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Contact Us: |
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Lawn and Garden |
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ALL ABOUT COMPOSTING! |
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3008 Hwy. 17 N Mt. Pleasant, SC |
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Phone: (843)884-0064 Fax: (843)375-4860 |
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Composting is nothing short of a win-win situation. Through composting, you help yourself by making the best gardening soil you have ever encountered, and you help the environment recycle organic materials in a most productive way. Here is a guide to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS) about Composting. What can I compost?
You may also add a layer of garden soil to your compost as it will help to mask odors and microorganisms in the soil may help the composting process.
What should I NOT to Compost? Do not attempt to compost the following: Meat, bones or fish scraps (they will attract pests), perennial weeds (they can be spread with the compost) or diseased plants. Do not include pet manures in compost that will be used on food crops. Banana peels, peach peels and orange rinds may contain pesticide residue, and should be kept out of the compost. Black walnut leaves should not be composted. Sawdust may be added to the compost, but should be mixed or scattered thinly to avoid clumping. Be sure sawdust is clean, with no machine oil or chain oil residues from cutting equipment.
How can I Collect and Organize my Compost? For kitchen wastes, keep a large plastic container with a lid and a handle under the sink. Chop up any large chunks before you toss them in. When the container is full, then empty it into the compost pile or container. This reduces the number of trips you'll have to make.
I’ve Collected My Composting Materials…Now What? There are several popular ways to compost, but basic composting begins with these simple steps: Start you compost pile on bare earth. This allows worms and other beneficial organisms to aerate the compost and be transported to your garden beds. Lay twigs or straw first, a few inches deep. This aids drainage and helps aerate the pile. Add compost materials in layers, alternating moist and dry. Moist ingredients are food scraps, tea bags, seaweed, etc. Dry materials are straw, leaves and wood ashes. If you have wood ashes, sprinkle in thin layers, or they will clump together and be slow to break down. Add manure, green manure ( clover, buckwheat, wheatgrass ) or any nitrogen source. This activates the compost pile and speeds the process along. Keep compost moist. Water occasionally, or let rain do the job. Keep compost covered - wood, plastic sheeting, carpet scraps. Covering helps retain moisture and heat, two essentials for compost. Covering also prevents the compost from being over-watered rain. The compost should be moist, but not soaked and sodden. Turn. Every few weeks give the pile a quick turn with a pitchfork or shovel. This aerates the pile. Oxygen is required for the process to work, and turning "adds" oxygen. You can skip this step if you have a ready supply of coarse material, like straw. Carbon/Nitrogen Ratio…What? Now, I have to do Math and Chemistry? It is MUCH SIMPLER than you think. All compostable materials are either carbon or nitrogen-based. The secret to a healthy compost pile is simple: maintain a working balance between these two elements. Carbon – carbon-rich matter include branches, stems, dried leaves, peels, bits of wood, bark dust or sawdust, shredded brown paper bags, coffee filters, conifer needles, egg shells, hay, peat moss and wood ash. The benefit of these materials is that it gives compost its light, fluffy body. Maintaining the Balance – Simple rule of thumb to maintain the balance of Carbon and Nitrogen is to use 1/3 green material and 2/3 brown material. Too much nitrogen will produce a smelly, heavy, slowly decomposing mess. It is smart to cover your fresh nitrogen-rich material with a later of carbon-rich material. The carbon-rich materials will help your compost to remain aerated and to release odors. If in doubt, add more carbon (brown stuff)!
