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| by:
Gary Walchuk
photos: Bert Klassen
illustration: Len Churchill |
COMPOSTER (part 2) |
| Top Dressing |
The
composter lid has two parts: an outer, screened double frame
and an inner lid that sits within it. Start by joining the top
and bottom members together into two frames using weatherproof
glue and biscuits or dowels. Next, stretch and staple the hardware
cloth to the top surface of bottom frame. Place the smaller
frame on top, then clamp the assembly together before joining
the two frames with 2" screws driven from underneath.
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| CLICK
ABOVE TO SEE DETAILED IMAGE |
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The removable portion of the lid is simply five pieces of wood
laid edge to edge and joined into one unit with two top cleats
screwed 2" from the lid slat ends. Attach four butterfly closers
to the top of the frame to hold the lid in place, a chain to
stop the lid from flopping back too far when open, and hinges.
Occasionally you’ll want to remove
the lid to screen finished compost into a wheelbarrow or a bucket.
Remove the hinge pin by grinding off one end and replace it
with a large spring pin—a kind of removable cotter pin you can
get at hardware stores. Now when you want to move the screen,
just pull the pins out.
Once you’ve screened out any
pieces that haven’t composted completely, you’ll have struck
gold—pure, black, garden gold.
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Rotten Advice |
When in
doubt, leave it out—the adage applies to home composting. Don’t
add meat and dairy products unless you want vermin to drop by,
and steer clear of adding sawdust or shavings from laminates,
particleboard or pressure-treated wood to keep contaminates
such as arsenic and formaldehyde out of your compost. Black
walnut and butternut sawdust contains juglone, a natural chemical
that’s toxic to many plants, although some experts say lengthy
composting makes it safe.
Adding too much sawdust of any kind is ill-advised because woody
material is high in carbon and needs healthy doses of nitrogen
to help the bacteria in your compost heap break it down. Keep
the layered look in mind when feeding your compost bin: Green
layers of kitchen waste and garden clippings add nitrogen to
the heap, which helps decompose the carbon-rich brown layers
of stuff like dry leaves and bark.
Bloodmeal, bonemeal and manure are fine sources of nitrogen
that will increase bacterial activity. So will commercial compost
accelerators, which boost the rate of decomposition by adding
enzymes to the mix.
| You
Will Need |
| For
the Body |
Material |
Size |
Qty. |
| Side
and back slats |
cedar |
1"
x 5 1/2" x 34" |
18 |
| Inside
corner members |
spruce |
1
1/2" x 2 1/2" x 35 1/2" |
4 |
| Outside
corner members |
cedar |
1"
x 2 1/2" x 35 1/2" |
6 |
| Stop
strips |
cedar
|
1"
x 2 1/2" x 35 1/2" |
2 |
| Bottom
spacers |
spruce
|
1
1/2" x 2 1/2" x 5 1/2" |
2 |
| Side
spacers |
spruce
|
1
1/2" x 2 1/2" x 8 1/2" |
10 |
| Kickplate |
cedar
|
1"
x 5" x 29" |
1 |
| Top
brace |
cedar
|
1"
x 4" x 32" |
1 |
| Base
members |
spruce
|
1"
x 2 1/2" x 34" |
2 |
| Baffles |
cedar
|
1"
x 5 1/2" x 28 7/8" |
6 |
| For
the Lid |
| Bottom
frame front & back |
cedar
|
1"
x 5" x 38" |
2 |
| Bottom
frame sides |
cedar
|
1"
x 5" x 26 1/2" |
2 |
| Top
frame sides |
cedar
|
1"
x 4" x 35 1/2" |
2 |
| Top
frame front & back |
cedar
|
1"
x 4" x 29" |
2 |
| Lid
slats |
cedar
|
1"
x 5 1/4" x 28 7/8" |
5 |
| Lid
cleats |
cedar
|
1"
x 1 3/4" x 29 1/2" |
2 |
| Hardware
|
| approx.
250 #8 x 2 1/2" deck screws; approx. 40
#7
x 2" deck screws; one 32" x 32" hardware
cloth; a 3ft. chain and two eye-bolts; a pair of
5" strap hinges; onehandle and 4 butterfly
closers |
|
Aerating the pile is essential to speedy production of compost.
Toss it like a big, funky salad if you can, breaking up clumps
and compacted sections and exposing buried material to the air.
Anaerobic bacteria, which do their work in the absence of oxygen,
cause a stink if you don’t shake things up now and then. With
the front open, a pitchfork or other long-handled garden fork
is perfect for the job, and a spade will do in a pinch. You
can work from the top with a specialized compost aerator, about
$30, a long-handled tool with a pair of blades you plunge into
the pile, twist and pull out again to aerate the compost (Lee
Valley Tools 800-267-8767). Do this several times; the stirring
action helps to break up matted material.
Remember, happiness is a warm compost heap. As organic material
breaks down, it releases energy in the form of heat, which helps
destroy harmful fungi and other nasties that might be lurking.
A compost thermometer, available from West Coast Seeds (604-482-8800),
is a clever way to keep tabs on internal temperatures. It resembles
a meat thermometer, with a round, flat face atop a skewer-like
probe much longer than the kitchen variety—up to about 20".
Aim for an internal temperature of 55°C to 60°C (130°F to 140°F).
When you’re hot, you rot; when you’re not…well, you know. You
wait.
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| PART
1 | PART 2 |
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