Second Time Around (continued...)
Mother Nature has been composting forever and is a good teacher but we take it one step further. Leaves that fall on our pathways, trails and driveway are combined with fireplace ashes and organic coffee grounds that we get from local coffee shops. When rain permeates this, we cover the compost with recycled black lumber wrap from our local lumber store.
The pit where this composting is done is dug two feet deep and piled to a height of five feet with leaves. When the compost has broken down after approximately 16 months, it has about two feet of rich compost that had been active with worms and can yield up to 50 wheelbarrows of soil. Weeds are kept in their own compost pile to decompose under a black lumber wrap covering throughout the summer.
Windfall and pruned tree limbs also play a recycling role. We have our own chipper so can chip up our collection a couple of times a year to use on trails and paths and as part of the natural composting process. We also get chips from a local tree trimmer or economical Douglas fir bark chips from a local pole yard five minutes away. These we use in gardens for mulch and organic weed control. There are no lawns at Royston House so no need for lawnmowers.