TheNewGuy2012
Member
Composting is something that we as outdoor growers & farmers have been using for ages. The process is 100% natural and requires little to no ca$h & has an array of nutrients, trace elements, millions of beneficial bacterias that help the roots absorb their nutrients, & has an excellent texture for plant roots. It's also a great way to reuse the natural things we use everyday such as food waste like eggshells & coffee grounds, or yard waste like lawn clippings or dead tree leaves. My favorite materials to make up a compost are straw, horse manure, coffee grounds, eggshells, & crushed oyster shells.
In the natural world, composting is what happens as leaves pile up on the forest floor and begin to decay. Eventually, the rotting leaves are returned to the soil, where living roots can finish the recycling process by reclaiming the nutrients from the decomposed leaves. Composting may be at the root of agriculture as well. Some scientists have speculated that as early peoples dumped food wastes in piles near their camps, the wastes rotted and were terrific habitat for the seeds of any food plants that sprouted there. Perhaps people began to recognize that dump heaps were good places for food crops to grow, and began to put seeds there intentionally.
The Benefits of Composting
Compost contains a full spectrum of essential plant nutrients. You can test the nutrient levels in your compost and soil to find out what other supplements it may need for specific plants.
'Browns' are dry and dead plant materials such as straw, dry brown weeds, autumn leaves, and wood chips or sawdust. These materials are mostly made of chemicals that are just long chains of sugar molecules linked together. As such, these items are a source of energy for the compost microbes. Because they tend to be dry, browns often need to be moistened before they are put into a compost system.
'Greens' are fresh (and often green) plant materials such as green weeds from the garden, kitchen fruit and vegetable scraps, green leaves, coffee grounds and tea bags, fresh horse manure, etc. Compared to browns, greens have more nitrogen in them. Nitrogen is a critical element in amino acids and proteins, and can be thought of as a protein source for the billions of multiplying microbes.
A good mix of browns and greens is the best nutritional balance for the microbes. This mix also helps out with the aeration and amount of water in the pile. Browns, for instance, tend to be bulky and promote good aeration. Greens, on the other hand, are typically high in moisture, and balance out the dry nature of the browns.
Things To Compost
GRASS/LAWN CLIPPINGS
Actually, it's usually easier to leave grass clippings in the lawn, where they will decompose and benefit the soil directly. However, they can be composted, too. Be cautious to add grass clippings in very thin layers, or thoroughly mix them in with other compost ingredients, as they otherwise tend to become slimy and matted down, excluding air from the pile. Fresh grass clippings are high in nitrogen, making them a 'green' compost ingredient.
HAY
Farmers are often very happy to get rid of spoiled hay bales that have been out in the rain, and will give them away or sell them at a low price. Grass hay will probably contain a lot of seed, which can resprout in your garden. Alfalfa hay will compost very readily. The greener the hay, the more nitrogen it contains. Be sure that any hay you plan to compost is well-moistened prior to addition to the pile.
KITCHEN WASTES
Fruit and vegetable peels/rinds, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells, and similar materials are great stuff to compost. They tend to be high in nitrogen (this puts them in the 'greens' category), and are usually quite soft and moist. As such, kitchen wastes need to be mixed in with drier/bulkier materials to allow complete air penetration. Many people compost their kitchen wastes in enclosed worm bins to keep from attracting pests to an outdoor compost pile. Avoid composting meat scraps, fatty food wastes, milk products, and bones -- these materials are very attractive to pests.
LEAVES
If you live in an area where autumn leaves are still thrown away as garbage, cash in on the bounty each year by acquiring your neighbors' leaves! Generally, leaves are an excellent compost ingredient. They can mat down and exclude air though, so be sure that any clumps are thoroughly broken up, or that the leaves are only used in very thin layers. Ash and poplar/cottonwood leaves can raise soil pH if used in compost -- this may not be beneficial if your soil is already alkaline, as many soils are in the West (especially in semiarid and arid climates). Dead, dry leaves are in the 'browns' category, while living green leaves contain abundant nitrogen and are considered 'greens'.
