Soil
Shapes Up with Compost
Compost
is a dark-colored, loose mixture of well-rotted organic matter that can
be used by the gardener to improve garden or potting soil. Any organic
matter such as garden waste is a good ingredient for compost.
If
soil is hard and crusty when dry or sticky when wet, vegetables do not
grow properly. Good garden soil is loose, has high water-holding
capacity
and proper drainage.
Scraps
to Use
- leaves
- shredded
newspaper
- grass
clippings
- farm
manure
- garden
waste
- sawdust
- vegetable
peelings
Don't
Use
- bones
- meat
scraps
- cat or
dog manure
- grease
- diseased
plants
- walnut
leaves
Making
a Heap of Compost
Put your
compost pile in a well-drained area. A shady spot or a place behind
bushes
will shield the heap from view.
It
is possible to accumulate materials in a loose pile but it is better to
have an enclosure for the compost. This could be a pit dug 18 inches
into
the ground of any length and width or an above-ground structure.
Either
type of structure should be divided with a partition. One side can be
used
for composting material and the other for usable compost.
A
rectangular pile 2 to 5 feet wide, 5 to 10 feet long and 2 to 4 feet
high
is adequate for most households. If space is not available, a single,
tall
pile can be used. Fresh material is added at the top and finished
compost
dug out at the bottom.
Example
Compost
Pile
Handy
Structures
- wire
- wood-slat
fencing
- scrap
lumber
- bricks
- garbage
cans
- plastic
trash bags
- cement
blocks
- old
playpen
- railroad
ties
- sewer
tiles
- chimney
flue tiles
Add
Layers
Build
your compost pile in layers. First add 6 to 8 inches of garden refuse.
Each layer of this organic material should be moistened. Sprinkle
fertilizer
on top (one cup for a 5-by 5-foot area). Or add a 1- to 2-inch layer of
farm manure. A little lime also may be used. Add 1 to 2 inches of soil.
Repeat this process as composting material is available.
Keep
Pile Active
The top
layer should be lower in the center to help collect moisture. Water may
have to be added during dry weather to keep the pile going.
Turn
the pile with a garden fork a couple of times a month to hasten
composting.
In about a month the pile should be hot in the center indicating it is
decomposing properly. If this doesn't happen, the pile may be too wet
or
too small. Fertilizer or more frequent turnings could be needed.
A
well-maintained, active pile will not attract rodents. When adding food
scraps, bury them in the center of the pile.
Compost
is finished when it is dark, crumbly and has an "earthy" smell.
Depending
on the type of material used and the time of year, compost should be
ready
in four to nine months.
Quick Compost
Crumble,
grind or shred two bushels of leaves, grass and other organic matter
into
a 30-gallon black plastic bag. Add two gallons of water, 2 to 6 pounds
of a 10-10-10 fertilizer, one shovel of soil and one cup of lime.
Tie
the bag and leave it in a sunny spot turning it over every second day.
Compost should be ready in about a month. It can be stored in the bag
until
ready for use.
TroubleShooting
|
Symptom
|
Problem
|
Solution
|
| The
compost has bad odor. |
Not
enough air. |
Turn
the mixture. |
| The
center of the pile is dry. |
Not
enough water. |
Moisten
materials while turning the pile. |
| The
compost is damp & warm in the middle, but nowhere else. |
Too
small. |
Collect
more material & mix the old ingredients into a new, larger pile. |
| The
pile is damp & sweet smelling but still will not heat up. |
Lack
of nitrogen. |
Mix
in a nitrogen source like fresh grass clippings, fresh manure or
bloodmeal. |
| Stream
is rising from the compost pile. |
Too
hot - pile is too dry. |
Add
water. |
Source:
University of Illinois Extension, NY State DEC
|