Got a Big Pile of Stuff I used to call “Garbage,” Now What? It’s time to pick a composting method, and here is a list of the most popular. Depending on your space and resources, you will be able to find one that is right for you. Pile Composting – You can just continue with the pile you have already collect, mixed and covered. Remember to turn frequently, maintain your Carbon/Nitrogen balance, and keep moist. It is easy to attract pests, however, so be mindful to keep the cover sealed. You should build some means of containing it out of chicken wire or wood and wire. No Turn Composting – To avoid the chore of turning your composting pile, you should thoroughly mix enough coarse material like straw, when building the pile. The compost will develop as fast as if it were turned regularly and studies show that the nitrogen level may even be higher than turned compost. With “no-turn” composting, new materials are added to the top of the pile and fresh compost is harvested from the bottom of the pile or bin. Depending on the bed or container you make for this compost, it still tends to attract pests. Compost Bins – Compost Bins are a nice simple way to compost and deter pests. For small-scale outdoor composting, enclosed bins are an option. The least expensive method is to build one yourself from a large garbage can. Simply drill 1.5-cm aeration holes in rows at roughly 15-cm intervals around the can. Fill the can with a mixture of high-carbon and high-nitrogen materials. Stir the contents occasionally to avoid anaerobic pockets and to speed up the composting process. If the lid is secure, the bin can be laid on its side and rolled; a length of 2" cedar ( use a 2x2 or a 2x4) can bolted to the inside, running top to bottom, to help flip the material. Otherwise the contents tend to stay in place while the bin is rolled. Another option is a semi-enclosed bin. These bins are enclosed on the sides and top, and are open on the bottom so they sit directly on the ground. These are among the most common composting units for homes in residential areas where bins tend to be smaller, yet enclosed enough to discourage pests. These bins are inexpensive, but it is difficult to turn the compost, so it can take several months to produce compost. These bins are thin-walled plastic, and may chip along the edges, especially during a freeze. The most efficient enclosed bin method is the drum/tumbler system. It's possible to maintain relatively high temperatures in drum/tumbler systems, both because the container acts as insulation and because the turning keeps the microbes aerated and active. An interior "paddle" aids aeration and prevents clumping of the composting materials. This greatly speeds up the composting process. well-suited for residential areas
Composting Leaves – Don’t be like Alice…Late for the Tea Party!
If you have too many leaves to incorporate into the compost bin, you can simply compost the pile of leaves by itself. Locate the pile where drainage is adequate. The leaf pile should be at least 4' in diameter and 3' in height. Include a layer of dirt between each foot of leaves. The pile should be damp enough that when a sample taken from the interior is squeezed by hand, a few drops of moisture will appear. The pile should not be packed too tightly.
You can also use leaves to make a nutritious "tea" for your plants. Simply wrap a small pile of leaves in burlap and immerse in a garbage can or large bucket of water. Leave for three days, then remove the "tea bag" and dump contents into the compost. Scoop out the enriched water with a smaller bucket and use to water your plants and shrubs.
A Final Word on Composting –
Here are a few final tips to bring success to your project. Activate your compost. 'Activators' can be added to your compost to help kick-start the process and speed up composting. Common compost activator materials are: comfrey leaves, grass clippings, young weeds, well-rotted chicken manure. Flying insects attracted to your compost? Small fruit flies, especially, are naturally attracted to the compost pile. They can be discouraged by simply covering any exposed fruit or vegetable matter. Keep a small pile of grass clippings next to your compost bin, and when you add new kitchen waste to the pile, cover it with one or two inches of clippings. Adding lime or calcium will also discourage flies. Unpleasant odors from your compost pile? This can be a concern in urban and suburban areas with small lots and neighbors living close by. Odors can be reduced, or eliminated, by following two practices: first, remember to not put bones or meat scraps into the compost; second, cover new additions to the compost pile with dry grass clippings or similar mulch. Adding lime or calcium will also neutralize odors. If the compost smells like ammonia, add carbon-rich elements such as straw, peat moss or dried leaves. Is your compost pile steaming? No problem. A hot, steamy pile means that you have a large community of microscopic critters working away at making compost. Matted leaves, grass clipping clumping together? This is a common problem with materials thrown into the composter. The wet materials stick together and slow the aeration process. There are two simple solutions: either set these materials to the side of the composter and add them gradually with other ingredients, or break them apart with a pitchfork. Grass clippings and leaves should be mixed with rest of the composting materials for best results. Problems with raccoons? If there's a population of raccoons in your area, they will be naturally attracted to your compost pile. The best solution to this problem is to bar their entry to the compost. (Traps and poisons are usually more trouble than they're worth.) A wood or metal lid can be easily hinged to the bin described above on this page, or you can buy a commercially-made compost bin with secure fitted lids which are pest-proof. A moveable feast. The soil beneath a compost bin becomes enriched as nutrients filter down with successive waterings. You can place your bin on a plot of earth which you plan to use for a future vegetable or flower bed, or fruit tree. Each year, you can move the bin to a different area; you'll get a double benefit - the compost from the bin, and a bed of nutrient-rich soil ready for new plantings. Additive only. Compost should be used as a soil additive, and not as the 100% growing medium.
Composting Bins you can build yourself: |
