Disclaimer: Composting can be addictive. I began composting because I garden, but now I garden because I compost.
With spring’s arrival, most people start thinking about flowers, birds, and picnics. I start thinking about compost.
Composting is an excellent way to cut down on your household waste stream and add some quality to your garden soil. The process could not be simpler: pile up your yard and kitchen waste in an out-of-the-way spot in your backyard and let it rot; once you get a good pile going, start a new one next to it so that the first can finish. You can periodically turn the piles with a pitchfork, which mixes and aerates the compost, speeding up decomposition. When the compost turns into what looks like black, crumbly dirt, it is ready to use.
If the system above doesn’t sound practical, there are countless alternatives. People with limited space often build compost bins out of wood and chicken wire, or similar materials. Some people buy specially-designed composters that look like horizontal, 55 gallon drums with legs. Some people are too impatient to let the compost finish, and turn it into their gardens while it is still slimy and chunky. All of these things are acceptable.
All organic material will compost, but it is usually best to keep some things out of your pile. Meat, dairy, and cooking oil will not only make your pile stink, but they may attract some strange and unwelcome critters to your backyard. Animal waste, such as cat and dog feces, is worth avoiding for the same reasons. On the other hand, kitchen waste such as coffee grounds, eggshells, fruit and vegetables make excellent compost material. Grass clippings, fallen leaves, and weeds (before they have gone to seed) are also excellent materials.
Compost can be used in edible or ornamental gardens. Most gardeners turn their compost into the soil, but if you practice conservation tillage, you can layer it on top of the soil, and it will work just as well. While compost will replace some trace nutrients in the soil, its most noticeable benefit is the way it improves the tilth of the soil by keeping it friable and improving its ability to retain water.
For more detailed information, please visit Cornell Cooperative Extension’s website: https://cwmi.css.cornell.edu/smallscalecomposting.htm
Matthew Fox
Sustainability Group
04/10/2008 |