the zen of compost
DESCRIPTION
Joe Gierlach's presentation first given in 2011 at VegFest in Denver, Colorado. The Zen of Compost explores incorporating the Circle of Life into your routine. http://nedermayor.blogspot.com/2011/07/the-zen-of-compost.htmlTRANSCRIPT
by Master Composter, Joe Gierlach
The Zen of CompostIncorporating the Circle of Life into Your Routine
The Zen of Compost… The Circle and Cycle
● Circle of Life:birth, life, death, re-birth
● Cycle of Life:meals, gardening, menstrual, seasonal, tidal, lunar,
Waste Categories● Cycle of Life:● Wicker basket of recyclables
fills up every three weeks
● Reduce, Reuse , Recycle
● In the recyclables includes: Cardstock and Paperboard- Pull it out of your recycling
● Tear paperboard into smaller pieces when you get them.
(Approx every 3-4 days)
Waste Categories
Cardboard● Typical paper shredder
Fills up every six weeks
( It could be used forguinea pig bedding before composting … just sayin. )
Food Preparation● When preparing food● Composting as a daily
Component of Meals.
● Cut debris into 2” piecesor less.
● Emptied every 3-4 days
Waste Categories● Why 2” pieces?
It increases the surface area● So, … coffee grounds &
sawdust are ideal? - YES!
● Use a recycled can, or buy a charcoal filtered one at Bed Bath & Beyond for $29.95
Mixing food & Cardboard● Keep a regular garbage can in
the garage. (fill 2:1 ratio)● 2/3 Carbon (paper),● 1/3 Nitrogen (food scraps)
● Cycle of Life:● Empty the garbage can every
nine weeks
Compost Bins● Add garbage can to your
compost bin in layers.(Alternate new and old)
● Notice the seasonal variances:
● Perhaps more fireplace ash in the winter
● Perhaps more yard debris in the summer
● Bin contents continue to shrink all season.
Bin Location● Feng Shui: Positive Chi● Where to locate it for the
“Cycle of Life” ?
● Feng Shui Cycle of Elements:● Usually Earth Element
(South West)● This is Not a “waste bin”
Bin Location● Feng Shui: Bagua Chart● Not a “waste bin”
We are making living earth
● Usually Earth Element● Usually South-West● Symbol: Six Pink Bars
Sift Once at: Spring, Winter & Fall● Sifting in each season
It’s the Cycle of Life
● All you need are two things ...
● a Wheelbarrow● and a ¼” Screen
Sifting● Load with a pitchfork● Slide hand across the screen
● Look for worms
Red Wigglers (eisenia fetida)● Red Wigglers live 3-4 Years● They eat 3x their body weight
weekly
● Worm eggs will hatch if the conditions are favorable
Vermicomposting● Return the remaining larger
pieces of compost back into the bin.
● Extra points if youLive in the moment:
● Notice the rhythm of loading, sifting & returning to the bin.
Red Wigglers (eisenia fetida)● Notice which parts of the
worm bin that the worms occupy
● 1 pound of worms can produce 10 pounds of worms in 4 months.
Seasonal Family Fun● Spring bin sifting
Rejuvenates the Environment for the Worms
● Summer bin sifting is for regular maintenance
● Fall bin siftingPrepares for Winter
Black Gold! (vermicast)● The result is Black Gold:● Sifted Compost
(Includes some worm eggs)
● Seven Times Richer than compost from Fungi and Bacteria
Black Gold! (vermicast)● Nourishes soil with Nitrogen,
Phosphorus, & Potassium… or about an N-P-K ratio of 3.2 - 1.1 - 1.5
● Releases slowly (doesn’t burn)● Increases Vegetable Yield● Natural herbicide● Excellent loam (like Peat)
The Zen of Compost● People often ask me:
“Do you want my … ?”“… Not really.”
● It is a Connection to your own personal waste creation
● So, I give them a bucket of worms.
by Master Composter, Joe Gierlach
The Zen of CompostIncorporating the Circle of Life into Your Routine