Since 2004, I have enjoyed attending the spring and autumn BOW (Becoming an Outdoors Woman) weekends hosted by, first, the Colorado Division of Wildlife (DOW) and, now, the WAEI (Wildland Awareness and Educational Institute) also based in Colorado. I have enjoyed outdoor and wilderness activities all of my life and these workshops offer some great workshops that encourage women to try many different kinds of outdoor activities. The weekends also enable me to hang out with my daughter; an extreme runner, a lifelong horse woman, and a great person. An added incentive is that the workshops attract other instructors and participants who love the wilderness. Being around these like-minded women is fun and energizing. The BOW founders and all of the DOW instructors are bright, capable, skilled, talented, committed, energetic, and dedicated to the conservation and preservation of the wilderness. They are incredibly generous in sharing their expertise and they are a lot of fun. What an amazing group of people! What an energizing weekend!
For the last 3 years, I have been privileged to teach a couple of workshops at these women only weekends. One of them is about planting, specifically xeriscaping, with drought tolerant, region specific plants to create habitat and attract wildlife to backyards and patios. Go HERE for some starter tips from the National Wildlife Federation to turn your yard into a wildlife habitat. HERE is more information about gardening for wildlife.
The other workshop is all about gardening (well, as “all” about it as I can stuff into 3 hours). While putting together the gardening workshop, I came across information about composting and decided to include it. I have not previously done much in the way of composting but, after the enthusiastic response to my workshop, I decided to give it a try.
I started slowly. First, I researched composting bins. Thank you, Google. There are more out there than you might think. The range of size and style offers a compost bin to suit every yard, patio, garage, and lifestyle. Of course, one can go binless and simply designate a spot on the ground. Since I wanted to keep my compost somewhat contained and easy to reach, I decided on a bin made of heavy plastic that sits on a frame and rotates on a central axis; one of several on the market of this design. It is a little more expensive than those that sit on a pallet open to the ground; however, it does not require turning the compost with a pitchfork. Knowing myself, I know I have no intention of going after the compost heap with a pitchfork. I have a friend with one of these types of bins; her dogs love it when she turns the compost and the resident mice scatter. O.K., I don’t want to create a habitat for rats and mice. I have no dogs to entertain and there are already way too many rodents on the property. Having decided on a bin that will be suspended above ground, I brought it home and presented it to my hubby to assemble.
Once assembled, one has to decide where to put it. It’s moderately big; mine holds 80 gallons. A composter works with heat, moisture, and good aeration to decompose organic material into dirt. Ideal placement is a sunny location. In Tucson, finding a sunny location is no problem. In fact, during the summer months I may have to move it into the shade in order to keep it from overheating. Assembled and well placed where it gets plenty of sun and it is not an eyesore, I began to accumulate organic materials for the composter.
I was pleased to learn that almost everything from the house can go into the composter and I have actually become a bit compulsive about it. I hate to throw anything into the trash that I know will make good dirt. The DVD that came with MY COMPOSTER says, when loading the composter, a 20:1 ratio is desirable; 20 parts house refuse to 1 part yard refuse. The only material that cannot go into the composter are animal proteins. They rot, grow harmful bacteria, and smell bad. Vegetable matter is ideal and it decomposes into a rich, dark, sweet smelling potting soil.
The composter filled up quickly and, just as quickly, it became apparent that I might need more than one. It takes 4-12 weeks to complete a batch of compost. My thinking is that one can be cooking while one is filling. As this was my first venture into this activity, I decided to hold off on a second composter until I figured out what I was doing with the first one. As I write, I am on my second batch of compost. From the first batch, I learned that it is important to provide sufficient moisture to the compost. Even though the composter generates its own humid environment, the natural dryness of the desert takes its toll. I find that adding two quarts of water every month maintains the right level of moisture to support steady decomposition.
I have allowed the compost to cook over the winter, adding water and kitchen scraps to the leaves I scooped up in autumn. The weather is warming up now and it is time to finish up this batch. We have been turning it almost every day and carefully observing the state of decomposition. The general rule of thumb is that the compost is done when you can no longer recognize anything you put in there. The middle of March, I plan to declare the compost done and fill my waiting flower pots. I have been accumulating house scraps and yard refuse all winter; it won’t take long to refill the bin.
Composting gives me a way to contribute to the re-greening of the planet and recycle something besides plastic, paper, and aluminum but it is more than that. I find that I like making my own dirt. I like knowing that the stuff that would previously have gone into the landfill will nourish my flowers and trees instead. I know I still have a lot to learn and I will share my successes, mistakes, discoveries and ideas, with you here. I hope someone out there has tips for me as well. I have browsed a lot of blogs and the first thing I learned was to stay local. Every region has its own unique composting wisdom. To that end, my first tentatively offered advice is to try your local university extension websites like THE BACKYARD GARDERNER from the University of Arizona. A great place to go for everything you ever wanted to know about composting is How to Compost.org. From there, the web information is endless. Go for it!
There is another BOW weekend in September at which I will be presenting tips on gardening to another great group of women and I can’t wait to share my new experience with the process of composting. Go HERE to watch a great short video and learn more about the BOW program from Susanne Roller, the WAEI Executive Director, and former BOW participants.
Sonoran Dreamtime 