More Hints for Composting When you want to turn garden refuse and kitchen scraps into compost

in a hurry, but find yourself waiting and wondering why your compost isnt readyreview the basic principles, then turn to the check list here for a few more tips. The Basics The Berkeley method, developed by the University of alifornia, Berkeley, is generally recognised as the best method for making high !uality compost in around "#$ weeks. %n this method, it is important that the carbon to nitrogen level of the organic material be between 25 to 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen by weight. &icro#organisms re!uire these two elements to make protein. 'ome e(amples of materials and ratios you may use include) * +awn lippings, 'awdust ,"), arbon)-itrogen . "/ * +eaves, 'awdust, ow &anure "),)".0 arbon)-itrogen. "1 * +awn lippings, Weeds, +eaves ")$), arbon)-itrogen . "2 What to use There is a never ending source of material for your compost available in your own home and garden. 3egetable peelings including lettuce, cabbage and tea leaves, lawn clippings, straw grass#type weeds yet to flower, tree leaves, fruit scraps, food wastes, weathered sawdust, animal droppings, pine needles, spent annual bedding plants 4 in fact, almost any type of plant or vegetable waste that will break down can be used. ,. 'traw grass or hay can be added to a compost heap. 5rass and hay will introduce seeds though. 6 hot working compost will however kill them.

". 'hredded paper is very much like straw. 6dd it sparingly with plenty of lawn clippings or fresh garden weeds.

$. +eaves are always a great addition, and theres no need for smoky fires7

+eaves are plentiful and readily break down, creating natural mulch that contains valuable trace elements. +eaf drop is natures way of returning nutrients and organic matter to the soil. 8owever, leaves can be carried away by heavy rain or wind. +ongevity) 'hort 9ecommendations) : +et oak, beech, and sycamore leaves lie where they fall to return nutrients to the soil. : hop other kinds of leaves with a mowerespecially maple, birch, or elm leaves, which tend to form a mat that blocks air and water. ;istribute chopped leaves "4$ inches deep, mi(ed with grass clippings and other trimmings, if you have them, under a trees dripline. : 9eplace every year. : %f a lawn is covered with a light layer of leaves, mow over the leaves to chop and distribute with clippings between the blades of grass as a mulch. <. %f you have open fires or slow combustion stoves for household heating then use the ash in the compost heap. %t provides a great source of nutrients particularly potash.

0. %f you are a ;%= person then use that heap of sawdust in the compost. 6dd a little nitrogen fertiliser or plenty of green weeds and lawn clippings.

1. 5rass lippings are a good source of nutrients, including nitrogen, because they decompose rapidly. +eaving the clippings on the lawn is the best use. They can be used as mulch when they are too long to leave on the lawn> if applied too thick they can form a mat.

+ongevity) 3ery 'hort 9ecommendations)

: 8ide clippings under a broadleaf ground cover such as ivy. ?venly disperse clippings over the canopy, then rake lightly so they settle to the soil surface. : &ow before weeds have gone to seed. : 6void using clippings from invasive turf species, such as kikuyu. : 6void using pesticides that make clippings undesirable as mulch. 6s found by the U.'. ?nvironmental @rotection 6gency, picloram and clopyralid are especially resistant to decomposition and can contaminate compost or mulch made from grass treated with these products.

Table 1. 'ome &ulch &aterials and their haracteristics

Where sawdust is available it is commonly used as a summer mulch. The material, preferably partially decomposed, may be applied to a depth of , to , ,A" inches. This would re!uire about 0 bushels B1."0 cu. ft.C of sawdust for a ,D ft. ( ,D ft. plot. Before application, mix one pound of actual nitrogen per 5 bushels of sawdust to aid in further decomposition (1 lb. actual nitrogen would be 3 Ibs. of ammonium nitrate or 5 Ibs. of ammonium sulfate) . %f no nitrogen were mi(ed with the sawdust some of the nitrogen in the soil would be used for sawdust decomposition after mulching. The result would be nitrogen starvation of the mulched crop. 'uch plants would have yellowish#green foliage and limited growth. 'trawberry runner plants may readily root down through such a layer of sawdust while it provides e(cellent control of most annual grasses and weeds. This amount of mulch would perhaps be e!ual to adding between 1 to ,D inches of additional irrigation water on non# mulched strawberry plants. Using organic materials as mulches may cause an increase in certain garden pests.

