Compost

While Spring is the time that gardeners plan for and anticipate all winter long, Fall is the time composters anticipate all year long. After being baked in the hot summer sun most compost bins are ready to be harvested in the fall. And with all the gardens winding down and the trees losing their leaves, composts get a huge boost of nutrients, and carbon, the city composts most scarce ingredient.

Successful compost requires a 50/50 ration of carbon (brown, dry organic matter) and nitrogen ("green", wet organic matter), it  also requires heat, which can be achieved either with a large pile of matter, or by putting the matter into a dark container.  In the city, where space is at a premium, the container makes the most sense. This year we got 4 full wheelbarrows full of compost, which gets spread over the beds to feed the plants. In Vancouver you can pick up a compost bin from the city for only $25, check them out here http://vancouver.ca/engsvcs/solidwaste/grownatural/composters.htm