STRAW
Dry straw is a good material for helping to keep a compost pile aerated, because it tends to create lots of passageways for air to get into the pile. Be sure to wet the straw, as it is very slow to decompose otherwise. Straw is definitely a 'brown' and also requires mixture with 'greens' to break down quickly. Many stables use straw as a bedding material for horses -- straw that has undergone this treatment is mixed in with horse manure and breaks down more quickly.
WEEDS AND OTHER GARDEN WASTES
Many types of weeds and old garden plants can be composted. Avoid weeds that have begun to go to seed, as seeds may survive all but the hottest compost piles. Some types of weeds are "pernicious weeds" and will resprout in the compost pile -- avoid using these unless they are thoroughly dead. Green weeds are (you guessed it) a 'green', while dead brown weeds are a 'brown'.
WOOD CHIPS AND SAWDUST
Wood products belong in the 'browns' category, because they are fairly low in nitrogen. Some sawdusts, especially from broadleaved/deciduous tress, will break down quickly in an active compost pile. Others, especially from coniferous trees, will take longer to decay. Stir sawdust thoroughly into the pile or use very thin layers. Coarse wood chips will very slowly decay, and are probably better used as mulch unless you have lots of time to wait. Be sure not to compost chips or sawdust from any sort of chemically-treated wood -- you could be adding toxics like arsenic to your pile if you do. Rot Web text (c)1996 by Eric S. Johnson
Livestock Manure
Manure is a great compost material as long as the animal is eating organic mater like grass, grain, or food pellets. some of the animals that have usable manure are horses, rabbits, goats, sheep, cows, & chickens. cow manure & chicken manure can be a little more difficult to deal with or handle but are well worth using.
Quick Recap List:
Things That Should NOT Be Composted
Whether because of toxins, plant or human diseases, or weed troubles, there are some things that shouldn't be put into compost piles. Avoid composting the following materials:
CHEMICALLY-TREATED WOOD PRODUCTS
Sawdust is often available from constructions sites, friends, or your own building projects. If you are considering composting sawdust, be sure of the origin of the sawdust. Sawdust from chemically-treated wood products can be bad stuff to compost. For example, take pressure-treated wood, which usually has a greenish tint to it (I have also seen it in other colors). It contains arsenic, a highly toxic element, as well as chromium and copper. There is evidence to suggest that arsenic is leached into the soil from these products when they are used to make compost bins or raised beds, so composting the sawdust would certainly be a mistake. Avoid other chemically-treated wood products and sawdust as well, such as wood treated with creosote or "penta" preservative.
I've seen some people make raised beds with pressure treated wood, which is also a bad idea for similar reasons as the above mentioned.
DISEASED PLANTS
Many plant disease organisms are killed by consistent hot composting, but it's difficult to make sure that every speck of the diseased material gets fully composted. It's best not to compost diseased plant material at all, to avoid reinfecting next year's garden.
HUMAN WASTES
Human feces (besides being gross) can contain disease organisms that will make people very sick. Composting human feces safely requires that the compost pile reach high (thermophilic) temperatures over a period of time. It isn't necessarily that difficult to reach these temperatures in a home compost pile, but the potential health costs of improper composting are high. Composting of human feces should not be attempted, except by experienced 'hot pile' composters who are well informed of the temperatures and times required to kill pathogens, and who are willing to take 100% responsibility for the process and product. To learn more about composting human manure, there is a book called The Humanure Handbook.
MEAT, BONES, AND FATTY FOOD WASTES
These materials are very attractive to pests (in an urban setting, this could mean rats...). In addition, fatty food wastes can be very slow to break down, because the fat can exclude the air that composting microbes need to do their work.
PERNICIOUS WEEDS
Morning glory/bindweed, sheep sorrel, ivy, several kinds of grasses, and some other plants can re-sprout from their roots and/or stems in the compost pile. Just when you thought you had them all chopped up, you'd actually helped them to multiply! Don't compost these weeds unless they are completely dead and dry (you may want to leave them in a sunny place for a couple of weeks before composting). Remember also that composting weeds that have gone to seed will create weeds in next year's garden, unless a very hot pile temperature can be maintained to kill the seeds.
PET WASTES
Dog and cat feces may carry diseases that can infect humans. It is best NEVER to use them in compost piles. Some people do bury them 8" deep in the soil, but ONLY in areas where food crops are never grown.
