Garden Guy column: Homemade compost
My last four articles were about bed preparation and soil amendments. Unglamorous, but extremely important topics that are keys to success. Compost is also very important so I’ll discuss it in greater depth here.
Compost is simply the biological reduction of organic materials to humus. Nature has done it forever and there is reference to composting found on clay tablets as early as 1392 B.C.E.
There are two main reasons to compost and use compost. First, it improves soil structure (aerates clay soil resulting in better drainage and binds soil particles together in sandy soil to hold more moisture).
Second, it carries nutrients to plants. These nutrients are time released as plants need them, they change the chemical makeup of soil (lower the pH) which allows certain nutrients that are not in a form available for plant use to be taken up by plants, they provide micronutrients often missing in other products, they help control disease and insect problems that less healthy soil lacks, and they make a habitat for worms which castings contain valuable bacteria, microbes, and humic acid.
Other valuable reasons to use compost include having the ability to fix and make harmless soil toxins such as metals, providing growth stimulators in the form of humic acids, decreasing the amount of fossil fuels used to make chemical products, and saving landfill space which decreases associated costs.
The basic requirements for composting are air, moisture, energy food (carbon), protein food (nitrogen), warmth, and mass. For optimal results there are specific amounts or ratios of each of these to get the best decomposition in the least time. Materials to be decomposed and their particle size affects the speed and ultimate makeup of the resulting humus. The best quality ingredients possible should be used – not all composts are the same.
Having said this, there is a wealth of information available both in the library and on the internet to get as scientific as you wish. Most of us plain gardeners aren’t interested in getting involved at this level, however.
All that is necessary is to pile green and brown as you get it from leaves, grass clippings, food waste, etc. Layer or mix as you can with a garden fork. Dampen as you add material. Wait. To speed the process, aerate often. It will compost even if you do nothing.
Theoretically anything organic can be composted. This includes yard waste, including grass, flowers, shrub and tree waste, etc.; food waste, including coffee grounds, tea bags, cornhusks, etc.; newspapers (shredded), shredder chaff; manure, stable litter, straw/hay; and other organic material you may have available or that you can obtain.
Among things that shouldn’t be composted are diseased or insect infested plant material, material with seeds you do not want germinating, wood ashes, pet/human excrement, meat, dairy products, cooking oil/grease, bones, materials that take a long time to compost (large pieces of wood, shells, pine needles), and debris that you don’t know that might have been treated with chemicals.
Compost is continuously used up and must be replaced regularly.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Garden Guy column: Homemade compost
