The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener

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Book Reviews of The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener

Book Review: Don't throw those coffee grounds away....
Summary: 5 Stars

In the early pages of the book, the editors Deborah Martin and Grace Gersuny (the book is a composite of excellent articles published over the years in ORGANIC GARDENING) have included a history of composting. Composting was known to the Jews, the Romans, the Greeks, American Indians, and other traditional people. Washington and Jefferson used organic methods to grow their crops, vegetables, fruits, and flowers. Composting was a major activity for farmers until the petro-chemical industry persuaded farmers they needed oil-converted-to-fertilizer-and-poisons to grow crops. Practices are changing, but as the new AG bill shows, not fast enough.

Why should the little guy compost? This book gives you all sorts of reasons for composting, but my response is why not compost. You can compost if you live in an apartment on the 29th floor of a building in New York City, and you might want compost for your house plants after you read this book. I have composted for so long I cannot imagine how anyone gardens and does not compost. First of all you add nuitients not available from man-made sources and these nuitrients help you grow great plants. Think of compost as breast milk. Why would you give your roses canned formula when they can have the real thing? When you use compost on your plants, you strengthen them against disease and predators. Given drought conditions and water shortages which stress plants, it's nice to know that compost enhances moisture retention.

The book identifies the kinds of wastes that work best in the compost pile. For early farmers, manure was the answer. Most of us can still lay our hands on cow manure that has been composted, but it's expensive. There aren't as many farm animals as there once were and there are so many more of us. However, you do have some options even if you don't own your own cow. You produce things that can be converted into plant food.

The book suggests that you may not want use dog "feces" because it smells bad, but I do. My POMS poop and I pick it up and throw it in my black plastic compost container. (I have two kinds of composters and several loose piles--all described in the book). Guess what--dogs can eat a relatively vegetarian diet and they won't have stinky feces and they will be healthier (just like humans!!).

The book recommends against cat litter and feces, and I have used cat box litter after it was used by the cat and created HUGE plants (lots of nitrogen) so we stopped using cat stuff. I have used coco shells and they are great but cannot use them with dogs who are poisoned by the shells (the book does not tell you this, but as a rule of thumb don't let your dog eat compost or mulch). I love coffee grounds and throw them right on my rose bushes. Tea bags work better after they disintegrate in the compost bin. I also throw paper towels and kleenex from the waste baskets into the compost bin. Any vegetable matter can be composted. I avoid animal products except for the dog feces.

A friend of mine complained that her compost pile smelled bad. I asked her if she threw newly mowed grass on the pile. Yes she did. The book suggests you either let the grass lay where it falls (I've done this and it works--it does NOT cause thatch); Let the grass dry before you throw it on the compost pile; or don't grow grass. The latter has been my approach for some time. I do not have a blade of grass in my yard (a few in the brick walks, but that's another matter). Ground covers work well--especially creeping thyme.

This is a great book and a great place to begin if you are a new gardener. A kid can follow these directions. The authors include a chapter on organic gardening "experiments" you could try yourself or with a child--great ideas for science projects for school!! Also, if your family likes to fish, compost piles grow great worms, another benefit of composting.

Summary of The Rodale Book of Composting: Easy Methods for Every Gardener

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