More Hints for Composting

8/13/2019 More Hints for Composting

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More Hints for Composting

When you want to turn garden refuse and kitchen scraps into compost in a hurry, but findyourself waiting and wondering why your compost isnt readyreview the basic

principles, then turn to the check list here for a few more tips.

The Basics

The Berkeley method, developed by the University of alifornia, Berkeley, is generally

recognised as the best method for making high !uality compost in around "#$ weeks. %n thismethod, it is important that the carbon to nitrogen level of the organic material be between

25to 30parts carbonto 1part nitrogenby weight. &icro#organisms re!uire these twoelements to make protein.

'ome e(amples of materials and ratios you may use include)

* +awn lippings, 'awdust ") arbon)-itrogen "/

* +eaves, 'awdust, ow &anure "))".0 arbon)-itrogen "1* +awn lippings, Weeds, +eaves ")$) arbon)-itrogen "2

What to use

There is a never ending source of material for your compost available in your own home andgarden. 3egetable peelings including lettuce, cabbage and tea leaves, lawn clippings, straw

grass#type weeds yet to flower, tree leaves, fruit scraps, food wastes, weathered sawdust,animal droppings, pine needles, spent annual bedding plants 4 in fact, almost any type of

plant or vegetable waste that will break down can be used.

. 'traw grass or hay can be added to a compost heap. 5rass and hay will introduceseeds though. 6 hot working compost will however kill them.


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". 'hredded paper is very much like straw. 6dd it sparingly with plenty of lawnclippings or fresh garden weeds.

$. +eaves are always a great addition, and theres no need for smoky fires7


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+eaves are plentiful and readily break down, creating natural mulch that containsvaluable trace elements. +eaf drop is natures way of returning nutrients and organic matter

to the soil. 8owever, leaves can be carried away by heavy rain or wind.+ongevity) 'hort

9ecommendations)

: +et oak, beech, and sycamore leaves lie where they fall to return nutrients to the soil.: hop other kinds of leaves with a mowerespecially maple, birch, or elm leaves, which

tend to form a mat that blocks air and water. ;istribute chopped leaves "4$ inches deep,mi(ed with grass clippings and other trimmings, if you have them, under a trees dripline.

: 9eplace every year.: %f a lawn is covered with a light layer of leaves, mow over the leaves to chop and distribute

with clippings between the blades of grass as a mulch.


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1. 5rass lippings are a good source of nutrients, including nitrogen, because theydecompose rapidly. +eaving the clippings on the lawn is the best use. They can be used as

mulch when they are too long to leave on the lawn> if applied too thick they can form a mat.

+ongevity) 3ery 'hort9ecommendations)


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: 8ide clippings under a broadleaf ground cover such as ivy. ?venly disperseclippings over the

canopy, then rake lightly so they settle to the soil surface.: &ow before weeds have gone to seed.

: 6void using clippings from invasive turf species, such as kikuyu.

: 6void using pesticides that make clippings undesirable as mulch. 6s found by the

U.'.?nvironmental @rotection 6gency, picloram and clopyralid are especially resistant to

decompositionand can contaminate compost or mulch made from grass treated with these products.

Table 1.'ome &ulch &aterials and their haracteristics


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The mulch provides an e(cellent environment for sowbugs or pillbugsC to grow.'ome treatment to reduce this pest may be needed. 9ecommendations for this are provided in

Eact 'heet ?@@#F$$ G8ome 5arden %nsect ontrol.

1. @runings can be chipped up in the home mulcher instead of burning them. 6dded

to a compost heap they are !uickly converted to a rich compost.

F. ;ont forget the old spent flowers from bulbs, perennials and annuals. 6ll makegreat compost when it is prepared properly.


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There are three basic principles to follow in making compost. ?ach one is crucial tothe central activity in the compost pile the life and activity of teeming masses of

microorganisms. ;ifferent microorganisms, mostly beneficial bacteria and fungi, areactive at different temperatures, but all re!uire a balanced diet) carbohydrates for an

energy source and nitrogen for body building. The more rapidly these microbes digestorganic materials, the warmer the pile becomes. When temperatures reach $DHE for three

or more days, most of the pathogens and weed seeds are killed.

To reach high temperatures and make finished compost in three months or less,follow these basics.

1. Balance the pile with dried brown and moist green materials. &icrobes multiply fastest

in compost with "0 to $D times as much carbon dry brownsC as nitrogen moist greensC,

or when the carbon to nitrogen ratio )-C is "0#$D). Without measuring or calculating,

you can achieve this ratio by alternating e!ual amounts of green and brown materials inlayers as you build the pile. When two layers are complete, mi( them together. Use a

variety of ingredients, striving for an ideal balance. %f you use tough brown carbons suchas newspaper, straw, or sawdust, balance them with food scraps, grass clippings, alfalfa,

or other nitrogen#rich materials. To make compost in a hurry in "#" weeksC, youneed to build a pile large enough at one time to be self#insulating so that temperatures

reach $DH or higher. This means having enough green and brown materials on hand for a

pile at least cubic yard $($($IC in volume.

