Machete Composting Tips

Machetes are the most cost-effective way to shred compost into pieces that will quickly degrade. For under $20 you can have a utility tool that can be used in the home or garden.

Use your machete in the garden!

Some Tips:

1. Chop plant and vegetable material into small pieces for fast compost.

2. Cut vegetation to add material to your compost pile or to start a new pile.

3. Trim unruly branches or plants that are invading or shading your garden.

4. Harvest grains and corn.

5. Chop saplings to make an inexpensive teepee trellis for climbing vegetables.


Commercial compost grinders/shredders are expensive and limiting as to what will fit into the grinder.

	This pumpkin, if left to rot on its own, would take months to break down. We use a heavy or weighted machete to chop through pumpkins, watermelons, corn stalks, small branches, and anything else we throw out of the garden or kitchen. Having a good chopping machete blade is important, the flimsy machetes found in most US hardware store simply isn't up to most tasks.
	By breaking the pumpkin into small pieces with the machete, thus increasing the surface area for insects, worms, and microorganisms to feed, the pumpkins will quickly break down.
	Spread and dug into the ground with the blade of the machete, the pumpkins will quickly be reduced to micronutrients in the soil.