CompostaBlog

Composting is not only one of the best things you can do for your garden, it is also one of the best things you can do for our environment. Knowing how to create and use compost is in our interest due to the tremendous problem of waste disposal. Landfills are becoming more and more difficult to find, so some municipalities are dealing with waste by refusing to pick up leaves and grass clippings.. About one-third of the space in our landfills is taken up with organic wastes from our yards and kitchens, which are ideal materials to be used in compost.

The end product from your compost bin it will be a wonderful pile of black, crumbly humus which makes an ideal soil conditioner. Compost added regularly to your soil will benefit the soil by improving it’s texture such as loosening up clay soils and will create moisture holding capacity in sandy soils.

Composting, is the controlled decomposition of biodegradable organic matter. Instead of allowing nature to take its slow course, a compost pile or bin provides the optimal environment in which decomposition can thrive. To encourage the best results, the compost pile needs the correct mix of the following ingredients:

* Carbon
* Nitrogen
* Oxygen

With enough time, all biodegradable materials will eventually decompose, although some materials are not appropriate for backyard composting. Most backyard systems will not reach high enough temperatures to kill pathogens and vermin, so certain items such as meat scraps, dairy products and pet droppings are discouraged from use. A well balanced compost pile will not have an offensive smell

High carbon materials (browns), which convert to heat include:

* Dry straw and hay
* Autumn leaves
* Newspaper

High nitrogen materials (greens) which will allow the compost bacteria to thrive include:

* Green plant material such as garden residue, fresh hay, grass clippings, and weeds
* Animal manure; such as horse, cow, chicken, or guano
* Fruit and vegetable waste
* Seaweed  (rinse well to remove salt)
* Coffee grounds and filters

A few leaf species such as live oak, southern magnolia and holly trees are too tough and leathery for easy composting, also avoid all parts of the black walnut tree as they contain a plant poison that survives composting. It is also common sense to avoid using poison oak, poison ivy, and poison sumac in your compost.

The proportions of these materials will make a difference in the rate of decomposition. The best ratio is about 25 or 30 parts of browns to one part of greens. Too much carbon slows the composting process and too much nitrogen will cause odors.

As a convenience, keep a small compost pail in the kitchen to bring your scraps to the pile every few days. Keep a lid on the container to discourage insects and odors.

A well chosen site will speed up the composting process. Find a level, well drained sunny area preferably over dirt or grass. If you plan to be using kitchen scraps, keep it close to the back door and also close to the garden so that it will be used on a regular basis and not forgotten.

Home composting uses a variety of techniques, running from passive composting (throw everything into a pile in the corner and leave it alone) to active, which consists of monitoring temperature, turning the pile on a regular basis and adjusting the materials on a regular schedule. A well managed system may produce a finished product in as little as three to four weeks, but this involves some participation, ranging from turning the pile on a regular basis to a major commitment of time and energy.

Is very helpful to have a compost bin enclosed in a structure either homemade or purchased. The bin should measure at least about 3 ft. by 3 ft. and should have air spaces so air circulation can occur. Materials such as used freight pallets, chicken wire, builders’ hardware cloth or concrete blocks can all be utilized to create a three sided structure. You may find it desirable to have two bins, one for fresh material while the composting process is happening in the other bin. Leave one side open for access or create a gate that can be opened for access. A tarpaulin may be used to cover the top of the bin in rainy weather to prevent the compost from getting too wet.

Start your compost pile with a 3 in. layer of course plant material such as small twigs or straw. Next place your first layer of plant and kitchen refuse. The next layer should be a nitrogen rich material such as fresh manure if it is available, fresh grass clippings, fresh hay, or succulent green weeds. If the waste materials are fairly free of soil, a small amount of soil, a compost starter, a layer of old compost or good gardening soil added to each layer will introduce necessary microorganisms.

Water the pile just enough to keep the contents moist but not soaking wet. In a week or two, the pile should heat up to approximately to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature many of the weed seeds and harmful organisms will be killed. Approximately a month after this point the pile should be forked over to thoroughly mix the materials in the pile. Repeat this step in another five to six weeks. If the pile is decreasing in size after this time, you will know that it is composting properly.

The finished compost will be black and crumbly, like good loam, with a pleasant, earthy smell. The compost is now ready to use.

Another system of composting is called sheet composting. A layer of organic material, about 3 to 4 in thick is spread over your garden, and then covered with a 2 in. layer of soil. The organic material is allowed to decay at least three months prior to cultivating. This can be done over the winter when your garden is fallow and will provide you with a good start for your spring crops.

A different concept of composting that is rapidly gaining in popularity is worm farming, or vermiculture. Small scale vermin-composting is well-suited to turn kitchen waste into high-quality soil, where space is limited. There are suppliers of worm-farming equipment on the internet to help you get started.

Author, Dick Murray is a retired urbanite who has kept his passion for gardening alive with the creation of an informational web site dedicated to vegetable gardening basics. More and more families are beginning to grow their own fruits and vegetables due to their increased concern regarding the quality, price and safety of our food supply. http://www.vegetable-gardening-basics.com

More articles on soil building and composting

Compost piles must hold a minimum of organic material before they will maintain rapid decomposition. So the pile should be at least 3-feet-by-3-feet and 4-feet tall. Naturally piles can be larger. Moving leaves to the pile, then chopping them up with a lawn mower or leaf shredder before they go on the pile aids composting considerably, as small particles decompose faster than large ones.