2. 9educe particle siJe to increase surface area. 'mall particles e(pose ma(imum surface

area to microbial activity. hop garden wastes with a flat shovel or machete> chip orshred woody materials in a shredder> or stack garden debris in a low pile and run over it


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with a power mower. Woody materials break down slowly, even when they are finelyshredded. 'till, they make good additions to the compost pile by providing air space and

preventing other materials from matting together.

3. @rovide ade!uate amounts of air and water. The beneficial microbes depend on

constant supplies of air and water. When either is lacking, microbes die, and

decomposition slows or stops completely. Keep the pile evenly moist, about as wetas a wrung#out sponge. =ou can test for the correct moisture level by s!ueeJing a handful

of compost. %f the materials remain clumped together but no water drips out, the pile isade!uately moist. Be careful to avoid over#watering. Too much water blocks out air, kills

the microbes, and causes unpleasant odors. 5ravity and the weight of materials in yourcompost pile cause it to settle, forcing out air vital to microbial life and activity. Keep the

compost well#aerated by turning it fre!uently or loosening it with a fork or specialaerating tool.

C:N Ratios

of Common Materials

wood chips 1DD)newsprint 00D)

raw sawdust 0DD)

cardboard


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Eigures are averages since materials vary.C

Tips for aster Composting

Hints for !sing "reens an# Bro$ns

ompost as many organic materials as you can to return their nutrients back to the earthto complete their life cycle and benefit your soil. Be creative. 6n old straw hat, cotton

fabric, paper towels and tissues, and bits of cardboard make wonderful compost. rumpleup Lunk mail no glossy paperCwads of paper help aerate the pile. %nclude coffee filters,

tea bags, and crushed eggshells. 'tockpile dried leaves, a bale of straw, or some decomposingwood chips. Use these to build a pile at one time when you have large !uantities of moist

greens. ollect moist green ingredients when you are ready to build a #cubic yard hot pile. %t

is difficult to store them for more than week. Begin a second pile rather than adding dried

browns to an active pile, upsetting the balance, and slowing down the composting process.6dd additional food scraps and moist, green materials to active compost. They will

decompose !uickly. Be sure to bury them well inside the pile. Keep wood ashes and soil out

of the compost pile. They are not organic and will not decompose. They cool down the pile,add weight, and force out air. Know that commercial activators are unnecessary. &icrobes

abound naturally on all organic materials. ommercial products work because they contain

nitrogen.


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Hints for Re#%cing &article 'i(e

6 power lawn mower is the easiest, fastest way to reduce particle siJe and increase

surface area. Mrganics of any siJe will eventually decompose, but small particles make

the fastest compost. 'harpen your mower blade after shredding rough, fibrous compost

materials to prevent frayed cuts on your lawn grass. onsider its value before investing ina chippershredder. 8eavy#duty, e(pensive machines perform efficiently but are most

appropriate for large#scale gardening that generates volumes of woody branches. &i(grass clippings and shredded paper with leaves or straw as you add them to the pile. 3ery

small particles tend to mat together which slows decomposition.

Hints for )atering an# *erating

+ocate your compost pile or bin within easy reach of a garden hose. Keep a thin#tinedcompost fork or aerator tool handy for fre!uent turning. When you mi( together alternate

layers of browns and greens, add water. Use a hose spray noJJle so that all particles are

lightly moistened. 'pray the pile several times as you turn and rebuild it. Be careful not tooverwater. 5reen materials are 1D#2DN water. %t is more difficult to dry out a pile than to

moisten it. %f the pile becomes too wet, spread it out and mi( in dry materials. over an

open bin if the compost develops a concave top that collects rain water. 6 free#standingpile usually sheds water like a thatched roof. Turn your compost at least three times

weekly for fastest decomposition. Turning will not cool down a hot pile> instead, it addso(ygen, and heats the pile up. onserve nitrogen by aerating the compost fre!uently.

6naerobic piles lacking airC cause nitrogen to evaporate as ammonia.

More Hints

: %nvest in an 2#inch composting thermometer to know instantly when the hot pile coolsand is ready for turning. 6fter several turnings, the temperature and the compost stabiliJe.

: ?(pect a host of beneficial organisms to live in your compost pile. &ost are unfamiliarand microscopic , but others such as centipedes and sow bugs are easily recogniJed.

: Keep out unwanted vertebrate pests by enclosing sides, top, and bottom of the bin with

A


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in the soil.

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More Hints for Composting