New Volunteer Composter!

Big News! There's a new volunteer community composter in Aspen Park! Read on for more info and reach out when you're ready to join her and compost for a few of your neighbors ; )

We're also talking about grass clippings, and unwanted garden pests, but first, that compost pile you've been ignoring since last fall...

With the season well underway, it is time to wake up your "winterized" compost pile and bring it back to life. If you insulated your pile with a tarp or a thick layer of leaves for the winter, the process of waking it up is straightforward. Your goal is to reintroduce the air, moisture, and fresh materials needed to get it "cooking" again.

After removing its winter cover, take a moment to assess the pile. The center may still have some residual warmth, but the outer layers will likely be cold and compacted. First, check the moisture. It should feel like a well-wrung sponge. If it is soggy from melted snow, you can mix in dry brown materials like straw or shredded cardboard. If its dry, as it likely will be, add water as you turn it.

Next, add a fresh charge of "green" materials, such as finely chopped kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, or the first grass clippings of the season. This will provide the necessary nitrogen to bring your microorganism population back to where you want them to be. Usually, an overwintered pile will still have enough "brown" materials remaining, but if your pile is wet or smelly, add more to maintain a balance.

The final and most crucial step is to turn the entire pile thoroughly. Use a garden fork to mix the cold outer layers into the warmer center and distribute the new materials and moisture. This introduces essential oxygen throughout the pile, which allows the microbes to get to work and begin generating heat. With these steps completed, your pile will soon be actively decomposing material once again.

Turn it into a science experiment by using a compost thermometer. They're inexpensive and they give a clear indication of the activity within your pile. Generally, the warmer it is the more active the microorganisms are. A healthy pile can often exceed 150 degrees fahrenheit.

Summer mowing provides a steady supply of grass clippings, a fantastic "green" material for your compost. However, adding them to your compost pile incorrectly is one of the fastest ways to create problems.

When fresh grass clippings are dumped in a thick layer, their high moisture content causes them to fuse into a dense, water-logged mat. This green slab blocks airflow and suffocates the beneficial microbes underneath. Without oxygen, the decomposition process turns anaerobic.

You’ll know it when you see it (and smell it). An anaerobic pile will give off a sharp, sour ammonia odor instead of a pleasant, earthy scent. It's at its worst when you first break open the pile to aerate it, so wear a mask if you're sensitive to strong odors.

To avoid this, follow these simple best practices:

Dry Them First: The best approach is to leave fresh clippings out to dry for a day or two. Once they're dry and hay-like, the clippings are much easier to manage and won't compact.

Mix Thoroughly with Browns: If you add clippings while green, be sure to mix them with two to three times the amount of "brown" materials like dried leaves or shredded cardboard. The rigid brown materials create air pockets and improve oxygen permeation throughout the pile.

Use Thin Layers: Never add more than an inch of fresh clippings at a time. Sprinkle them in thin, even layers to prevent them from clumping together.

A little extra care is all it takes to keep your compost pile healthy, grass clippings and all.

One of the joys of gardening in the Rockies is our proximity to nature. But when our flowers and vegetables become a buffet for local wildlife, it can be discouraging. While we can't completely block out our furry neighbors, and usually wouldn't want to, we can take simple, effective steps to protect our harvest.

For larger visitors like deer, physical barriers are your most reliable defense. Ideally, deer fencing should be seven feet tall or higher. If that isn't an option, you can strategically plant strong-smelling companion plants. Deer tend to dislike the potent fragrance of marigolds and lavender, making them a beautiful and functional border for your more tempting vegetables. With that said, a fence gives you the best shot at making it all the way to harvest.

For smaller pests, gardening in containers or raised beds offers great protection. To prevent voles, which tunnel underground to eat roots, simply line the bottom of your raised beds with hardware cloth or a sturdy wire mesh before adding soil. This creates an impenetrable barrier, keeping your plant roots safe from subterranean nibblers. Our newest volunteer composter, Kay, plans ahead and uses inexpensive wire mesh baskets to surround the roots of plants in areas susceptible to voles. Thanks for the tip Kay!

Rabbits are also easily deterred by the solid walls of a raised bed or a tall container. If you aren't using planters or raised beds, use inexpensive wire fencing to surround beds and protect plants. Your local Habitat for Humanity Re-Store usually has a few wire fencing options to choose from at a fraction of the cost of the big garden stores.

Pick and choose the strategies that work for you and your preferred plants. A little planning and prevention goes a long way in creating a garden where you and the local wildlife can peacefully coexist.

We are thrilled to announce a new volunteer community composter in Conifer! Kay has been composting for years, and now that her garden is thriving and expanding (there's no such thing as too many plants : ) Kay is accepting food scraps from several of her neighbors.

The additional volume of food scraps will ensure Kay never runs out of high quality compost AND ensure her garden has everything it needs WITHOUT chemical additives. It also makes Kay a guaranteed winner of "Best Garden on the Block" for many years to come!

Thank you Kay for giving us a tour of your gardens and for telling us about your olla underground watering system (we'll have to save that part for another newsletter, so cool!) We're excited to be able to provide Purple Buckets and a collection box to help Kay with her composting adventure. With support from donors, grant funding, and corporate partnerships, we look forwarding to providing volunteers like Kay with much more in the future.

If you're in the Aspen Park/Conifer area and you're looking for a place to take your food scraps, reach out to Corey@PurpleBucketCompost.com and we'll see if Kay or any other volunteers have room left in their compost piles for more.

Better yet, reach out and learn how you can join Kay as a volunteer community composter for your street. Your gardens will thank you!

Thanks Kay!

We believe everyone has the power to make a positive impact on our environment, right from their own backyard. That's why we provide free, accessible resources to help you succeed in composting.

From detailed guides on building your first bin to troubleshooting an existing pile, our goal is to empower you. Our online community forum is a space to connect with fellow composters, share successes, and learn together. These resources are created to support your journey.

Your support keeps this community thriving and our resources free. A donation today directly helps us create more guides, plan future workshops, and expand our reach to help even more people start composting.

Lastly, please share your feedback and questions. We are here to help, and we'd love your input on how best to accomplish that.

Thank you and have an amazing rest of your day!

- The team at Purple Bucket Compost