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Gardeners of all levels can benefit from composting and creating that "Gardener's Black Gold".  There are many different methods of composting and although most of us know we throw in green waste such as garden clippings and kitchen scraps with brown waste like fallen leaves in a pile then we get nice compost, do we really know how composting works?  There are many different methods for composting and each have their pros and cons, however the process of decomposition is the same for each method at the core.

Decomposition of organic material is a natural occurrence.  When leaves and plant life fall to the ground in the forest, teams of micro organisms break down the plant material into smaller and smaller components until the end result is nutrient full material called humus aka compost.  The humus returns the nutrients back to the soil for other living plants and trees until they die off and the cycle continues.  This is the natural cycle we want to escalate by creating the ideal "meal plan" and environment for these micro organisms.

As soon as you start your compost pile, millions of bacteria and fungi start the process.  They break down the material feeding on the carbon for energy and nitrogen to build protein in order to multiply.  All this work creates heat and the pile will heat up.  As the compost heap heats up, the bacteria and fungi that started the process will begin to die off.  This is a good thing because each stage of decomposers work within specific temperature ranges and when they die off they become food for the next stage of decomposers and so on until the job is done.

Bacteria that start the process are called Psychrophilic bacteria and are most active about the 13°C (55°F).  They do function below this temperature but in increasignly slower rates until the freezing mark at which point decomposition pretty much ceases.  The Psychrophilic bacteria are there to do the prep work and get the pile up to temp.

The next stage kicks in with Mesophilic bacteria.  Mesophilic bacteria does most of the composting work between 8°C and 50°C (46-120°F).  These guys produce acids, carbon dioxide and more heat until they create an environment they can't live in and die off for the next stage of bacteria.

At this stage, Thermophile bacteria comes in and feeds furthering the decomposition process.  This is the last stage in bacteria and fungi process.  The ideal temperature at this stage is 50°C-90°C (120-194°F).  The Thermophile will work at the pile until there is no more material left for them to break down, at which point the heap temperature will start to drop and the maturation stage starts.

The maturation stage is what we can see visually when we turn the compost pile.  We see larger organisms like worms, ants, centipedes, millipedes, etc...  Once the pile is completely broke down where you can no longer recognize any organic material and the compost has a nice earth smell to it, it's finished and ready for the garden.

It's worth noting that the stages above are in perfect composting conditions.  Our backyard compost heaps will rarely get to the high end Thermophile stage.  This is why it's not recommended to compost diseased plants, dairy products, oils or animal materials, which require a constant temperature of approx 60°C (140°F).   Even without reaching these temperatures, our backyard heaps will break down nicely, just take a bit longer.  Our job is to help speed up the process by giving it exactly what it needs Oxygen, Organic Material and Water.

The various stages obviously don't happen all at the same time within the entire compost heap.  Heat will build up from the core of the heap and propagate outwards, but we speed up the process by turning the pile about once a week.  Turning the pile adds oxygen and distributes the heat throughout the pile evening out the decomposition process.  It's also important while turning to verify the moister of the pile.  Rule of thumb is it should be as most as a wet sponge.  If it's too dry it slow down the process and if it's too wet it will invite anaerobe bacteria which causes a smelly compost pile.  If it's too dry just water it down and check it again the following week when you turn it.  If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain it would be beneficial to have your compost pile up off the ground, like a pallet bin propped up on cinder blocks.  This will ensure proper draining and a tarp on top of the pile will stop it from getting too wet.

Composting is one of those things that can be as simple or complex as you want it to be.  For me, I started small with a home made pallet bin, but as my experience is growing, I'm going to build a 3 bin so I can create more compost easily.  You don't have to be fancy, you just have to start ;o)

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Starting a garden in the Fall gives the soil amendments added time to break down and become more available to your vegetables next year.  Soil amendments are materials you can add to your garden soil to regulate the Ph level, add nutrients, change soil texture, add organic content, etc...   Before you know what soil amendments you need, you need to know what soil type you have.  The best old school way of testing your soil type is to take a handful and make a fist.  If the soil stays firm in a ball and you can poke your finger in it without crumbling, it is mostly clay based.  If it stays in a ball but crumbles when you poke your finger, you have good soil that will sustain enough water and nutrients.  If it falls apart when you let go of your fist it is sandy and will require some treatment for water retention and nutrients.  More on soil types, testing methods and followup treatments in follow up articles.

Starting a new garden plot will take some work, but you will reap the rewards.  First stake out your new plot with wood pegs and string.  I know not everyone has the space but I used 10x20 feet which I'll explain why later.  Once you have your plot staked out, you can use a spade shovel to cut out the sod that needs to be removed.  I found the best method was to cut one foot strips along the width one strip at a time and then cut those strips into 2 foot lengths.  A bit hard to explain, but basically take a spade shovel and cut your sod into 1x3 foot strips and then cut under about 2-3 inches to make sure you get under the roots.  This method allows you to reuse these sod patches to patch your lawn or stack them upside down to start a compost.

Once the sod is removed you will need to turn the soil that was underneath.  Depending on the soil type, you can use your spade or pitch fork or a mix of the two.  The main goal is to break up soil compaction and allow the soil the breath.  Break up the soil enough that you can rake it level.  Depending on what you will grow next year you can also churn in compost or manure at this time.  Another thing I do is to top the newly worked soil with straw.  This helps with erosion and keeps moister, but most of all I like the way it looks and keeps the garden and back yard neat.

At this point your pretty much ready for spring time turning and preparation.  I wanted to explain a bit as to why I chose 10x20 feet for my plot.  I have an active dog and young son that use the back yard so I'll be putting up a 3ft fence around the garden plot.  Nothing fancy, a wood frame with chicken wire or similar walls.  Using these dimensions, coupled with the fence, will let me peg a tarp or clear plastic over the garden thus extending my growing season by early thaw and frost protection.

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Companion planting is the art of combining vegetables and plants that are mutually beneficial to each other.  For example, you can plant pole beans with corn to give the beans a natural trellis.  You can plant different herbs or edible plants as a natural pest repelant.  Of course you can't just throw just any plant together, so planning is key.

Native Americans planted "Three Sisters" which is corn, beans and squash which is a great time honored example of companionship gardening.  The beans use the corn as a natural trellis and the squash use the shade of the corn and beans.  Corn and lettus are also a good combination as the corn lends shad to the lettuce.  Examples of natural pest repelant companions are onions, marigolds, mint and sweet basil.  These examples have properties that either repel or lure away harmful insects from your garden. 

Research is obviously key and we will be picking up a couple of books this winter to help plan our garden for next season.  There are two books that come highly recommended and which we will do a review on after we read through them: Carrots Love Tomatoes and Great Garden Companion.  There is plenty of information out there on the Internet and forums as well. 

Our challenge is to find the best companions for our climate.  Although staples such as the "Three Sisters" can be grown in our Eastern Canadian climate, we want to expirement with other mixes.  Here are some ideas we have:

• Basil: Will plant to help repel flies and mosquitos as well as improve our Tomatos
• Sunflowers: Will plant to bring shade for beans and potatoes as well as attact birds and bees for pollination
• Corn: Will be planting with beans and squash
• Horseraddish: Will plant to deter potato beetle
• Marigold: Will plant as a natural pest repelant
• Onions: Will plant to protect against ants and slugs

These are just a few ideas and I'm sure they will change or become more elaborate as we research and put down our garden plan to paper for next season.  The key is how to put things together which is where your garden plan comes in.  Take the time to properly plan out your garden as noted in Garden Planning Helps.

Keep It Green!