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Why We Compost
At the Highland Rim garden, composting is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve our soil. The native soil at Highland Rim is rich in nutrients, but it lacks organic matter. Organic matter helps soil hold moisture, improves soil structure, and supports healthy plant growth. Composting is a cost-effective way to add that organic matter while also providing a place to dispose of weeds, leaves, and plant scraps.
The Two-Bin System
To make our compost system usable, we have chosen a two-bin composting method: one bin for filling and the other for resting while decomposing. A small sign on each bin will designate the active and resting bin, ensuring everyone knows exactly where to add new material.
Once the active bin is full, we simply swap the signs. While the second bin is being filled, the first one sits and decomposes. After about one year, the compost in the resting bin should be ready to use in the garden.
This system works because most common garden materials, such as leaves, weeds, and plant scraps, break down within a year. When the compost is turned regularly, oxygen reaches the microorganisms that do the work of decomposition. This helps speed up the process and creates rich, crumbly compost for our beds.
No Large Pieces of Wood
We are fortunate that the hardworking folks at Highland Rim have offered to help keep the compost turned, which is essential for good compost. However, turning the pile becomes very difficult when the bins are filled with large pieces of wood. Big sticks and branches tangle in the equipment and make the piles heavy, unruly, and hard to mix.
There is another important reason to keep large pieces of wood out of the bins: it decomposes very slowly. While leaves, weeds, and plant scraps break down in about a year, large pieces of wood can take three years or more to decompose. If we add large pieces of wood, it slows down the entire composting cycle and makes it harder for us to produce usable compost each year.
How You Can Help
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Add leaves, weeds, soft plant trimmings, vegetable scraps or manure to the active bin. Don't add new material to the resting bin.
- Do NOT add large sticks, branches, and thick chunks of wood.
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If you spot a stick or large chunk of wood in the bin, please take a moment and remove it.
A little extra care from everyone makes a massive difference. By following these simple guidelines, we can keep our compost turning, produce fresh organic matter each year, and continue improving the soil that makes the Highland Rim garden thrive.
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