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Compost - A Gardeners "Black Gold"

What Is Compost?

Simply and loosely put - compost is the decayed remains of anything that was once living, occurring naturally as a part of the normal cycle of life. Leaves pile up, grass dies, trees decay and animal remains return from where they came - all without the help of man. But for the purposes of the gardener and this article - compost is primarily the the decayed remains of plant matter that has been decomposed into a plant useable form in some form of controlled environment (i.e. - compost bin or constructed pile). But what is a "plant useable form"? As plants grow they take up, change and store nutrients into forms that are useable for their growth within the cells and woody structures of the plant. When the plants die, these nutrients are not readily available or useable for "recycling" by other plants into new plant tissues. Many processes are required to make these elements available to other plants. These processes range from bacterial and fungal actions to worms, insects and other critters (see Compost Microorganisms) which feed on the material and other "processors" and thereby release the nutrients through natural biological and enzymatic means. Often this process is through the death of the organism, thereby releasing the nutrients directly to the soil, the bodies of their consumers or normal excrement (such as worm castings). The end result is "compost". That "Black Gold", which gardeners can't get enough of, that turns a so-so or mediocre garden into a place of magic.

As earlier stated, compost was basically the decomposed remains of anything that was once living. So why do gardeners only concentrate on plant matter and not compost everything? While it is true that anything that was once living will "compost", this does not in any way mean that the end result, or resulting decomposition process (see Compost Chemistry) will result in a product or process that is desirable in the garden or in close proximity to humans (or your neighbors). Proper composting methods and materials will produce a pleasant smelling product and nearly odorless process. Composting, while extremely complex in it's make-up, does not yield the same or desirable results with every product that is composted unless very specific requirements are met. This is a science that we as gardeners should understand or at least be aware of but do NOT want to get into as a daily part of our gardening routine. Take for example human and certain animal excrements (dogs, cats and swine for example).

Compost, by its nature is a product of many virtues in the garden. The end product of decomposition (compost) possesses many desirable attributes, some of which are:

• Millions of beneficial fungi and bacteria per handful, which break down organic matter and nutrients and then through their death and decomposition, release these slowly to the plants.

• The ability to bind and then slowly release water soluble nutrients such as nitrogen and potassium to the plants that would have been lost otherwise through leaching.

• The ability to hold large amounts of water and then slowly release it.

• The ability to break down heavy clay soil and allow it to more readily drain excess moisture.

• Make heavy soils more permeable to plant roots and water.

• The ability to make sandy soil hold valuable moisture.

• Add an openness to soils that allows oxygen to more easily penetrate.

• The ability to improve plant yields.

• The ability to modify and stabilize the pH (acidity or alkalinity) of soils.

• Improve pest and disease resistance.

• The ability help control runoff and thereby help prevent the loss of valuable topsoil and sediment contamination of streams and lakes.

• The ability to help clean many pollutants from the air and soil (see Compost - The Environmental Activist).

• Reduce and recycle materials that may have found their way into already overburdened landfills unnecessarily (yard and kitchen wastes make as much as 30% of the overall waste stream).

• Reduce the amount of supplemental water that is needed.

• Improve the structure of garden soils

• And many, MANY more!

In other words - compost is the "Black Gold" stuff that makes gardening fun and us productive and responsible gardeners.

If compost is nothing more than the decomposed results of anything that was once living - how about those "ready to use bagged products at the big box store"? The majority of the products found at your local store would fall into what I call "soil amendments". These are products which generally improve soil texture and structure but contribute very little to a soils nutrient levels. This is not to say that these products are not valuable products to gardeners, because if you are in need of making some large scale changes to your soils structure they can be invaluable aids indeed, but they should never be used in place of conventional compost.  In a nutshell here are some quick points concerning soil amendments:

• Use soil amendments whenever large-scale soil changes need to be made in a relatively short period of time. An example of this would be to change the structure of sandy or clay soils by adding organic matter. In this case large amounts may be needed, which could outstrip the amount of compost available.

• Extend a limited supply of compost. The soil amendments will eventually be converted to usable material by the organisms in the compost but at a slower rate. Always be sure to continue to add compost on an on-going basis as it becomes available.

• Use as an "organic filler" along with good quality top soil and compost when making raised beds or replacing soil lost due to construction, erosion, etc.

