When those beautiful autumn leaves have blown from the trees and
become unsightly
brown masses in your lawn, don’t fret and don’t burn. Simply
build a pile and recycle the
leaves through the composting process.
When you clean up the garden, yard, flower beds or other outside
areas, don’t forget that
almost all of this plant material, too, can be added to the
compost pile.
Good compost is especially useful for improving soils that are
low in organic matter.
Although it does add some nutrients, the main benefit of compost
is improving the soil’s
physical condition.
Fall is a great time for composting because of the abundance of
leaves to add to the pile.
Simple rules to follow in composting:
Almost all organic material may be used: sod, grass clippings,
leaves, hay, straw, some
weeds, chopped corn cobs, corn stalks, sawdust, newspapers, etc.
Avoid weeds and grass
plants that have developed seed heads.
Most kitchen scraps may be used, too, except for animal fat,
bones and milk products.
During the fresh-vegetable season, from my family of four, I’ve
been putting about 14
pounds of kitchen materials a week on my compost pile.
These include coffee and tea grounds, eggshells, peelings of
vegetables and fruits, canning
by-products such as tomato peels, apple peelings and cores and
corn husks.
I just dig a small hole in the compost pile, place the materials
four to five inches deep and
cover them with leaves, grass clippings or other plant
materials. Then I continue that
process clockwise around the pile.
Just think how much each family is putting into the landfill
from the kitchen. These
materials are completely degradable in the compost pile within
four to six weeks.
The size will vary with the amount of material, but any size
smaller than 3 feet wide by 3
feet high isn’t recommended. It’s too small to heat up and
decompose the material
properly.
For ease of handling, it’s best, too, not to go over 5 feet by 5
feet by 5 feet.
Some type of enclosure to contain the material is best. But the
sides of the bin should
allow free air movement into the material. The best bin material
is probably
2-inch-by-4-inch dog fencing 3 feet high.
If you don’t want to use anything at all, just pile up the
composting material. That will
work, too.
You don’t have to build the pile all at once. Begin by spreading
an 8- to 12-inch layer of
organic material over the area.
On top of this, spread one cup of complete garden fertilizer or
a couple of shovelfuls of
manure. You can also add a light layer of soil. The best
activator for compost is old
compost.
Continue to alternate layers. As each is complete, water it
thoroughly. Keep the pile moist,
but not soggy.
You can hasten the decomposition if you turn the pile every few
weeks. If you don’t
choose to turn it or can’t, don’t worry — it will still
decompose. It will take longer, but
what’s time to compost?
Compost is ready for use when the material turns dark and
becomes crumbly. Finished
compost will have lost much of its original identity and will
have an “earthy” smell.
Normally, five to eight months will be required to finish
compost, depending on the
material used and the heat and moisture available during the
composting period.
Apply the compost to garden soil at the rate of four bushels per
100 square feet.
To learn more about composting, contact your county extension agent.
