![]() The more surface area the microorganisms have to work on, the faster the materials decompose. This can be corrected by adding 1 pound of urea per cubic yard of compost mixture. Composts often are deficient in nitrogen when wood wastes are added to the mixture. Table 1 can help you judge the ratio of your compost ingredients. A C:N ratio of 30:1 is ideal for the activity of compost microbes. Nitrogen provides the microbes with the raw element of proteins and nucleic acids to build their bodies.Įverything organic has a given ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C:N) in its tissues. Microorganisms use the carbon in leaves or woody wastes as an energy source. MaterialsĪnything growing in your yard is potential food for these microbes. Springtails, mites, and other small insects, as well as earthworms, also play a role in decomposition once the compost has cooled. This is usually due to fungi and actinomycetes, a class of filamentous bacteria. Often, a white layer forms just beneath the surface of the compost. Fungi and protozoans soon join the bacteria. What happens in a compost pile? Bacteria, the most numerous and effective microbes, are the first to break down plant tissue. With the following principles in mind, everyone can make excellent use of organic wastes. Their degradation is accelerated by the high temperatures and moist conditions that occur in a compost pile. The most widely used pesticides degrade rapidly during composting or become strongly bound to organic matter in the compost. Grass clippings and leaves treated with these products should not be used as a mulch immediately after application and mowing but should be composted. One concern to keep in mind when learning how to compost at home is the fate of lawn care pesticides. Only experts in composting should attempt to compost these materials. ![]() These foods ferment or putrify, cause odors, and can attract rodents and other nocturnal animals that can be pests. Do not compost meat, bones, and fatty foods such as cheese, salad dressing, and cooking oil. ![]() Care must be taken when composting kitchen scraps. Other good additions to a compost pile include ground brush, wood ash, and kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable peelings, eggshells, and coffee grounds that would otherwise be thrown in the garbage. Yard trimmings such as leaves, grass clippings, weeds, thatch, and the remains of garden plants make excellent compost. What Can I Compost?Īll yard trimmings will work as a mulch and for composting, but do not use diseased or infested plants without composting them first. The use of compost can also reduce the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in your yard. Because of their high moisture content, grass clippings also lower the efficiency of incineration systems. Yard trimmings and kitchen scraps use up valuable space in landfills-space that is running out fast! These materials make up 20 to 30 percent of all household wastes. Learning how to compost at home means helping the environment. How Does Composting Help the Environment? Healthy plants help clean air, conserve soil, and beautify landscapes. Improving your soil is the first step toward improving plant health. Organic matter in the soil improves plant growth by stimulating the growth of beneficial microorganisms, loosening heavy clay soils to allow better root penetration improving the capacity to hold water and nutrients particularly in sandy soils and adding essential nutrients to any soil. Why Does Compost Make Soil Healthier?Ĭompost returns organic matter to the soil in a usable form. If you have a garden, a lawn, trees, shrubs, or even planter boxes, you have a use for compost. Compost also improves your soil and the plants growing in it. It can be easier and cheaper than bagging or paying to have them removed. Learning how to compost at home is a practical and convenient way to handle yard trimmings such as leaves, grass, thatch, chipped brush and plant cuttings. It’s the best approach to composting grass clippings, although another option is to throw them in your compost bin. Mow your lawn often and let the clippings lie. Hoitink – If you are interested in learning how to compost at home, here is some helpful advice.
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