On Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:54:35 -0700 (PDT),
" wrote:

Hi everyone. I am a novice gardener and first time homeowner who has
a question about composting. I have a corner in my backyard that I
have used to dump grass clipping, leaves, and small twigs for the
better part of the year. Now that spring has sprung, I walked to that
corner of the yard expecting to find some black gold that I can use on
my rose and vegetable garden. But what I found instead, was a bunch
of stinky wet leaves that were blackened, but not fully decomposed.
Now I figure that everything is in the process of decomposing, but I
thought that I would have had more by now. So here are my questions:

1. I am generally lazy, so will the compost pile still decompose if I
don't go out and turn it? Or is turning it a must?

It will still decompose, although more slowly and more unevenly. Get
yourself a D-handle fork and use it once a month. It will help get
oxygen into the pile and you won't have the stink.

2. Are there any additives I can add that will naturally speed the
decomposition process? I remember hearing on TV that bone meal can be
sprinkled on the pile in between layers, but I wasn't sure if that did
anything.

It is best not to add anything, except water if needed.

3. Are grass and leaves enough variety to get a good pile going?
Again, I am lazy, so saving and bringing food scraps out to the back
of the yard is really a bummer.

The best mix is 50% green and 50% brown. So your mix of grass and
leaves will work fine. It is better to add vegetable scraps, coffee
grounds/tea bags, etc. To get your pile to really cook a 1 cubic yard
of material is minimum.


Thanks for your input!