As autumn leaves begin to fall, you have the ideal opportunity to start a compost pile.
Landscape waste accounts for about twenty percent of the typical homeowner’s garbage. Add to this kitchen waste from the produce department, and composting can make a significant dent on how much goes to the landfill. In addition, compost benefits the garden by improving soil structure and adding needed nutrients.
The process of composting involves making organic waste available to the denizens of the soil food web. Like us, all of these critters need oxygen to live. The organisms’ activity generates heat, which rises to the top of the compost heap. This draws more oxygen into the pile and so the process continues until the waste has been transformed into black gold. Left unattended, the pile will become compost in 12 to 18 months. However, a carefully maintained pile may transform yard waste in as little as four weeks!
Use the Right Ratio of Green to Brown Materials
To get off to a great start one needs a mixture of green and brown materials. The browns contain lots more carbon than the greens. Microorganisms use carbon for energy. They also need nitrogen to reproduce—and that’s what the greens contribute. Joe Average Microbe uses about 30 parts of carbon for every one of nitrogen.
The ideal compost pile is composed of materials that add up to a 30:1 carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, but in nature nothing has a 30:1 ratio, so we must balance a mix of greens and browns to approximate the ideal. For example, the falling leaves have a 40:1 ratio, while grass clippings weigh in at 20:1. Thus a pile that is half leaves and half grass would achieve the goal.
Add kitchen waste from produce, coffee grounds, tea leaves, and eggshells. Garden cleanup contributes more material. Breaking up twigs and shredding leaves to expose more surface area to the decomposers speeds the process.
Caution! Do not add weeds that have gone to seed, diseased foliage, plant material that has been treated with pesticides, or anything from black walnut trees.
Build Your Compost Pile
- Start with 4 to 6 inches of coarse material such as bark and twigs. This allows air into the pile.
- Cover that with 3 to 4 inches of green material.
- Add 3 to 4 inches of leaves.
- Continue to layer as material becomes available.
- Water the pile. It should be damp, not soggy, but we cannot control the rain. When the pile becomes sodden, turn it to let in fresh air.
- Turn the pile at least twice monthly to aerate and move material into the center. A pile that is never turned will decompose very slowly.
Tips for Effective Composting
Does your compost pile need a structure? A bin may speed the process by holding a larger volume of material together, allowing more heat to be generated in the center of the pile, but it is not essential.
“Lasagna” gardening is basically composting in place. In your garden bed, put down a layer of brown, cover with a layer of green, wait a few months, and compost will be there waiting for your spring garden!