Composting

Composts improve soil texture and structure, nutrient retention, moisture and aeration.  Also weed reduction and pest management naturally occur without the need for toxic and expensive herbicides and pesticides. HG Edible Landscapes has a philosophy that the living soil in which you plant provides the life source to the fruits and plants that you harvest. We also encourage composting as it limits landfill proliferation.

The microorganisms that control decomposition in your pile require both carbon and nitrogen in relatively equal amounts. High carbon materials are referred to as “brown.” These include wood chips, dried leaves, sawdust and cornstalks. Materials that have a high Nitrogen content are called “green” and these include grass clippings, fresh leaves and cuttings, stems, manure and blood meal. The important thing is to keep your pile as moist as a damp sponge and to stir or mix it as often as possible to keep it aerated.

Macroorganisms like earthworms, mites, grubs, centipedes, flies, spiders, ants and beetles work continuously to break down your compost pile. Your finished product may take a few months to get to the dark, crumbly consistency of healthy compost.

A designated container provides a more aesthetic appearance, speeds up decomposition and helps eliminate rodents. If you are a Do-IT-Yourselfer, loop chicken wire in a circular wire pen. For a more permanent structure, build a square three-sided bin out of wood.

Here’s what you need to know to build a good compost pile:

1. Choose a shady location. (The soil under it should be well drained.)

2. Make a bin. Create a wire cylinder that’s 3- to 4-feet in diameter or build a three-sided box that’s 4 to 5-feet high and wide.)

3. Add brown materials. (Add a 6-inch layer of “brown” organic matter — such as hay, straw, old leaves, and sawdust — to the bottom of the container.)

4. Add green materials. (Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of “green” organic matter, such as green grass clippings, manure, table scraps, or even high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as cottonseed meal, on top of the brown layer.)

5. Repeat these layers, watering each one as you go, until the pile is 4 to 5-feet tall and fills the bin. (A smaller pile won’t heat up as well and a larger pile can be difficult to manage.)

6. Within two days, mix the layers together thoroughly. (Particle size should be varied.)

7. Cover the pile with a tarp to keep rain away and preserve moisture. (If the pile gets too soggy or too dry, it won’t heat up.)

8. Turn the pile twice a week. (The compost will decompose 10 times faster than a pile never turned.)

What goes inside a compost pile?

Anything organic will decompose in your pile. Some common compostable materials are grass clippings, flowers, leaves, chicken or turkey manure, straw, soil, wood ashes, combined with kitchen scraps including fruit and vegetable peelings, eggshells, coffee grounds and tea bags.

Do not add to a compost pile!

Never put in dairy products, meat, oils, fish, or bones because they’re difficult to breakdown and attract unwanted critters. Never compost anything that has been treated with a chemical pesticide or herbicide. Do not include weeds that have gone to seed or that spread by their roots, such as quackgrass. And, do not add diseased or insect-infested vegetable or flower plants, dog, cat, or pig feces.

With a little patience, you will have a great compost for soil-enriched gardening in a few short months. For assistance with organic gardening, contact Mark Boyko at mark@hgediblelandscapes.com.