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improve soil structure and increase the moisture-holding
ability of soil. Composting recycles organic material through controlled
decomposition. Organic materials are grass and yard clippings, kitchen scraps
(no animal products), wood shavings, cardboard and paper. As organic materials
decompose they turn into a rich, dark humus material that improves all soil
types.
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Compost can reduce or eliminate the use of synthetic fertilizers in your
lawn or garden.
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that would normally wash right through and it breaks up tight clay soils
allowing roots to spread and oxygen to penetrate. Soils improved with compost
contain beneficial microorganisms that protect plants from diseases and pests.
Compost can reduce or eliminate the use of synthetic fertilizers in your lawn or
garden. Better moisture retention means less watering and reduced runoff
pollution – two key elements of
WaterSmart gardening.
is
adding materials gradually to a bin or pile and allowing them to compost slowly
with little maintenance. With this “continuous feed” approach, compost is ready
in six months to two years. This practice does not destroy weed seeds, runners,
or plant diseases.
Ingredients:
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Mixed yard trimmings as
available, including grass clippings, flowers and stalks, leaves, weeds
without seeds or spreading roots, twigs, and small branches |
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Vegetable and fruit scraps and coffee grounds |
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Rainwater and additional water, as needed |
Tools:
- Pitchfork
- Square-point shovel or machete
- Water hose with spray head
- Chipper-shredder (if composting woody material)
- Compost bin (optional)
- Tarp, burlap, or black plastic cover (optional)
Directions:
- Set compost bin or pile where
water does not puddle when it rains, preferably in a shaded spot.
- Put yard trimmings in bin or
pile as they are collected.
- Chop or shred woody trimmings.
- When adding grass clippings and
green garden wastes to the compost pile, mix them into the leaves and other
yard materials already in the pile.
- Bury kitchen scraps under 10
inches of yard trimmings or finished compost.
- Moisten dry materials as they
are added.
- Optional: Cover top of compost
with tarp or sheet plastic to keep it moist.
When material at the bottom
looks like dark, rich soil, you have compost. When convenient, move the
undecomposed materials into a new pile or bin, and harvest and use the compost.
Hot & Fast Compost Recipe
Hot and Fast Composting is
building and actively mixing a pile to produce disease-killing temperatures and
can yield finished compost within a month. A minimum “batch” is enough to fill a
plastic bin or build a pile at least 3 feet high and 3 feet in diameter. This
practice destroys most plant diseases, weeds, and weed seeds.
Ingredients:
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Three to 4 or more
wheelbarrows of “green” yard materials – such as grass clippings and garden
debris |
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Three to 4 or more
wheelbarrows of “brown” materials –such as leaves, dry weeds, brush, and
woody prunings |
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Vegetables and fruit
scraps and coffee grounds (as available) |
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Water |
Tools:
- Pitchfork
- Square-point shovel or machete (optional)
- Rotary lawnmower or chipper-shredder (when composting woody material or dry
leaves)
- Water hose with spray head
- Compost bin (optional)
- Tarp, burlap, or black plastic for covering the pile and/or mixing materials
(optional)
- Compost thermometer (optional)
Directions:
- Pick a 4-foot by 8-foot area where water
does not puddle when it rains, preferably a shaded spot.
- Cover half of the 4-foot by 8-foot area with
a 6-inch layer of “brown” materials.
- Add a 3-inch layer of fresh “green”
materials, and add a dash of soil or finished compost.
- Mix this layer lightly into the layer below
it with a hoe or hand cultivator.
- Top with a 3-inch layer of “brown” materials
and add water until it is moist.
- Repeat steps four through six until the pile
is a least 3 feet high. Note: The pile should be completely covered with 4
inches or more of brown materials. Food materials should be mixed in and
buried deep in the pile.
- Turn the pile over every one to two weeks
with a pitchfork or shovel until the pile does not re-heat much after turning.
With each turning, move dry materials from the edges into the middle of the
new pile, and add water as needed.
