Mulch – Composting

Q: I had some tree stumps ground up and have a lot of mulch. How can I make this into compost at an accelerated rate?

A: The key is to regularly feed the fungi and bacteria which break down the wood chips. Use your high school math to calculate the volume of the chip pile. Sprinkle 10-10-10 fertilizer over the pile at a rate of one cup per two cubic feet of chips.

Don’t be surprised if you see condensed water vapor (“steam”) wafting from the top of the pile in the next few weeks.

Repeat the feeding in June. You’ll have a much reduced pile of brown compost in time to plant your fall landscape in September.

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