Teaching Organic Farming and Gardening

Making and using Compost

Unit 1.7 | 25
Hands-on Exercise

Hands-On Exercise:

Build and Monitor a Compost Pile

suMMary

In groups of 2 to 3, you will build a group com-

post pile, and monitor its progress over the next

6 months. The step-by-step outline (pages 21–24)

can serve as a guideline as you build the pile and

later as you turn it. Use the Compost Materials and

Temperature Chart (appendix 2) to list materials

and the sequence of layers, and to record tem-

peratures, observations, and other data.

Group responsibilities include:

• Assessing the available compost materials

• Planning compost layering

• Building the pile

• Keeping records on the pile (see record sheet

in appendices) including labeling (name of pile,
ingredients, date); record observations; daily
temperature readings for first month; weekly
temperature readings for subsequent months

• Turning the pile at least once (at 3 weeks or so)

• Trouble-shooting any problems

• Answering the questions below after 1–2
months

QuestiOns abOut yOur PiLe

1. How hot did your pile get and how long did it
   sustain this heat?


2. How does the heat curve on your pile compare
   to others you have seen? What assumptions
   can you make based on this heat curve?


3. When you turned your pile, what was your
   assessment of it? What if any trouble shooting
   did you need to do?


4. When you dig into your pile now, what
   recognizable materials remain? How does the
   pile smell, feel, look?


5. What other observations have you made about
   your pile?