A friend from church asked me two questions: “Could about everything be composted?” and “When should we start our compost pile?”
These same questions were discussed recently at a Master Gardener meeting. It’s something many gardeners wonder about, and I’m always happy to share what I’ve learned.
There is a long list of items that you can compost. The key is that if you place these
items on soil, they will break down.
The following items are on the list: fruit and vegetable scraps, rotten fruit and vegetables, spent coffee grounds, eggshells, paper coffee liners, loose leaf tea, tea bags, soiled paper napkins and paper towels, paper towel tubes, expired plant-based milks, cardboard pizza boxes, food boxes, spoiled leftovers, unfinished meals, tofu, aquatic plants, corn husks and corncobs, straw and much more.
Some of these are brown or carbon-based, and others are green or nitrogen-based.
Personally, I like to start my compost heaps or piles in the spring, which can make raising temperatures easier as temperatures heat up. The higher temperatures speeds up the beneficial soil life to work faster for decomposition.
I have done it this time of year also because we had a variety of yard clippings that we can add to our heap quickly.
There are items that I steer clear of and you don’t want to put in your compost pile. They
include used or spent chemicals, plastics, pet waste, citrus peel, dairy products,
deceased animals, meat and fish, rice, disease- or insect-infested plants, hay, glossy
paper, produce stickers and more.
If you’re not sure about something, just ask — I’m always happy to help!
When compost is processed properly, you won’t recognize what you processed. You won’t be able to smell the original material. Either way you won’t be able to smell or see what it was. Well-done, well-turned compost will be “black gold” for us gardeners and won’t spread diseases to other plants, which is the real issue. Good compost will feed your plants and keep them healthy.
A gardener’s most valuable soil amendment is humus, which is humus production from
selected garden and kitchen wastes. The key is the microbes that break down organic
matter into humus, as they do with leaves on the forest floor. Composting is a great way
to dispose of yard waste and improve soil structure without negatively impacting the
environment.
Humus is organic matter that has undergone decomposition. What is significant is that
humus improves soil structure, water-holding capacity, and nutrient-holding capacity.
Many diseases overwinter in leaf litter, which means that you must kill these problems
so that you don’t infect your plants next year with a new batch of the diseases. 150°F
will kill most pathogens in your compost. These temperatures kill harmful fungi, insect eggs that eat your crops, nematodes, bacteria, weed seed, and more.
If you do it right, you should not have any problems composting most organic material.
Feel free to adjust these steps to fit your own needs—composting isn’t one-size-fits-all!
I like to think of building a compost pile as making a lasagna. This approach lets you create your own “black gold” right in your backyard.
Start by layering materials much like you would assemble lasagna. Begin with a four- to six-inch base of carbon-rich material (often called “browns.”) Next, add a four- to six-inch layer of nitrogen-rich material (“greens.”) Continue alternating these layers as you build the pile upward, aiming for an overall four-to-one ratio of browns to greens.
You can use a variety of ingredients, including different types of manure (which help raise the pile’s temperature as they break down), leaves, non-animal kitchen scraps, black-and-white newsprint, wood chips, corn fodder, and several other organic materials.
It’s important that air can circulate through the mix, so avoid packing the layers too tightly.
For proper composting, turn the pile four to six times a day during the first two weeks. The decomposition should generate internal temperatures between 130°F and 150°F. These high temperatures are crucial for addressing potential disease issues and speeding up the breakdown of materials.
Keep in mind that a pile that becomes too wet will slow the decomposition process and may prevent you from reaching the necessary heat. After the initial two weeks, continue turning the pile intermittently for another four to six weeks. At this stage, incorporating some older, microbially active compost can help jumpstart the new pile.
You’ll know the compost is maturing when you notice CO₂ beginning to escape as you monitor the pile — similar to the process in sourdough bread making.
This formula for making compost has worked very well for me. I hope you have a great time creating your own black gold!
If any questions come up during the process, feel free to drop me an email at ericlarson546@yahoo.com.