The mulch provides an e(cellent environment for sowbugs Bor pillbugsC to grow. 'ome treatment to reduce this pest may be needed. 9ecommendations for this are provided in Eact 'heet ?@@#F$,$ G8ome 5arden %nsect ontrol. 1. @runings can be chipped up in the home mulcher instead of burning them. 6dded to a compost heap they are !uickly converted to a rich compost.

F. ;ont forget the old spent flowers from bulbs, perennials and annuals. 6ll make great compost when it is prepared properly.

There are three basic principles to follow in making compost. ?ach one is crucial to the central activity in the compost pile the life and activity of teeming masses of microorganisms. ;ifferent microorganisms, mostly beneficial bacteria and fungi, are active at different temperatures, but all re!uire a balanced diet) carbohydrates for an energy source and nitrogen for body building. The more rapidly these microbes digest organic materials, the warmer the pile becomes. When temperatures reach ,$DHE for three or more days, most of the pathogens and weed seeds are killed. To reach high temperatures and make finished compost in three months or less, follow these basics. 1. Balance the pile with dried brown and moist green materials. &icrobes multiply fastest in compost with "0 to $D times as much carbon Bdry brownsC as nitrogen Bmoist greensC, or when the carbon to nitrogen ratio B )-C is "0#$D),. Without measuring or calculating, you can achieve this ratio by alternating e!ual amounts of green and brown materials in layers as you build the pile. When two layers are complete, mi( them together. Use a variety of ingredients, striving for an ideal balance. %f you use tough brown carbons such as newspaper, straw, or sawdust, balance them with food scraps, grass clippings, alfalfa, or other nitrogen#rich materials. To make compost in a hurry Bin "#," weeksC, you need to build a pile large enough at one time to be self#insulating so that temperatures reach ,$DH or higher. This means having enough green and brown materials on hand for a pile at least , cubic yard B$($($IC in volume. 2. 9educe particle siJe to increase surface area. 'mall particles e(pose ma(imum surface area to microbial activity. hop garden wastes with a flat shovel or machete> chip or shred woody materials in a shredder> or stack garden debris in a low pile and run over it

with a power mower. Woody materials break down slowly, even when they are finely shredded. 'till, they make good additions to the compost pile by providing air space and preventing other materials from matting together. 3. @rovide ade!uate amounts of air and water. The beneficial microbes depend on constant supplies of air and water. When either is lacking, microbes die, and decomposition slows or stops completely. Keep the pile evenly moist, about as wet as a wrung#out sponge. =ou can test for the correct moisture level by s!ueeJing a handful of compost. %f the materials remain clumped together but no water drips out, the pile is ade!uately moist. Be careful to avoid over#watering. Too much water blocks out air, kills the microbes, and causes unpleasant odors. 5ravity and the weight of materials in your compost pile cause it to settle, forcing out air vital to microbial life and activity. Keep the compost well#aerated by turning it fre!uently or loosening it with a fork or special aerating tool. C:N Ratios of Common Materials wood chips 1DD), newsprint 00D), raw sawdust 0DD), cardboard <DD), aged sawdust "DD), paper scraps ,0D), rice hulls ,"0), wheat straw ,"0), corn cobs /2), pine needles /2), straw 2D), grape pomace 1"), corn stalks 1D), leaves 1D), orange peels 02), apple pomace <2), dry weeds <D), fruit wastes $0), other hay $"), horse manure $D), coffee grounds "0), animal manures "D), green garden prunings "D), green weeds "D), sea weed "D), alfalfa ,2), grass clippings ,2), kitchen scraps ,0), vegetable trimmings ,"), poultry litter ,D), bloodAbone meal <),

