br />• Your bin should be no smaller than 3' x 3' x 3' and no larger than <br />5' x 5' x 5'. Smaller bins do not allow for enough material and larger <br />bins are too big to manage successfully. <br />COMPOST <br />5 <br />TO DO/Find a place for your compost bin: <br />Location, location, location! Choose a place in your yard where your bin is easily acces- <br />sible, but not an eyesore for your neighbors. Some people incorporate a bin into the <br />design of their landscape, sometimes planting their garden right around the bin! Select a <br />spot where your bin gets some sun and heats up your pile. Locating your bin in full sun <br />will heat up the compost pile faster, but it will dry out more often, requiring periodic <br />watering. Some shade will prevent this. <br />Good drainage is important for your compost bin as is accessibility. You should <br />have enough room around the bin to allow you to turn the compost, and a water source <br />nearby in case you need to add moisture. <br />Each city has its own ordinances about composting. Check with your city recycling <br />coordinator for details concerning your local laws. <br />THE RECIPE FOR A SUCCESSFUL COMPOST PILE: <br />There are four basic ingredients for good compost: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and moisture. <br />In the composting process, microorganisms use carbon for energy and nitrogen <br />to make proteins. For home composting, this translates to a proportion of three parts <br />carbon (brown materials) and to one part nitrogen (green materials). Given this "diet," <br />microorganisms can make short work of your compost. <br />Successful Compost Pile, continued next page <br />