The Compost Pile

This is my first year for a compost pile. I started it about a month ago by putting branches on three sides to contain the pile in a small area under our deck where the grass does not grow very well because of the deep shade.

The first layers of the pile were parings from the kitchen (veggie scraps), pine needles, and leaves. I collect the parings from the kitchen in a large bucket just outside the door closest to the kitchen. In a month’s time, I had about half a bucket collected…so they went onto the pile this week along with the plants (peppers, tomatoes, zinnias, and marigolds) that were wilting after the first frost in pots on the deck, some shelf fungus that our neighbor’s ground crew dislodged from an old stump, and more leaves/pine needles.

I hope the pile will ‘cook’ all winter and the compost will be ready to augment the deck pots and garden next spring!