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2torial #0847:
Learn2 Make a Compost Pile (continued)
 Maintain the pile
There's one last vital ingredient in compost:
elbow grease. For it to turn from a pile of rot
into a potent soil enricher, you'll need to aerate
it with a pitchfork, shovel or other implement.
This process is called turning.
Turning sounds tedious, but it's good exercise
and it goes quickly if you approach it
methodically. Note: in the absence of oxygen (i.e.,
if you didn't turn the pile), anaerobic
decomposition takes place; this will produce a pile
of slime which is pretty unpleasant to work
with.
You should not have to turn the pile more than
once per week. But if it starts to smell, it needs
oxygen and may also be too wet. (If the material is
any wetter than a damp sponge, it's probably too
wet.) Although an overly wet pile will eventually
smell, your first clue will be the temperature of
the pile: it'll have dropped below 140 degrees F
(54 degrees C). To dry the pile out quickly, turn
it with a garden fork, and stop watering it (or
cover if the weather is rainy). Add some more
nitrogenous materials. Keep in mind that compost
piles need moisture, but shouldn't be soggy.
There are several alternatives to turning,
although none so easy and efficient to put the
manual method out of business. Some people place a
couple of PVC pipes which have holes bored into
them into the pile. Air travels down the pipes and
helps oxygen get to the center of the pile.
Another method is to insert boards into the pile
at intervals. This method requires a bin: the
boards rest on the slats and go straight through
the pile to the other side, creating small pockets
of air.
After a couple of weeks, put your hand on top of
the pile or buy a composting thermometer (they're
available in most garden centers, or larger
hardware stores). The temperature should be up to
140 to 160 degrees, preferably 160. If not,
thoroughly mix in more dried blood or fish
products.
 Step
7
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