Quick Recap List:
There are other things that people commonly add to compost heaps besides just the greens and browns. These supplements add extra nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, or combinations of the previously mentioned.
Cottonseed Meal: Rich in Nitrogen
Bone Meal: Phosphate, Calcium, and A little Nitrogen
Blood Meal: 100% Nitrogen
Kelp: High in potash & valuable for trace elements
Dried Chicken Manure: High in Nitrogen, Phosphate, & Potash
Fresh Manure: is a great source of Nitrogen, smaller amounts of potash, Phosphate, & biological activity
Wood Ashes: Potash; has alkalizing effect, mustn't get wet before use
Crushed Oyster Shells: Great source of calcium & has a liming effect.
brewers grains: 3.5% Nitrogen
Peanut meal: 6.5% Nitrogen
Alfalfa Hay: 2.0-2.5% Nitrogen
Epsom Salt: High in magnesium
The Option Of Shredding Your Materials
If a shredder is to be used, composting is sped up because everything is broken up & a much wider variety of plant material can be used. compost made only of shredded materials can be ready for use in 14 days & needs no layering because it is all blended together.
In the natural world, composting is what happens as leaves pile up on the forest floor and begin to decay. Eventually, the rotting leaves are returned to the soil, where living roots can finish the recycling process by reclaiming the nutrients from the decomposed leaves. Composting may be at the root of agriculture as well. Some scientists have speculated that as early peoples dumped food wastes in piles near their camps, the wastes rotted and were terrific habitat for the seeds of any food plants that sprouted there. Perhaps people began to recognize that dump heaps were good places for food crops to grow, and began to put seeds there intentionally.
The Benefits of Composting
Compost contains a full spectrum of essential plant nutrients. You can test the nutrient levels in your compost and soil to find out what other supplements it may need for specific plants.
- Compost contains macro and micro-nutrients often absent in synthetic fertilizers.
- Compost releases nutrients slowly—over months or years, unlike synthetic fertilizers
- Compost enriched soil retains fertilizers better. Less fertilizer runs off to pollute waterways.
- Compost buffers the soil, neutralizing both acid & alkaline soils, bringing pH levels to the optimum range for nutrient availability to plants.
- Compost helps sandy soil retain water and nutrients.
- Compost loosens tightly bound particles in clay or silt soil so roots can spread, water drain & air penetrate.
- Compost alters soil structure, making it less likely to erode, and prevents soil spattering on plants—spreading disease.
- Compost can hold nutrients tight enough to prevent them from washing out, but loosely enough so plants can take them up as needed.
- Compost makes any soil easier to work.
- Compost bacteria break down organics into plant available nutrients. Some bacteria convert nitrogen from the air into a plant available nutrient.
- Compost enriched soil have lots of beneficial insects, worms and other organisms that burrow through soil keeping it well aerated.
- Compost may suppress diseases and harmful pests that could overrun poor, lifeless soil.
- Compost encourages healthy root systems, which decrease runoff
- Compost can reduce or eliminate use of synthetic fertilizers
- Compost can reduce chemical pesticides since it contains beneficial microorganisms that may protect plants from diseases and pests.
- Only a 5% increase in organic material quadruples soils water holding capacity
'Browns' are dry and dead plant materials such as straw, dry brown weeds, autumn leaves, and wood chips or sawdust. These materials are mostly made of chemicals that are just long chains of sugar molecules linked together. As such, these items are a source of energy for the compost microbes. Because they tend to be dry, browns often need to be moistened before they are put into a compost system.
'Greens' are fresh (and often green) plant materials such as green weeds from the garden, kitchen fruit and vegetable scraps, green leaves, coffee grounds and tea bags, fresh horse manure, etc. Compared to browns, greens have more nitrogen in them. Nitrogen is a critical element in amino acids and proteins, and can be thought of as a protein source for the billions of multiplying microbes.
A good mix of browns and greens is the best nutritional balance for the microbes. This mix also helps out with the aeration and amount of water in the pile. Browns, for instance, tend to be bulky and promote good aeration. Greens, on the other hand, are typically high in moisture, and balance out the dry nature of the browns.
