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Monday, October 12, 2009

Compost Vs. Baby

Last winter I set out to do two things for the first time: get pregnant and make compost.

I'd ignorantly assumed the compost pile would be much easier to deal with. Michael bought a tumbler at the Natural Gardener and we had plenty of food scraps to add in with the leaves from the trees.

To my surprise, the compost did not form as quickly as the box advertised. I thought the 'compost in as little as four weeks' was a bit optimistic but I assumed I'd have some in a few months. This was not the case. I've been adding trimmings all year, trying to even out the abundance of brown matter I dumped in there last winter.

I keep wondering when there will be a knock at my door, "Hello Michelle, we hear you can't make compost. I'm sorry, we're going to have to take away your chemical engineer degree, you've become an embarrassment to us all."

This weekend I had a bit of excitement, it looks and smells like it might finally be turning to that nasty brown mush I've been waiting for.

My other source of brown mush seemed much easier to make. I've decided it's much easier to make a baby than a compost pile, or it was for me. Taking care of her is an entirely different story.

Unlike the compost pile, Leah needs a lot of attention and we can't just ignore her to see if she does what she's supposed to on her own. Feeding a baby is much more exhausting than feeding a compost pile. The compost pile does not root for food and there is no such thing as cluster feeding the pile. Of course, the pile is also growing and getting heavier but I don't think it's any match for the good eater.

Leah has another pediatrician appointment at the end of the week. I'm wondering how much she's going to have gained. We're awaiting the day when new born clothes don't fit anymore.

3 comments:

Me said...

Compost in 4 weeks? That's false advertisement unless you are adding water 3 times a day, turning it daily, and have it in a location where it is 100+. Usually expect about 6 months for a batch, sometimes up to a year. Also, make sure you are adding green matter in there such as grass clippings. Grass will compress down much more quickly than leaves so keep that in mind. And once a batch is done, you'll love that black, earthy smelling mix.

Devon said...

Did you add any pre-made compost? We've been told the bacteria or whatever in completed compost accelerates the composting action. I don't know; you're the chemist.

Also, you might try our secret ingredient: bunny poops (which are brown but count as green).

Mich said...

No, we didn't add anything aside from our own waste products. I was determined to make it work on my own ;)

Michael has suggested we should add Leah's poop. Does that count as bunny poop? Probably not since it doesn't reek of ammonia