February 24, 2009

After discussing my composting intentions for the year on the last blog, I have been contacted enough times to know that composting is a huge craze that people are interested in and really want to know more about. So, I’m going to talk more about composting and what you can do to help our world out in more ways than one!

The what and why of composting. In my definition, compost is a nutrient rich material made by recycling ingredients and is a great resource for your garden plants. It also improves drainage and helps with water retention, so it is definitely good in every area of the garden. I could go in depth on that, but if you need more than that, let me know, and I’ll get you a more scientific description. There are many ways of composting and the ingredient list can vary, but for the most part you are combining yard and garden waste materials with kitchen waste. Lawn clippings, leaves, faded flowers, banana and orange peels, egg shells, coffee grounds and many other items can go into your compost pile. It is best to stay away from adding meats, pet feces and the leaves of walnut trees. Each item you add to the compost pile brings different elements to the final product. For instance, bananas are loaded with potassium and cantaloupe rinds bring a large amount of phosphorous. However, you do not have to keep track of the items to see what nutrients will be in your compost. No matter what you put in it, the compost will be full of macro and micronutrients, which all help your plants to grow healthier and prettier than your neighbor’s! (I don’t endorse competing with the neighbors on anything-except on who can be the friendliest! : )  )

With the rundown on ingredients to make compost, you now have to put them somewhere. Whether you make a compost heap, pile, or utilize a compost bin, there will be some work involved. Once it is in a pile, which has to be somewhat large because it will reduce down as it cooks, it has to be watered and turned on a regular basis. Your concoction will become compost in a few months, depending on how often you turn it. When it is done, you will be able to mix it in the garden. You may want to run the compost through a sifter to separate the bigger pieces and put back into the compost pile.

In Small Space Gardening by Melinda Myers, she has an awesome picture showing an easy way to compost. By simply using bales of straw to make a square, which holds the materials, the straw creates the border for the compost pile. Straw is readily available at either Sargent’s location and can keep the pile looking pretty attractive, though fading of the golden color will occur. (Speaking of attractive, compost bins shouldn’t be placed in the front yard or off of the deck.) Eventually the straw will also break down into compost, as well. Her book has many other great ideas you will find useful in your yard, big or small. Many of you may remember she spoke at Sargent’s two years ago on gardening. Her books are also available at either location. There are many other ways to create a compost bin, refer to February 6 to see examples.

You may be wondering, “What can I do now about composting?” During the winter, it can be hard to start a compost bin. However, one small step you can do is to put your kitchen scraps in an ice cream container and put them in the freezer or simply outside, taking advantage of our winter, until you can get them into the compost pile this spring. I keep my fruit and veggie scraps and coffee grounds in containers and then I’ll take them out in the spring.

Hope this information is helping inspire you towards composting, if not, I still hope you are enjoying reading about it. Let me know if you have any questions or have an interest in something you’d like to read about. I can be reached at wajasper@sargentsgardens.com

Think Spring-It’s closer than we think!
Wendy Jasper
MNLA Certified Professional

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