Compost Tools
Usage Tips
A third of all landfill waste across the United States comes from garden clippings and kitchen waste. Each American is responsible for 1,200 pounds of compostable organic waste annually, and tossing it out not only stuffs landfills unnecessarily but the processes of natural decay can also lead to the production of methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Furthermore, making and using your own compost allows you to break free of petroleum-derived synthetic fertilizers. It takes the fossil fuel equivalent of 2.5 gallons of gasoline to produce a single 40-pound bag of synthetic fertilizer. It also saves you water: Compost helps soil retain moisture, reduces evaporation and prevents water run-off.
What to Compost
In addition to your lawn and garden clippings, a large supply of your household waste can be composted, including bread, eggshells and fruit and vegetable rinds. Basically any plant-based kitchen leftovers may be added, as can paper products, including cardboard rolls, tissues, paper towels, coffee filters and newer biodegradable, starch-based plastics.
Don't compost animal or meat byproducts, such as dairy, grease, lard, oils and fish waste, which can create odor problems and attract rodents and other pests. Compost containing meat byproducts can also make dogs and other pets sick if eaten.
You can compost pet fur, but don't compost pet wastes such as feces and litter, which may contain parasites, bacteria, pathogens and viruses that are harmful to humans.
While wood ash can be composted in modest amounts, excessive amounts can raise alkalinity and result in nitrogen loss in your soil. Some barbeque charcoal and briquettes contain substances such as borax that can be harmful to plants.
Don't compost any yard trimmings that have been treated with chemical pesticides, since residues could kill beneficial composting organisms.
For a thorough list of what you should and should not compost, visit the EPA's composting fact sheet at www.epa.gov/compost.
Maintaining Your Compost Heap
Keep a healthy nutrient balance and avoid odors by blending a 2-to-1 ratio of carbon-rich "brown" items such as leaves, twigs and bark with nitrogen-rich "green" items like grass clippings and food wastes.
The pile should be kept slightly moist, but not wet, and be sure to aerate either with a rotating compost bin, such as the model listed above, or by manually turning the pile, aiming to move the material on the outside of the pile to the center where it will be subjected to higher temperatures. Piles with a higher percentage of moisture, 60 to 70 percent, should be turned about every two days, while less moist piles (40 to 60 percent) can be turned at three-day intervals. If moisture falls below 40 percent, add water. The more frequently a pile is turned, the more rapidly materials will decompose.
Throwing native soil from your yard or garden into the mix is essential for introducing native organisms.
Compost should be "finished" before application, which means it should be dark in color, smell sweet and earthy and shouldn't give off heat or steam.
Even "finished" compost can change over time and give off heat or odors, so don't bag or store mature compost. Instead leave unused compost in the pile.
Compost tea allows the nutrients in compost to be more readily absorbed, and it can be brewed from finished compost using one of the tea makers listed above. The process is somewhat complicated, so be sure to follow instructions that accompany the tea maker closely. If you need a more detailed how-to than what's provided, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection provides thorough guidelines.
Applying Compost
To determine how much compost is needed for lawns and garden beds, multiply the square footage of the area to be treated by the thickness that will be applied.
A 3- to 4-inch layer of finished compost can be worked into the tops of garden soil before planting in spring or late fall, or a handful can be transplanted into the hole before planting annuals and perennials.
A half-inch of compost can also be applied as a top dressing to lawns in the spring and fall and for shrubs and garden plants several times a year.
For a flower bed containing existing perennials, estimate the area that those plants occupy when determining how much compost is needed. If half the area is already covered with plants, you'll need half as much compost.
Mix one part finished compost with two parts soil for a nutritious potting mix for houseplants. When planting seeds, use less compost and more soil to allow roots to take hold firmly.
Compost tea can be sprayed directly on plants to ward off fungus and mildew, on leaves to suppress foliar diseases and increase the amount of nutrients available for the plant, and on lawns to restore life to the soil and cure fungal diseases such as dollar spot and brown patch.
