What They Forgot To Tell You About Compost

I have noticed that soil microbes tend to take longer to do stuff in the far North. Maybe it's because for 6 months of the year they are locked in ice. Maybe there is something in the soil itself - I don't know. But I do know that it takes longer than it should to make compost.

I find this odd, because I've also noticed that my wooden fences and growing frames break down faster here than in other places where I have grown things. This is likely due to the increased role mycelium fulfill in this climate, which is a topic for another day.

So this compost business. Why does it take so long, and what is the dirty little secret i discovered recently?

Every fall, I build a pile of compost approximately 2 cubic meters by volume. That's about enough to fill this little dumpster. But with sustained temperatures of around -15C for months at a time, the pile freezes solid.

To prevent this happening, one has to either:

1. Make a much bigger pile.
2. Insulate the pile.

Last fall I decided to add composting worms to my pile. My intention being that they would accelerate the composting process and improve the overall quality of the finished product. And if they survived the winter then I know that the pile didn't completely freeze since composting worms die at around 4 degrees Celsius.

I built the pile as usual, wrapped in with corrugated cardboard, and then covered it with a tarp, allowing some gaps for air exchange.

When spring came, I still had worms and there was a slight improvement in the composting process. However, over the summer months, this pile really broke down into excellent compost so I think the worms made a big difference in the long run.

Zucchini as an Indicator Plant

Did you know that Zucchini love growing in active compost? Well they do. Growing up off the ground, and being embedded into what is essentially a giant sponge is something that they really like. The heat given off by the pile also protects the young plants from late spring frosts.

So I unwrapped my compost pile in the spring, planted my zucchini seedlings in the top, and placed some mulch around the plants for all the reasons why you should use mulch in your garden. 

Everything went awesome until the plants started to fruit, and I noticed end rot developing. 

This is what end rot looks like, and it is an indicator of a Calcium deficiency in your soil.

But wait. This can't be happening. Compost is awesome! it provides everything your plants could ever need and more because, well, it's compost!

Well, it turns out I am not the only person who has a Calcium deficiency in my compost.

Do I still compost? Yes I do because my soil is very deficient in organic matter. And thanks to my indicator zucchini, I have amended my compost pile with lime for when I incorporate it into my garden beds in the spring.