|
|
| Back to the Table of Contents |
Dirt-y Secrets
|
| Ah, Springtime... when
every gardener's fancy turns to -- compost! |
by Paul Tick
|
Spring is here and, if you
have not already done so, it is time to start composting. Composting is
an important method of replenishing the soil that has been so greatly
disturbed by our modern lifestyles.
"Compost" is Latin that means "to put together"--that is, putting
together the materials needed to feed the earth. Composting adds
microorganisms, arthropods, worms and humus to the soil. These are
necessary for nutrient rich soil that can grow healthy plants that will
feed us, feed the animals around us and that will help remove carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere.
When you compost you are keeping enormous amounts of materials out of
the waste stream and out of our landfills. Each year, over 60 million
tons of our country's trash is food waste, yard waste and other
materials that can easily be made into compost. While 22 states ban
yard waste from landfills, no states ban food stuff from the landfills
and very few local communities recycle food stuff. When food is dumped
in a landfill, it is deprived of the oxygen it needs to properly
decompose, and it then produces methane gas. According to the Sierra
Club, methane has 72 times the global warming potential of carbon
dioxide, and landfills are the largest source of human made methane gas
in the United States.
People have composted for many thousands of years, and it is an
essential part of the normal cycle of growth and decay of the earth.
When plants die they naturally decompose through the aid of fungi,
bacteria, insects, mites and worms. What is left is called "humus."
This material provides nutrients and holds water and other nutrients in
the soil. It makes the soil less compact, so that air can get to plant
roots and so that necessary organisms can thrive in the soil and keep
it healthy.
You can toss most of your kitchen waste into the compost bin. Just keep
a container, with a lid, under the kitchen sink or near it and dump it
when it is full. To get your scraps to decompose faster, use a good
quality kitchen knife to cut them into small pieces. Don't add meat,
fats or dairy products to the compost bin as they will attract unwanted
pests and start to smell. And of course, don't add yard waste that has
been treated with chemicals.
Saw dust (from non-treated wood and not from plywood), hair and fur are
fine, as is ash from wood fires, but not charcoal. Cow, horse, chicken,
rabbit manure are all very helpful additives. Be careful about adding
leaves, as these can matt down and keep the air from flowing freely.
Rather, for leaves you can just leave them on the ground, as they are
necessary for shelter for many little critters, and will naturally and
slowly decompose. If you need to get them off your front lawn, just
rake them to an out-of-the- way spot. When you add materials into the
compost pile, make sure to mix in the new materials with the materials
that are there already, and give the whole pile a couple of turns with
a shovel, fork or specially made compost turning tool. This gets air
into the pile so that it can efficiently "cook."
Once you decide to compost, you need to decide where your compost will
go when you take it out of the kitchen. Some who have enough space just
dump it on the ground and let nature take its course. Others want a
neater compost pile and choose to make or buy a container er using
recycled or new materials, or chicken wire or other lightweight wire
fencing materials. The most important thing for those who make their
own bin is to make sure there are plenty of air holes and that the
bottom is open to the ground so worms and other organism can get in and
out. Some people even do worm farm composting right in their basements
which, I hear, is great fun, especially if you have kids in the house.
Composting is very easy and you will see the difference in the plants
you grow. In my vegetable garden, when I put seeds or plants in, I like
to put a few shovels full of compost in right where the plants roots
will get to it. Compost can also be used for your indoor plants. Even
if you do not have indoor plants or a vegetable garden, you can use the
compost to feed trees, flowers or other plants that are growing in your
area.
There are numerous websites that will give you detailed instructions on
building a composts bin, some of the finer methods of composting and
many tips. Some people even keep records or what and how much of
various materials they use, the temperatures of the pile, etc. Don't
worry though--most people keep it nice and simple, and see their veggie
waist turn to veggie gold in just a few weeks in the summer. Over the
winter, the pile just freezes and waits for your attention in the
spring thaw. And that is where we started--it is spring, and it is time
to get that compost pile going.
|
| Back to the Table of Contents |
|
|
|