- Let the pile cure for two weeks before
using.
| Symptoms
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Possible
Causes |
Possible
Solutions |
| Damp and warm
only in middle of pile |
Pile too small,
built too gradually, or cold weather |
Form pile at
least 3 feet high and wide, Cover with tarp. Put in covered bin. Or allow to
compost “cold” |
| Pile not heating
up at all |
- Not enough nitrogen
- Not enough oxygen
- Not moist enough
- Pile too small, build too gradually, or
cold weather
- Compost finished
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- Mix in fresh grass clippings, manure, or
food scraps.
- Turn or fluff the pile, especially where
it is smelly or matted.
- Turn the pile, wetting as you turn to
consistency of damp sponge.
- Form pile as least 3 feet high and wide.
Cover with tarp. Put in covered bin. Or allow to compost “cold and slow”.
- If dark and crumbly, smells earthy (not
moldy or foul) – use it!
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| Matted,
undecomposed leaves or grass clippings |
Compaction, poor
aeration, or lack of moisture |
Avoid thick
layers or leaves, grass, or paper. Break up layers with garden fork, then
wet and re-mix the pile. Shred materials. |
| Odor like rancid
butter, vinegar, or rotten eggs |
Not enough
oxygen, too wet or compacted |
Turn pile,
fluffing materials to aerate them. Add coarse dry materials like leaves as
needed to soak up excess moisture. If odor is intense, possibly cover with
layer of newspapers and/or coarse dry materials and allow pile to mellow
before turning. |
| Odor like ammonia
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Not enough carbon
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Add “brown”
materials and aerate. If odor is intense, possibly cover and allow pile to
mellow before turning. |
| Attracting rats,
raccoons, dogs, flies, or other pests |
Inappropriate
materials (meat, oil, bones, etc.) or food too close to surface |
Dispose of meat
and oil. Use a rodent-resistant bin. Bury kitchen scraps 8 to 12 inches deep
in the pile. |
| Attracting
various insects, centipedes, slugs, etc. |
Normal composting
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If garden pests
are identified in pile, use traps or barriers between pile and garden.
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| Infested with
fire ants |
Too dry, not hot
enough, or food too close to surface |
Drench ant mounds
with compost tea sweetened with feed-grade molasses. Broadcast low-toxicity
fire ant bait for major infestations. Carefully rebuild pile to proper
conditions, wetting thoroughly. |
Mulch is a material spread on top
of the ground to benefit soil and plant health, and make landscape maintenance
easier. Wood chips, leaves, grass clippings, wood shavings, and compost all make
good mulches.
Mulching Benefits:
- Prevents soil compaction and
erosion
- Suppresses weeds
- Captures and retains soil
moisture
- Protects roots from the sun’s
heat
- Protects plant crowns from
winter cold
- Protects and stimulates
microbial activity in the soil
- Adds nutrients to the soil as
they break down
Make the Best Use of Mulch Covers
- Mulch all areas that are not in
grass or thick ground cover.
- Trees and shrubs benefit from
mulch spread at least as far as their outermost branches (the “dripline”). To
prevent diseases and pest infestation, avoid piling mulch against tree trunks.
- Use a layer of coarse mulch 3
or more inches in depth for weed control.
- When converting grassy areas to
mulch, smother the grass with a thick layer of cardboard or newspapers rather
than kill it with chemicals. Some hardy grasses much be rooted out for
successful removal.
- Blanket perennials with several
inches of shredded leaves or whole pine needles to protect then from winter
cold.
- Use long-lasting mulches (wood
chips, shavings, evergreen needles) for trees and shrubs.
- Spread mulches under annuals
after they are well established (4 to 6 inches tall).
- Water the ground thoroughly
before and after applying a mulch cover.
- Never rely on a rainstorm to
water in your mulches. In many cases, the rain will fall too heavily and
quickly, and a fair amount of your mulch may run off into the storm drain and
local creeks.
- Never mulch with diseased or
insect-infested yard trimmings.
Information is from:
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Composting