• Use caution when purchasing commercial amendments. Often materials may be present in the mix, such as raw sawdust, parking lot sweepings, weeds, improperly processed sewage sludge and chemicals that could cause more damage than good. These are often added to stretch the product. Try to purchase from a reputable dealer who knows the products and the source.

• Avoid using large amounts of "Peat moss", as this is a product that is harvested from environmentally sensitive areas and is being depleted unnecessarily at a rapid rate. Other products are readily available from renewable sources.

• Often the products sold as "compost" are of inferior quality in order to offer a lower price and therefore are little more than expensive soil amendments.

Why Compost?

Why compost you ask? I can just go down to the local store, buy a bag of fertilizer and have a great garden without all the bother- can't I?

This is certainly the idea and attitude that most of the chemical companies who produce these products for a profit have touted for years and they developed quite a large following of people from farmers to home gardeners who were seeking a "quick-fix" to greater plant yields. Thankfully attitudes have been changing in the last two or three decades as new evidence has come to light. Plant people from all walks of plant production have started realizing that fertilizers, while invaluable IN MODERATION are not a magic bullet. In fact most gardeners have begun to realize that the overuse of chemical fertilizers has led to many more problems than they solved. These include:

• A general weakening of plants due to unnatural "forced growth".

• Degradation of produce flavor and quality when compared to organically grown produce.

• Can quite easily burn plants if used to excess or at the wrong times.

• Degradation of soil structure.

• Hazardous runoff's which wind up in our water supplies.

• Greater susceptibility of plants to insects and disease.

• Increased build-up of chemical "salts" in soils which hamper or threaten the productive growth of plants.

• And on and on!

So am I suggesting that fertilizers not be used? Not at all! Fertilizers used in moderation at very low rates can be quite safe and beneficial - especially if they are an organic fertilizer form. However, this brings us to one of the beauties of compost. Compost, by its nature is a complete fertilizer in itself, which has none of the harmful side effects of chemical fertilizers and when combined in moderation with organic fertilizers provides a nearly perfect diet for plants.

Additionally, compost and composting provides valuable relief to overburdened landfills and helps to clean our environment to boot! Compost also helps to stabilize soil prone to erosion, helps to conserve precious water supplies, build depleted soils, moderates soil pH, preserves and makes available to plants more of the fertilizers used, saves gardeners money and in general is the responsible thing for gardeners to do - not to mention that it is so easy to do, once you know how.

When do I compost?

The best time to start composting is whenever you have material to compost (i.e. - kitchen scraps, plant trimmings, leaves, etc.) and the desire. There is no wrong time to start. However, there are a few things to keep in mind when starting a new compost venture. If you are planning a conventional compost pile and there is 3' of snow on the ground you may want to wait until spring or consider a different form of composting such as Vermiculture (worm composting) or container composting. Any of these can be carried out in a basement or preferably in a garage. With Vermiculture compostable material (usually kitchen scraps) are placed into a container which houses earthworms (usually redworms).

The worms eat the scraps and in turn, leave you with pure worm castings, which are the very best form of fertilizer - ready to use! Container composting may use anything from a 5-gallon (19 liter) bucket to large, rotatable plastic drums on a frame. The size and type will be determined by the amount of material you have available to compost. Whether bucket or drum the method of use is pretty much the same as for a larger pile outside. Materials are placed inside in the proper proportions, water added (sparingly) and you turn the pile. In the case of buckets, you roll the bucket across the floor every few days or with the drum, you turn the handle a few times every few days. If it's the dead of winter you can store the resulting finished compost in plastic trash cans until you are ready to use it in spring.

Where do I compost?

Actually anyplace can be a good location to do your composting. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind and ask yourself before you embark on your composting adventure:

• How much compost do you plan on making? If you are only planning on producing a small bucketful periodically to feed your houseplants using a worm composting bin, then a convenient location in the garage or basement will do nicely. But make it convenient to add kitchen scraps. However, if you are planning on producing enough to raise a flower or vegetable garden, then you will want to locate it in a location that is convenient to your garden for adding material and removing finished "gold".
   
• What type of facility are you planning on having? Here again if you are planning on producing only small quantities of compost using a Vermiculture or tumbling system, then any out of the way but convenient location will do nicely. However, if you are going for larger quantities that require a permanent location then think about a location near the garden. Also think about any future changes or additions to your garden or landscape. Try to choose a site where you not be needing to move it in a year or two as your garden grows or landscaping changes.

