Do it for your garden. Properly made compost can help you enjoy one of your best gardening seasons ever.
Simply put, high-quality compost (2 to 3 pounds per square foot) makes most garden soils vastly more productive.
In heavy clay soils, the compost reduces compaction, helps increase aeration and enables water to better infiltrate the soil. In sandy soils, it makes the soil better able to retain both water and nutrients.
Compost is a good source of "slow-release" organic fertilizer, too. It makes the fertilizer less likely to leach out, making needed plant nutrients available for your garden veggies throughout the season.
And in contrast to unprocessed organic matter, properly
composted
material is free of viable weed seed, nematodes and diseases.
The bottom line is that compost can give both your garden and
your gardening experience a really big boost.
Unfortunately, high-quality compost is required in fairly large amounts, it's often sold only in bulk (so getting it home can be a hassle) and it isn't readily available in most places.
Admittedly, these are serious negatives. But don't get discouraged. There is a simple solution: make it.
Most gardeners know compost is good for their gardens. But many don't really understand what it is, much less how to make it.
The first step in mastering the process is having a good definition. Simply put, compost is what's left of organic matter after microbes have thoroughly decomposed it. You can extract all of the fundamentals of composting from that short sentence.
1. Organic Matter. Almost any plant material can be composted. Readily available organic matter includes leaves, grass clippings, twigs, chopped brush, straw, sawdust and vegetable plants (along with culled produce) from the garden.
You can add kitchen peelings and coffee grounds, too. Don't use table scraps, though, to avoid attracting animals to the compost pile.
2. Microbes. The bacteria and fungi that do the decomposing are so tiny they can't be seen without magnification. Although a number of companies sell them, you don't need to spend your money. These microbes are everywhere.
Mixing a few scoops of garden soil or compost from a previous batch into the compost pile will provide all the microbes you need to start the process.
Like all living organisms, microbes require water and nutrients. Much of the water is supplied by the organic matter. More water can be sprinkled onto the pile as needed.
All of the nutrients the microbes need can be provided by the organic matter if it has enough nitrogen. If the organic matter needs more nitrogen, incorporate a little nitrogen fertilizer or animal manure.
The most desirable microbes require oxygen. An ample supply is in the air. However, as microbes decompose the organic matter, they tend to use up all the oxygen in the pile. To let in more oxygen, simply turn the pile occasionally.
3. Decomposition. Organic matter is food for microbes. However, they can't take a bite, chew, swallow and then digest it as we do. Microbes release powerful chemicals called enzymes that digest, or decompose the organic matter.
After the organic matter is broken down into small molecules, microbes absorb these molecules and use them for energy and reproduction. Because this process generates heat, compost piles normally reach temperatures of 130 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
These temperatures, sustained over several weeks, kill weed seeds, nematodes and many other organisms that cause plant diseases. This is one reason compost is so much better than noncomposted organic matter.
Those are the basics of composting. It's a simple process you can do easily at home. For more detailed information, contact your county Extension Service office.