Things To Compost
GRASS/LAWN CLIPPINGS
Actually, it's usually easier to leave grass clippings in the lawn, where they will decompose and benefit the soil directly. However, they can be composted, too. Be cautious to add grass clippings in very thin layers, or thoroughly mix them in with other compost ingredients, as they otherwise tend to become slimy and matted down, excluding air from the pile. Fresh grass clippings are high in nitrogen, making them a 'green' compost ingredient.
HAY
Farmers are often very happy to get rid of spoiled hay bales that have been out in the rain, and will give them away or sell them at a low price. Grass hay will probably contain a lot of seed, which can resprout in your garden. Alfalfa hay will compost very readily. The greener the hay, the more nitrogen it contains. Be sure that any hay you plan to compost is well-moistened prior to addition to the pile.
KITCHEN WASTES
Fruit and vegetable peels/rinds, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells, and similar materials are great stuff to compost. They tend to be high in nitrogen (this puts them in the 'greens' category), and are usually quite soft and moist. As such, kitchen wastes need to be mixed in with drier/bulkier materials to allow complete air penetration. Many people compost their kitchen wastes in enclosed worm bins to keep from attracting pests to an outdoor compost pile. Avoid composting meat scraps, fatty food wastes, milk products, and bones -- these materials are very attractive to pests.
LEAVES
If you live in an area where autumn leaves are still thrown away as garbage, cash in on the bounty each year by acquiring your neighbors' leaves! Generally, leaves are an excellent compost ingredient. They can mat down and exclude air though, so be sure that any clumps are thoroughly broken up, or that the leaves are only used in very thin layers. Ash and poplar/cottonwood leaves can raise soil pH if used in compost -- this may not be beneficial if your soil is already alkaline, as many soils are in the West (especially in semiarid and arid climates). Dead, dry leaves are in the 'browns' category, while living green leaves contain abundant nitrogen and are considered 'greens'.
STRAW
Dry straw is a good material for helping to keep a compost pile aerated, because it tends to create lots of passageways for air to get into the pile. Be sure to wet the straw, as it is very slow to decompose otherwise. Straw is definitely a 'brown' and also requires mixture with 'greens' to break down quickly. Many stables use straw as a bedding material for horses -- straw that has undergone this treatment is mixed in with horse manure and breaks down more quickly.
WEEDS AND OTHER GARDEN WASTES
Many types of weeds and old garden plants can be composted. Avoid weeds that have begun to go to seed, as seeds may survive all but the hottest compost piles. Some types of weeds are "pernicious weeds" and will resprout in the compost pile -- avoid using these unless they are thoroughly dead. Green weeds are (you guessed it) a 'green', while dead brown weeds are a 'brown'.
WOOD CHIPS AND SAWDUST
Wood products belong in the 'browns' category, because they are fairly low in nitrogen. Some sawdusts, especially from broadleaved/deciduous tress, will break down quickly in an active compost pile. Others, especially from coniferous trees, will take longer to decay. Stir sawdust thoroughly into the pile or use very thin layers. Coarse wood chips will very slowly decay, and are probably better used as mulch unless you have lots of time to wait. Be sure not to compost chips or sawdust from any sort of chemically-treated wood -- you could be adding toxics like arsenic to your pile if you do. Rot Web text (c)1996 by Eric S. Johnson
Livestock Manure
Manure is a great compost material as long as the animal is eating organic mater like grass, grain, or food pellets. some of the animals that have usable manure are horses, rabbits, goats, sheep, cows, & chickens. cow manure & chicken manure can be a little more difficult to deal with or handle but are well worth using.
Quick Recap List:
- Animal manure
- Cardboard rolls
- Clean paper
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Eggshells
- Fireplace ashes
- Fruits and vegetables
- Grass clippings
- Hay and straw
- Houseplants
- Leaves
- Nut shells
- Sawdust
- Shredded newspaper
- Tea bags
- Wood chips
- Yard trimmings
Things That Should NOT Be Composted
Whether because of toxins, plant or human diseases, or weed troubles, there are some things that shouldn't be put into compost piles. Avoid composting the following materials:
CHEMICALLY-TREATED WOOD PRODUCTS
Sawdust is often available from constructions sites, friends, or your own building projects. If you are considering composting sawdust, be sure of the origin of the sawdust. Sawdust from chemically-treated wood products can be bad stuff to compost. For example, take pressure-treated wood, which usually has a greenish tint to it (I have also seen it in other colors). It contains arsenic, a highly toxic element, as well as chromium and copper. There is evidence to suggest that arsenic is leached into the soil from these products when they are used to make compost bins or raised beds, so composting the sawdust would certainly be a mistake. Avoid other chemically-treated wood products and sawdust as well, such as wood treated with creosote or "penta" preservative.