• Where is the nearest water supply? You don't want to be having to unroll long lengths of heavy hose every week to keep your compost bin moist, or worse yet, carrying multiple pails of water!
   

• Will my compost bin be visible from the house or the neighbors? If your compost bin will be situated in a prime viewing area, you may need to consider something a little more aesthetically pleasing to the eye of your neighbor or your spouse like a compost shed or an attractive compost bin. 
   

• Is there protection from the elements, particularly the hot summer sun? Compost must have adequate moisture and temperature levels in order to process correctly (see Compost Physics). To much heat in the summer will cause the pile to dry out to quickly and possibly overheat. Too much cold in the winter and your composting action stops. Additionally, if the pile receives too much moisture from heavy rains and the composting action will be impaired, possibly leaving you with a foul-smelling attention-getter!

How do I compost?

As stated earlier, composting can be a fairly exact science, and for some making a science out of it might be fun, but for the average gardener there doesn't need to be any rocket science involved. After all, you can simply pile up a pile of organic matter and in a year or two have compost without any further effort on your part however, as any experienced gardener knows, waiting a year or two is simply unacceptable. Simply follow the instructions contained in this article and the linked articles and you will find composting to be amazingly simple, rewarding and fun. For simplicities sake the steps outlined here are geared toward an outside compost bin of approximately 4 X4 feet (1 1/4 x 1 1/4m) square and 4' (1 1/4m) tall. While they are not as precise and calculatedly intense as the 2 to 3 week methods used by professionals they are a little more precise than you might possibly need, but are designed to produce a first usable batch of compost in approximately three months or less and one every month thereafter. Besides the bin system (three bins total minimum) you will need:

• A tine fork (pitchfork, manure fork or compost fork) for working the pile.

• Shovel for digging finished compost.

• Screening sieve approximately 2'X3' square (approximately 1X1 inch [2.5 x 2.5cm] openings) for removing large debris for further processing.

• Garden hose and hose nozzle for moistening compost pile.

• Compost thermometer to track how well your pile is heating (cooking).

• 50 pound (23 kilogram) Scales for measuring (by weight) how much of each type of material you're adding.

• 30 gallon (114 liter) trash can with handles (for weighing material)

• Rope for hanging trash can from scales (tied to handles)

• Gloves (unless you have tough hands).

• Tarp or plastic sheeting large enough to cover top of each bin.

• Additional trash cans with tight-fitting lids for storing finished compost (optional).

• If your bins are not equipped with a bottom to hold the compost off the ground for air circulation, place approximately 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15cm) of course material, such as corn stalks in the bottom of the first bin.

• In your trash can (hanging from scales) place enough brown material (see Carbon/Nitrogen Table) (carbon), such as ground leaves, plant stalks, hay, etc. to make up a 30 part carbon measure and place this on top of the rough material in the bin. Example - Each pound of tall fescue hay (common where I live) will contain approximately .07 pounds of carbon (lignin), the remainder is simple cellulose material (cell walls, etc.).

• Water this lightly so that it is thoroughly wetted but not running off (Brown materials will probably need to wetted daily for a couple of days until they are completely soaked through.

• Next weigh up enough green material (nitrogen) to make up a 30 part carbon to 1 part nitrogen ratio. REMINDER: This is available nitrogen and not weight or volume. Example - if you are using blood meal as your nitrogen source (approximately 15% nitrogen according to chart), you will need to add approximately .15 pounds for each pound of available carbon (see Carbon/Nitrogen Table). Now add this evenly to your pile.

• Continue to build layers in this fashion until the bin is filled, watering each layer as you build.

• Once the bin is filled, cover with a tarp or plastic cover (top only) to retain moisture and some heat.

• After 2 days measure the internal temperatures of the pile at several locations and depths to make sure the pile is heating up. At this point you may need to add more water to the pile if you used leaves or other woody materials that are resistant to water penetration. Continue to monitor the internal temperatures. The temperatures should continue to rise.

• Continue to monitor the moisture content of your pile by digging down approximately 1 foot and pulling out a handful of material. It should have the consistency of a wrung out sponge. If it is dry add water to the pile by giving it several small waterings just until it is wet to the bottom of the pile (this may require watering just until water starts coming out of the bottom or by digging into the pile from the side).

