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So when we moved here I promptly started a compost pile. I piled on all the pea shells from the bushels I bought, eggs, veggie scraps, leaves, watermelon rinds, a ton of coffee grounds, some raked leave, raked mowed grass and bits of wood from our woodpile. Well it cooked all through the months-even though I didn't turn it much, or pay attention to it. It wasn't even in direct sunlight.
Well I started my fall beds a couple weeks ago and we shoveled most of it up. I was so surprised to see beautiful black compost loaded with earthworms. The best compost we have ever had! We started filling beds using a sort of double dug method-chunk up the grass, chop up the sandy-ish soil and pile in compost and hoe it all up together. I threw in some seeds.
Holy cow, seriously my greens and green beans are gorgous and growing fast!
My point is, compost is fabulous, easy and necessary. Use whatever you have-small woodchips, mowed grass clippings, leaves, kitchen scraps. It might take time but it will break down. A word of caution-if you use hay be super sure it was NOT from a field where weed killer was sprayed-it will kill your plants and poison the ground. It's happening a lot out here with gardeners-so use hay or even manure from a very trusted source.
So yeah, compost.
Well I started my fall beds a couple weeks ago and we shoveled most of it up. I was so surprised to see beautiful black compost loaded with earthworms. The best compost we have ever had! We started filling beds using a sort of double dug method-chunk up the grass, chop up the sandy-ish soil and pile in compost and hoe it all up together. I threw in some seeds.
Holy cow, seriously my greens and green beans are gorgous and growing fast!
My point is, compost is fabulous, easy and necessary. Use whatever you have-small woodchips, mowed grass clippings, leaves, kitchen scraps. It might take time but it will break down. A word of caution-if you use hay be super sure it was NOT from a field where weed killer was sprayed-it will kill your plants and poison the ground. It's happening a lot out here with gardeners-so use hay or even manure from a very trusted source.
So yeah, compost.