WHEN IT COMES TO COMPOST, IT'S WASTE NOT, WANT NOT.

Byline: Leslie Weddell Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph

There is something spiritually satisfying about making your own compost.And like most matters of the spirit, composting can be ritualistic or free-form.

Composting is nothing more than making dirt by recycling yard wastes. It's the yin and yang of gardening - matter going from life to death, and in death, giving life.

Some people have classy bins with adjustable air vents, thermometers and sliding doors; others have a heap of yard waste tucked in the corner. Between is a range of options: chicken wire strung around poles, wooden pallets wired together to form a square, black trash bags with holes poked in the side.

Ideal candidates for composting are grass clippings, shredded leaves and kitchen scraps.

They can all go in the composter - or not.

Jack Scheuerman is an avid composter, but he doesn't use a compost bin. He prefers what he calls ``the rustic method''; he buries his plant matter in the garden. During the nongrowing season, Scheuerman digs holes in his 12-by-12-foot garden plot and puts the garden waste and scraps in the ground. He covers the hole with dirt, then lets the earthworms go to work.

``I concentrate on different parts of the garden each year. I can get a 3-by-3-foot area done in the course of the winter,'' he says.

He composts yard waste, coffee grounds, eggshells, bread scraps and fruit and vegetable peelings.

``It's a shame to be throwing compostible items down the garbage disposal,'' he says.

He has been using the ``rustic method'' for five years, and only occasionally have raccoons dug up the scraps. When they do, he simply reburies them.

During the summer, when grass clippings mount, Scheuerman sprinkles them around the scrub oak on the slope behind his home. They decompose on their own and help keep the weeds down. He's been doing that for 12 years and sees a big improvement in the soil.

Bruce and Peggy Davis maintain four compost piles at their home, although Peggy says ``maintain'' might be too strong a word.

``We dump things in it and add some water,'' she says. ``Every once in a while we put that aerating gadget in and turn it over a little.''

The four bins - one is plastic, the others are chicken wire - are in various stages of decomposition. Their compost is made of grass clipings, shredded leaves and chipped wood - no vegetables.

Here are a few pointers to help you start a compost pile. Remember, you can't go wrong - organic material will eventually break down.

Composting materials fall into two categories: browns and greens. Browns are dry materials such as wood chips, dried leaves, straw and twigs and provide carbon. Greens are fresh, moist materials such as grass clippings.

Water well to create uniform dampness (damp as a wrung-out sponge). If desired, cover pile with tarp or other material to prevent from drying out from wind and oversoaking from rain.

Turn the pile occasionally (once a week is good). Many people use a pitchfork for this; aerating tools also are available. Turning the pile helps maintain even temperatures and moisture; it also prevents compacting.

Compost piles can generate high temperatures. Well-managed compost breaks down rapidly when the pile reaches 120-130 degrees. If hotter than 160 degrees, the essential plant-digesting microbes will die.

Some weeds (those that haven't been treated with weed killer) can be composted if they haven't produced seeds. Stubborn weeds may not be killed during composting and can resprout. To prevent this, place in a black plastic bag and leave in the sun for several weeks. Then chop them up and put in the pile.

Keep a covered bucket near the kitchen sink for scraps such as vegetable and fruit parings, bread, pasta, grains, coffee grounds, wet paper towels and tea bags. Eggshells and corn cobs, unless broken into smaller pieces, will take longer to break down.

Avoid adding meat, fish, bones, dairy products and grease as they may cause odor and attract rodents. Human, cat and dog feces can transmit disease and should not be used in compost.

Plants lose between 50 and 75 percent volume in composting. Grass clippings are 85 percent water - they'll shrink considerably.

Some people start a compost pile where they plan to put a garden. When the compost is done, they take down the bin and spread out the compost. Others use a plastic trash can with the bottom cut out and 24-48 holes drilled around the sides. To secure it, bury the bottom a few inches into the dirt.

Don't start a compost pile adjacent to a wooden fence; it will eventually rot. A compost pile on pavement inhibits the work of the microorganisms.

A 3-by-3-foot container is ideal - large enough for the interior to reach 130-140 degrees, but small enough to allow aeration to the core. Many people have two piles going at once: one for fresh materials; another that is simmering.

If properly mixed and maintained, compost can be ready in one to two months in the summer. In other seasons, or with little maintenance, it can take six months to a year.

Compost is ready when it's dark brown or black, no longer hot, has the feel of rich top soil and an earthy odor.

No matter what you put your compost in, or what you put in your compost, once made it serves the same purpose: to improve the texture, aeration and drainage of the soil. Despite all these benefits, compost is low in nutrients, so it should be used as a soil amendment rather than as a fertilizer.