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Composting Basics

Composting means the controlled decomposition of organic material such as yard trimmings, kitchen scraps, wood shavings, cardboard and paper without creating nuisance odors or attracting pests. This is normally done in pre-fabricated composters or in large piles. There are two main causes of nuisance odors: too much nitrogen or not enough oxygen.

• Ammonia orders are caused by too much nitrogen from fresh or green materials like food scraps and green grass clippings. Use brown materials like dry grass or dead leaves for more than half of the material in the compost pile. Mix the green materials into the brown materials so there are no big pockets of green material left.
  
• Rotten odors are caused by low oxygen levels where the material is water soaked and compacted. Keep the pile full of air by mixing in coarse materials or by re-mixing and turning the pile often. Compost should stay light most like a wrung out sponge so that no water drips out when it is squeezed.

Pests are attracted to composting piles by green materials that are close to the surface. Pests can be kept away by mixing the green materials deep into the pile and keeping the top of the pile covered in brown material. If taking the cool and easy approach, play it safe and limit the nitrogen and moisture in the pile. If using the hot and fast approach be sure the pile is well mixed and balanced.

Compost is the humus-rich material that results from composting.

Compost contributes nutrients and beneficial soil life, improves soil structure and helps prevent run-off that can pollute rivers and lakes.

Compost helps the soil absorb and retain nutrients and moisture and protects plants from diseases and pests. Better moisture retention means less watering, allowing you to conserve water and reduce run-off pollution.

Composting Benefits

Nutrients. Compost contains the full spectrum of essential plant nutrients. However, testing the nutrient levels in your soil can be helpful in determining what supplements your landscape requires.

• Compost contains micronutrients such as iron and manganese that are often absent in synthetic fertilizers.
• Compost releases nutrients slowly over several months.
• Soil enriched with compost retains fertilizers better than lifeless soil does.
• Compost balances both acid and alkaline soils, bringing pH levels into the optimum range for nutrient availability.

Soil Structure. Compost helps bind clusters of soil particles (aggregates). Soil rich in aggregates is full of tiny air chambers and pores that hold air, moisture and nutrients like a sponge.

• Compost helps sandy soil retain water and nutrients that would normally wash through sand
• Compost breaks up tightly bound particles in clay or silt soil allowing roots to expand, water to drains and air to penetrate
• Compost alters the texture and structure of all soils, increasing their resistance to erosion
• Compost particles attract and hold nutrients strongly enough to prevent them from washing out, but loosely enough that plant roots can take them up as nutrients

Beneficial soil life. Compost introduces and feeds divers life in soil, including bacteria, insects, worms and more, which support vigorous growth.

• Compost bacteria break down mulch and other plant debris into plant available nutrients. Some soil bacteria also convert nitrogen from the air into a plant-available nutrient
• Beneficial insects, worms and other organisms are plentiful in compost-rich soil, burrowing through the soil keeping it loose and well aerated
• Compost suppresses diseases and harmful pests that overrun poor, lifeless soil

Water quality. In the summer as much as half of the urban water usage goes to the irrigation of lawns and landscaped areas. Compost increases the soils ability to retain water and decrease run-off. Run-off pollutes water by carrying soil, fertilizers and pesticides to nearby streams.

• Compost promotes healthy root growth, which decreases run off
• Compost can reduce or eliminate the use of synthetic fertilizers
• Compost reduces the need for chemical pesticides because it contains beneficial microorganisms that protect your plants from disease and pests