• After 30 days the internal temperature should be cooling down and the pile is ready to turn over into the second bin. This will mix the materials up and add oxygen to the pile, which will start the heating process again.

• To turn the pile into the second bin follow the same steps as when you built the first bin but use only 1/2 to 2/3 as much nitrogen material as before. If the material is approximately 1/2 broken down only use 1/2 as much nitrogen but if it is only roughly 1/3 broken down or less add approximately 2/3 as much nitrogen. Repeat the watering and layering until all of the material is turned over into the second bin, watering between layers.

• Once turned over into the second bin, cover this with a tarp or plastic sheeting as before and monitor the temperatures and moisture as before.

• Refill your first bin the same as you did the first time.

• When the second bin has gone through its heating cycle and is cooling down it is ready to turn over into the third bin, adding only 1/4 to 1/2 as much nitrogen as in the first bin.

• Repeat the steps as before (layering and watering) until all of the material is turned over into the third bin and cover with a tarp or other covering.

• When the first bin now has started cooling down, repeat the steps for turning it over into the second bin as before and cover.

• Now refill the first bin by layering and watering as before and cover.

• When the third bin has finished cooling off and is no longer heating, the compost is ready and should be removed to make way for the second bin and to prevent the compost from loosing potency and degrading.

• Remove the compost from the third bin and run it through your compost sieve to remove the large material that needs further processing (place the uncomposted material into the first bin for further processing).

• Use the compost immediately if possible or store it in trash cans with tight-fitting lids for later use.

An alternative to the above process that is much easier but less accurate and generally more erratic in its heating and results is to build your piles by using a strict 30:1 pound-for-pound basis, in which for every 30 pounds of carbon material you use, you would add 1 pound of nitrogen material. However, with this method you will need to pay closer attention to internal temperatures as some materials used will contain such small amounts of carbon that overheating may occur or so much that little heating occurs. If you see that internal temperatures are rising above 130° to 140° F (55° to 60° C) you will need to turn the pile to bring down temperatures. However, if heating is not occurring you will need to turn the pile and add more nitrogen material. Additionally, the pile may never get up to full temperature and proper decomposition will be slow. Also if the pile doesn't get to full temperature 122° to 130° F (50° to 55° C), many weed seeds, harmful insects and plant diseases may not be killed. Usually this is not a big problem but the potential is there.

There have been times that I have used one form or the other of each of the methods described here and each with success to one degree or another. But never build a pile-it-and-forget-it pile and expect to get the same results as a designed and measured pile - IT WON'T HAPPEN! But let's say you have the good fortune of obtaining several bales of old hay,  a large truckload of leaves or sawdust and you already have an ample supply of brown material. By all means accept it and employ a "pile-it-and-forget-it" pile. After all, it will decompose nicely in time, giving you just that much more compost and if you need it for your designed pile, then you have it.

Conclusion

As stated earlier, this process may be more involved than may be absolutely necessary but it is designed to produce a reasonable balance between the amount of compost produced in a relatively short amount of time, the effort involved and enough "science" to produce good results. With practice you can "tweak" the method outlined above to suit your needs and the results desired. You may find that you want to produce more compost faster and enjoy the "science" of composting. By all means research that possibility and give it a try or you may find that you just don't want to put that much "head scratching" or effort into it. After all, as I stated before - decomposition and composting will happen with or without our help! It's just a matter of time, and the results you desire.

In general there is no "wrong" way to compost. It's more a matter of how do we proceed in a manner that meets our expectations in the most practical and environmentally sound manner. The bottom line is that compost makes gardening much easier, produces more and higher quality in everything that grows, saves money and the environment and helps make the garden a place of magic and gardeners better stewards of the land, that will be passed on to those who come after us. What shape will they find it when future generations desire to enjoy what we have come to love? Will they thank us or ••••••?

Happy gardening and "Have A Great Day"

the "Hillbilly Gardener"

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Grateful acknowledgement is given to Cornell University and the US Environmental Protection Agency without which this article would not have been possible.

In This Article

• What Is Compost?

• Why Compost?

• When do I compost?

• Where do I compost?

• How do I compost?

• Conclusion