Make Garden Compost in Two weeks

There are times when you need new compost as soon as possible. This may be in the spring or fall when you are replanting plants or laying out new gardens. In my case it’s redoing several gardens after flooding.

photo credit: vinzcha
I need to redo my perennial garden, which was totally washed out and I am planning a new garden in the front yard to help redirect water, just in case I have this problem again.

Compost usually takes anywhere from a few months to a year, depending on how you set your compost pile up.

How to make compost in two weeks.

To make compost in two weeks you need to encourage the pile to work quickly. This is done by using several composting materials; and cheating. Yes, I am encouraging garden cheating!!

Compost materials needed.

Hay or straw (preferably straw)
Grass clippings
Table scraps:  fruit, vegetables, coffee grounds but no grease, fish or meat products.
Any compostable material you can get for free. Leaves, old sawdust, old dirt, manure

Layer your compostable items in a pile. I usually use old bales for sides and create a U shape and pile my material in the U.

Now this is how you cheat. To make you pile compost faster you need your compostable items to be as small as possible. I mow the leaves and straw and blend any table scraps. Layer the compostable items and lightly stir. Dig a hole and put in your table scraps.

Stir the pile every day.

Other items that will help your compost pile break down faster:
Yarrow
Comfrey
And coke… yes, coke will help a pile compost in no time at all.

I have six large pile of compost working now. They should be ready next week. I have used this process for years and it works every time.

Here is a link for more ideas for materials to compost.

And if you are like me, you find free materail to compost with. the money you save can be spent on seeds or new plants.