There are other things we can do to accelerate composting and make it more efficient. As slightly wet leaves decompose quicker than dry ones and rain may not penetrate the pile center, I’d dampen dry leaves before adding them. Ground limestone may also be scattered in if we add a bunch of oak leaves and we’re concerned about the acidity they may generate in our pile. Scatter about a pound of lime for every five leaf layers. But do not use lime if your compost will be given to acid loving plants such as mountain laurel, blueberries, azaleas, rhododendrons and potatoes. Adding lime to compost is an option rather than mandatory.

The addition of fertilizers speeds composting. Scatter 1 cup of fertilizer for every 15 square feet of pile.
Two pounds of dried cow manure can be the fertilizer. The addition of fertilizer is not a necessity.

Shady piles seem to compost faster than sunny ones, as they more promptly retain the moisture microbes need. Drenching a dry pile with water can be helpful in hot weather. Construct your pile lower in the center and higher on the sides, that way rain will go in more easily. Covering the pile with plastic sheets to reduce evaporation can help in conserving that most important water supply. Turning the pile every month with a garden fork or similar tool aerates our microbes and speeds composting.

Garden waste material and vegetable scraps make great compost additions, but don’t place meat, bones, glass, plastic or metal in the pile. Keep material loaded with weed seeds, plant disease or insects out of the pile. Never put in material that’s been treated with herbicide. Straw or hay can be added, but seeds in the hay may not decompose, sometimes causing weed troubles. Pine needles may be added, but because of their waxy coatings, they may take longer to break down. If you add twigs make sure they are small and broken, or they will take forever to break down. If you add newspaper they need to be shredded into tiny strips. Choose an inconspicuous site for the pile. While piles aren’t ugly, they are seldom beautiful.

Compost has so many garden uses that I never get enough of this terrific stuff. I blend compost into every planting hole, whether I’m planting a dogwood tree, petunia beds, tomatoes or anything else.

Jim’s articles are from extensive research on each of his topics. You can learn more of organic materials by visiting: Compost Piles

Organic Gardening Tips

It was in the fall of 1998 that I took up composting. Most Saturday mornings were spent watching gardening shows on HGTV and DYI. I understood that without good soil a garden was doomed to failure. What better way to achieve good soil but with compost?

I wanted to find out more about composting before I began. So I went on a search for a book on composting. There are many good books out there with a lot of good information on composting. But one book really caught my eye because of the title, “Let It Rot” by Stu Campbell. How appropriate because that is what happens when plant material decomposes. I read that book cover to cover. I’m sure I got some strange looks from people when I took it to read while waiting for an appointment. I enjoyed that book as much as any novel I’d ever read!

There are numerous methods of composting. The three bin system is probably one of the most efficient methods to compost. The first bin holds your raw material. The second bin holds the compost material you are currently working on. When it is completely composted you place it in the third bin. This method is for someone with plenty of room plus excess energy. Since I have neither, this was not the method I chose.

I decided to go the slower way. I found a good size plastic bin that snapped together at one of the big box stores for $75. It wasn’t too ugly and I found a place in the back corner of the yard behind the shed to hide it. With this method all I had to do was add garden waste and produce from my kitchen that was past the point of human consumption. I had to turn the pile a few times a week and keep it moist but not wet.

We had an abundance of leaves at our South Austin home. The main component of my compost was leaves for the carbon portion of my compost. For the nitrogen portion I mostly used vegetable waste from left over produce. I also used a store bought compost activator.

There are several good compost activators to help get your compost cooking. You can just leave some compost from your last batch and mix it in with your next batch. Blood Meal and animal manure are good nitrogen sources to get compost going quicker.

The recommended carbon to nitrogen mixture is 30:1. It doesn’t have to be exact-after all who is going to stand there and measure everything. A general rule is that if it is breaking down too slowly, you probably have too much carbon or you are not keeping it damp enough. If it is smelly, you either have it too wet or you have too much nitrogen.

My Husband once accused me of over buying fruits and vegetables so some would be left for the compost bin! I don’t think I ever did that but it does cut down on the guilt when the produce in the refrigerator deteriorates past recognition. It can go into the compost instead of the trash and into a landfill.

In November of 2006 we sold our house in South Austin. We had thought about simplifying and moving to an apartment. So I gave my green plastic bin to a good friend and fellow gardener.

But then we decided that apartment life was not for us. We bought a house in Hutto, near all our Grand kids.

I was having deep withdrawal symptoms from not composting. I had been interested in trying a compost tumbler. So we spent a little more than was practical and bought a small compost tumbler through mail order. I also keep a garbage can nearby to store the raw material for the tumbler. With the tumbler, the best way to compost is to fill it up all at once and turn the handle at least five turns a day. It is an easy way to compost. No turning with a pitch fork or shovel. . I believe that the less waste we can put in our landfills, the better our environment. The richer the compost we put back in our gardens, the richer the soil will become, the less fertilizer we will need and the happier our plants will be. I’m glad to be addicted to composting!

Patsy Bredahl is a Master Gardener living in Williamson County, Texas. She is a retired nurse and enjoys spending time with her family including 10 grandchildren. If you are interested moving to the Austin, TX area, please visit Austin Realtor Ronnie Bredahl at http://www.austinreferralrealty.com

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