Composting is one the most economical and practical ways to make your garden more productive and problem free. It is also a very good way to recycle most of your everyday kitchen waste. Turn kitchen scraps and garden trimmings into rich organic matter. In the center of the compost heap a transformation of life to death and back to life is taking place. Compost is a symbol of continuing life. It is the most basic tool we have at our disposal. Basically composting is soil bacteria breaking down everything into dark brown crumbly synthetic manure with an earthy fragrance that you can't mistake.

1. The easiest and most primitive way to compost is to just make a pile of composting materials and turning it with a pitchfork. Just turn the pile about every 10 days to 2 weeks.

2. Take 2 large plastic containers 20 gal or more. Put 30-40 holes of more than one inch throughout the bottom and sides of the containers. Fill one container with the compost material. Let the mixture sit for 2 weeks then lift container (Takes 2) and pour into empty container. Repeat process until compost is ready.

3. Materials to put into your compost pile. Leaves, grass clippings, green weeds, vegetable matter from the kitchen, coffee grounds, eggshells, paper towels, wood ashes sawdust, small clippings and prunings. You can be adventerous as to what goes into your pile, tea bags, nutshells, cotton balls, shellfish shells, wine corks, matches, chewing gum, old baseball cards and other things that just take up your space. Instead of pouring these down the drain irrigate your pile with vegetable cooking water, pickle and olive juice, water from cut flowers, coffee, tea and broth.

4.Your composting will go much faster if you shred your clippings and cuttings into much smaller pieces. It will break everything down faster so you can use your compost faster.

5. Build a compost bin from salvaged or new materials. Recycle materials whenever you can. You can use among other things, chicken wire, refrigerator or oven racks, wood pallets, cement blocks, wooden fences and lumber. Be creative. You can take a large plastic potting soil or garbage bag and after punching it with about 20 holes you have a recycled container. Shake or turn the bag to mix.

6. Make your compost work faster by making a one foot layer of organic material wet down and packed. Spread 4-6 inches of manure on top of that and top it off with about 3 pounds of your favorite garden fertilizer or 3 pounds of superphosphate and 1 pound of ground limestone. You can repeat these layers as space permits. This compost will heat up after a couple days. After 3-4 weeks fork it over till it is uniform.

7. Taking care of the pile as it gets ready is important. The more that you put in the more you will get out. Keep the pile wet. Not soggy or drenched, about like a squeezed out sponge. The pile will need to be turned more frequently as the weather gets warmer. It is much better to have two or more separate piles. One in working condition and the others in the building stage. Thus ensuring more frequent harvesting of your "Brown Gold". Your nose will tell you when your project is ready

.