Compost Happens!

Composting is an environmentally friendly way to reduce our solid waste. It also provides useful and beneficial products for our yards and gardens. Compost is a dark, crumbly material created when microorganisms break down organic matter such as leaves, grass clippings and kitchen waste. Composting is inexpensive and easy and results in a rich soil amendment for your garden or pots.

Westchase residents are allowed to have a compost unit with a sealed lid directly behind their homes. Most folks compost in a bin, trashcan or barrel that should be a minimum of 3' x 3' x 3' for healthy microbial activity. The site should be protected from rain and sun but reachable by garden hose. (See http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/he026 and www.calrecycle.ca.gov/publications/organics/44295054.pdf for more information.)

Composting involves supplying microorganisms with the food, water and oxygen that they need to decompose things. Two types of materials are needed for successful composting: “green” materials, which are rich in nitrogen, and “brown” materials, which are rich in carbon. Browns include fallen leaves, twigs, shredded newspaper, cardboard, paper towels, tea bags and coffee grounds. Green materials include kitchen scraps (vegetables, egg shells, fruits), farm animal manure, and young green weeds (no seeds).

To create your compost, layer roughly equal amounts of “green” materials and “brown” materials in alternating 3- to 4-inch tiers up to a height of about 3 feet. Smaller particles will decompose faster than larger materials, so consider shredding or chopping anything greater then ¼-inch in diameter. Water each layer as you build the pile; it is almost impossible to moisten the pile’s center once constructed. The materials should be moist, not soggy. There is no advantage to purchasing a compost “starter,” since organic yard wastes naturally contain the microorganisms needed to start decomposition. For detailed information on it, see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/ep/ep32300.pdf.

Keep seed-laden weeds and diseased plants out of your compost pile. Its temperature won’t destroy these pests. Meat, bones, and foods with oils and fats may also attract animals or produce an objectionable odor. Pet waste should be avoided due to the possibility of diseases.

A new pile of green and brown materials will heat up rapidly due to microbial activity. After four to seven days, turn the pile to mix the materials and allow the pile to heat again. A hot pile will often produce steam, which is a good sign. Compost can be produced fairly rapidly (about six weeks) if the pile is occasionally turned and watered (if dry). Turning also shifts material from the outer, cooler part of the pile to the warmer center.

Compost is ready to use when it is dark brown and crumbly. Add one to three inches of compost to the soil surface and mix it to a depth of four to six inches. Use only finished compost as a soil amendment; otherwise, microorganisms will rob nutrients from plants as they continue to decompose. As a potting mix, blend finished compost with a material such as coarse sand, perlite or vermiculite, to improve drainage. For plant “tea,” fill a bag made of cheesecloth, burlap or some other woven fabric with compost and soak it in a bucket of water for at least one hour; this plant tea can even be mixed directly in a rain barrel. Use the resulting tea as a weak, liquid fertilizer.

The next Master Gardener workshop, which will address composting, will be at the Upper Tampa Bay Library on Wednesday, Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. Attendees will receive vouchers for a compost kit from the Extension Office. For more information on composting, contact your county Extension Office: http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/map/ or visit www.compostinfo.com.

Happy composting!

By Shelly Stein

Master Gardener Shelly Stein can be reached at 852-2580 or skstein2003@yahoo.com for more information about the clinics.