BEigures are averages since materials vary.C

Tips for aster Composting

Hints for !sing "reens an# Bro$ns ompost as many organic materials as you can to return their nutrients back to the earth to complete their life cycle and benefit your soil. Be creative. 6n old straw hat, cotton fabric, paper towels and tissues, and bits of cardboard make wonderful compost. rumple up Lunk mail Bno glossy paperCwads of paper help aerate the pile. %nclude coffee filters, tea bags, and crushed eggshells. 'tockpile dried leaves, a bale of straw, or some decomposing wood chips. Use these to build a pile at one time when you have large !uantities of moist greens. ollect moist green ingredients when you are ready to build a ,#cubic yard hot pile. %t is difficult to store them for more than , week. Begin a second pile rather than adding dried browns to an active pile, upsetting the balance, and slowing down the composting process. 6dd additional food scraps and moist, green materials to active compost. They will decompose !uickly. Be sure to bury them well inside the pile. Keep wood ashes and soil out of the compost pile. They are not organic and will not decompose. They cool down the pile, add weight, and force out air. Know that commercial activators are unnecessary. &icrobes abound naturally on all organic materials. ommercial products work because they contain nitrogen.

Hints for Re#%cing &article 'i(e 6 power lawn mower is the easiest, fastest way to reduce particle siJe and increase surface area. Mrganics of any siJe will eventually decompose, but small particles make the fastest compost. 'harpen your mower blade after shredding rough, fibrous compost materials to prevent frayed cuts on your lawn grass. onsider its value before investing in a chippershredder. 8eavy#duty, e(pensive machines perform efficiently but are most appropriate for large#scale gardening that generates volumes of woody branches. &i( grass clippings and shredded paper with leaves or straw as you add them to the pile. 3ery small particles tend to mat together which slows decomposition. Hints for )atering an# *erating +ocate your compost pile or bin within easy reach of a garden hose. Keep a thin#tined compost fork or aerator tool handy for fre!uent turning. When you mi( together alternate layers of browns and greens, add water. Use a hose spray noJJle so that all particles are lightly moistened. 'pray the pile several times as you turn and rebuild it. Be careful not to overwater. 5reen materials are 1D#2DN water. %t is more difficult to dry out a pile than to moisten it. %f the pile becomes too wet, spread it out and mi( in dry materials. over an open bin if the compost develops a concave top that collects rain water. 6 free#standing pile usually sheds water like a thatched roof. Turn your compost at least three times weekly for fastest decomposition. Turning will not cool down a hot pile> instead, it adds o(ygen, and heats the pile up. onserve nitrogen by aerating the compost fre!uently. 6naerobic piles Blacking airC cause nitrogen to evaporate as ammonia. More Hints : %nvest in an ,2#inch composting thermometer to know instantly when the hot pile cools and is ready for turning. 6fter several turnings, the temperature and the compost stabiliJe. : ?(pect a host of beneficial organisms to live in your compost pile. &ost are unfamiliar and microscopic , but others such as centipedes and sow bugs are easily recogniJed. : Keep out unwanted vertebrate pests by enclosing sides, top, and bottom of the bin with ,A<#inch galvaniJed hardware cloth. Bury food scraps at least ,"#inches in the pile to discourage flies and pests. : ;iscourage ants by keeping the pile moist and food scraps buried. : Use compost as a soil amendment rather than as a fertiliJer since its nutrient content is low. The organic content, or humus, enables plants to readily take up minerals from the soil. ompost continues to decompose, so it must be renewed fre!uently. : Mbserve the composting process closely and make adLustments as needed. reating compost is an art as well as a science. * inal Note The rapid method developed by the University of alifornia is only one way to make compost. Mrganic materials simply stacked in a pile will eventually decompose. Whatever method you use, remember that compost can be made from more than garden debris. By recycling a variety of materials, you can keep organics out of the landfill and

in the soil.