I’ve grown some exceptionally large squash, double the listed poundage. I compost via the dig, drop and cover method. I set aside fruit and veggie scraps, dig a hole where my heavy feeding plants go, dump the scraps in the hole, cover it completely with dirt and then plant my seeds or transplants in the holes around 5 weeks later.
Gatekeeping Questions:
- Is your garden in an area where it does not flood?
- Do you know where heavy feeding plants will be placed in your garden?
- Do you have the TAD (time, ability and desire) to dig, dump and cover?
- Are you diligent about ensuring animal fats and meats are not included in the scraps?
- Are you able to prevent attracting animals to your garden, same as you would a normal compost pile?
If so, then this method may be for you. As you can see in the gatekeeping questions above, some of these questions apply to plain old hot or cold composting.
Why do I Compost This Way?
- I can dig the holes ahead of time.
- Exposing scraps to worms and all the life in the soil will process the scraps quickly in the spring warmth.
- I don’t have to move compost from the pile/bin/tumbler to the garden. I skip a step.
- The scraps also add moisture to the soil, which gives my plants a head start once planted.
- I have a generous number of worms in my soil, I like feeding them directly without removing them from their habitat into a worm composter.
- My compost pile attracts voles, while my buried scraps attract only the soil critters I want to attract.
- My buried scraps improve and build good soil over the years, same as soil from a compost pile.
- No turning of the compost pile or worrying about ratios.
- Plant seeds that need moisture to germinate, carrots for example, love the moist soil this composting style provides.
- Neighbors have no compost pile to complain about.
- No smells, is completely buried and speedily processed.
Instructions
Once soil is workable and no longer frozen, you can dig holes in advance or as you add scraps.
I collect my food scraps in a compost pail, ensuring there are no animal products nor produce stickers in the scraps. Some compost methods do allow for animal products. As I live in suburbia, attracting omnivores or carnivores into my yard isn’t desired, therefore no animal products. Large scraps, like a whole banana peel or half rind of a melon are given a quick cut to reduce the size of the scrap, same as you would for the typical compost pile. I dig holes around 10″ in diameter, about 6″ deep and dump about a quart of scraps per hole into the little pit I’ve dug. I cover it well with the dirt I’ve removed, stomping on it the thin out the scrap layer beneath, making sure no scraps are peeking out. 4-6 weeks later, I plant as normal. Seed or transplanted plants. You’ll see little, if any, food scraps. If you see food scraps, plant as normal, those scraps will still feed baby roots as the compost process wraps up. The key is ensuring the scraps are covered.
If I have a lot of scraps, I will dig a trench, dump the scraps and cover with dirt, same as I would for small holes. The thinner the layer of scraps, the sooner the soil will compost it for you. A thin layer in spring can be fully composted in 3-4 weeks of a warm spring. A quick dump of thicker scraps I didn’t have time to chop down further may take six weeks to break down in the same warm spring. Timing matters. I dig, drop and cover during the last weeks of March and the first two weeks of April. I plant the seeds for melons and winter squash mid May.
Warmth + Soil Zoo = composted scraps!
Make no mistake, I think composting is fantastic, no matter the method. No such thing as a compost type war. As always, do what works best for YOU and YOUR Time, Ability and Desire. This is simply a quick article explaining why this particular method works best for my mine.
Thank you for reading!