Talking

DIRT

With

Geo

or: "Compost Happens"

Why compost?

Composting of yard waste is a good way to turn waste into a resource.

Savings are to landfills, the environment and the pocketbook.

What is compost?

Life, growth, death and decay are part of the natural biological cycle.

Living plants convert carbon dioxide, minerals in the soil, sunlight and water into energy for growing.

When those plants die, they become raw materials for microbes, insects, worms and fungi to consume.

We call this stage of the cycle “decay” and the end product is soil organic matter.

If the ratio of nitrogen and carbon are favorable, as well as moisture content, air, temperature and other factors, a rich organic end product will result.

What can I compost?

Anything that was once alive can be composted. At our compost pile, we limit the ingredients to leaves, grass, processed wood chips, garden clippings, mushrooms, and small woody stems. Materials such as coffee grounds, food waste and even eggshells will compost, but from a practical standpoint, these can attract undesirable pests and create unwanted odors. Plants that have gone to seed, weeds that spread by runners, pet feces, should be avoided too.

Large pieces of wood can be composted but it takes a long time. It is best to store those pieces separately and let them decay to the point where they can be crumbled by hand. I have successfully composted the largest tree stumps using this method. This takes years. A better method is to burn the wood and save the ashes for later use as an amendment to the finished compost (potash- a source of potassium, a macro nutrient).   NEVER recycle pressure treated wood- it contains arsenic!

How do I compost?

The easiest method is to bag up your grass clippings and leaves, bring them here and let me do it. The larger the compost pile, the better it works. Free compost from the finished pile anytime.

There are two methods generally used to compost, one is called the cold method, the other one is called the hot or fast method.. I use the hot method.

We’ll review the slow composting method first since this is very simple how most small mulch piles will be configured. This type compost pile requires virtually no tending.

They will still work just fine but will be much slower, cooler and less effective for killing off the weed seeds and pathogens.

Simply mix non-woody yard waste into a pile on the ground and let it sit for a year or more. The natural process will slowly convert the pile into usable compost. When adding fresh yard waste, bury it in the center of the pile. The only attention is to water it occasionally in dry seasons.

Fast or Hot composting.

One product of microbial metabolism (decay) is heat. By balancing the conditions to favor thermophyllic (high temperature) microorganisms, the compost pile’s internal heat quickly rises to 130 to 150 degrees F. At this temperature, most of the weed seeds and pathogens are killed, but the beneficial mycorrhizae fungi and themophyllic bacteria survive. It is best to recycle old potting soil mixes at the early stages so that they too can be heated and sterilized.

After the hot phase is complete and the pile cools down, the worms, insects and other organisms complete the decay process.

This style of compost pile requires tending, specifically turning over to allow air in.

You do NOT need a fancy bin or container to create a pile. Containers look nice, and some have a mechanism to make turning easier. Simple piles work fine and the bigger they are, the better they work.

Necessary ingredients:

GREENS- We need NITROGEN containing materials (grass clipping)= protein building blocks