18 Day Compost Song

The Compost Song

(Sung to London Bridge) - A Permaculture Sing-A-Long by the Pagliaro Family

1.
Compost made in 18 days,
18 days, 18 days.
Compost made in 18 days,
The Berkley Method.

2.
A cubic meter you must stack,
You must stack, you must stack.
A cubic meter you must stack
To make it work right.

3.
Take some shit and heap it up,
Heap it up, heap it up,
Chicken, horse, cow or duck,
It doesn’t matter.

4.
Add leaves, cotton, straw or grass,
Straw or grass, straw or grass,
Add leaves, cotton, straw or grass
This is high carbon.

5.
An activator you must add,
You must add, you must add.
A fish or comfrey’s not too bad
Or some yarrow.

6.
Now bring the water, wet it down,
Wet it down, wet it down.
Now bring the water wet it down,
Make it moist all over.


7.
Turn the pile inside out,
Inside out, inside out.
Turn the pile inside out,
Days 4, 6, and 8.

8.
On day 8, stick your arm in,
Your arm in, your arm in.
On day 8, stick your arm in,
Does it feel right?

9.
If it’s too hot, cool it down,
Cool it down, cool it down,
If it’s too hot, cool it down,
Make a chimney.

10.
If it’s too cool, add blood and bone,
Blood and bone, blood and bone.
If it’s too cool, add blood and bone,
Perhaps a penguin.

11.
Every two days, mix it up,
Mix it up, mix it up.
Every two days, mix it up.
It’s almost ready!

12.
Day 18 has come at last,
Come at last, come at last.
We’ve made compost and made it fast.
That should please Geoff Lawton!