I've seen some people make raised beds with pressure treated wood, which is also a bad idea for similar reasons as the above mentioned.
DISEASED PLANTS
Many plant disease organisms are killed by consistent hot composting, but it's difficult to make sure that every speck of the diseased material gets fully composted. It's best not to compost diseased plant material at all, to avoid reinfecting next year's garden.
HUMAN WASTES
Human feces (besides being gross) can contain disease organisms that will make people very sick. Composting human feces safely requires that the compost pile reach high (thermophilic) temperatures over a period of time. It isn't necessarily that difficult to reach these temperatures in a home compost pile, but the potential health costs of improper composting are high. Composting of human feces should not be attempted, except by experienced 'hot pile' composters who are well informed of the temperatures and times required to kill pathogens, and who are willing to take 100% responsibility for the process and product. To learn more about composting human manure, there is a book called The Humanure Handbook.
MEAT, BONES, AND FATTY FOOD WASTES
These materials are very attractive to pests (in an urban setting, this could mean rats...). In addition, fatty food wastes can be very slow to break down, because the fat can exclude the air that composting microbes need to do their work.
PERNICIOUS WEEDS
Morning glory/bindweed, sheep sorrel, ivy, several kinds of grasses, and some other plants can re-sprout from their roots and/or stems in the compost pile. Just when you thought you had them all chopped up, you'd actually helped them to multiply! Don't compost these weeds unless they are completely dead and dry (you may want to leave them in a sunny place for a couple of weeks before composting). Remember also that composting weeds that have gone to seed will create weeds in next year's garden, unless a very hot pile temperature can be maintained to kill the seeds.
PET WASTES
Dog and cat feces may carry diseases that can infect humans. It is best NEVER to use them in compost piles. Some people do bury them 8" deep in the soil, but ONLY in areas where food crops are never grown.
Quick Recap List:
- Black walnut tree leaves or twigs
- Releases substances that might be harmful to plants
- Coal or charcoal ash
- Might contain substances harmful to plants
- Dairy products (e.g., butter, egg yolks, milk, sour cream, yogurt)
- Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
- Diseased or insect-ridden plants
- Diseases or insects might survive and be transferred back to other plants
- Fats, grease, lard, or oils
- Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
- Meat or fish bones and scraps
- Create odor problems and attract pests such as rodents and flies
- Pet wastes (e.g., dog or cat feces, soiled cat litter)
- Might contain parasites, bacteria, germs, pathogens, and viruses harmful to humans
- Yard trimmings treated with chemical pesticides
- Might kill beneficial composting organisms
There are other things that people commonly add to compost heaps besides just the greens and browns. These supplements add extra nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, or combinations of the previously mentioned.
Cottonseed Meal: Rich in Nitrogen
Bone Meal: Phosphate, Calcium, and A little Nitrogen
Blood Meal: 100% Nitrogen
Kelp: High in potash & valuable for trace elements
Dried Chicken Manure: High in Nitrogen, Phosphate, & Potash
Fresh Manure: is a great source of Nitrogen, smaller amounts of potash, Phosphate, & biological activity
Wood Ashes: Potash; has alkalizing effect, mustn't get wet before use
Crushed Oyster Shells: Great source of calcium & has a liming effect.
brewers grains: 3.5% Nitrogen
Peanut meal: 6.5% Nitrogen
Alfalfa Hay: 2.0-2.5% Nitrogen
Epsom Salt: High in magnesium
The Option Of Shredding Your Materials
If a shredder is to be used, composting is sped up because everything is broken up & a much wider variety of plant material can be used. compost made only of shredded materials can be ready for use in 14 days & needs no layering because it is all blended together.