Composting steps
- Add a 4- to 6-inch layer of brown, dry material on the bottom of the container, such as dried leaves, hay and straw.
- Next, add a 2- to 4-inch layer of green, moist material on top of the brown layer, such as grass clippings, vegetable kitchen scraps or manure.
- With each layer, moisten lightly as you build the pile and try not to make it soggy. Alternate the layers of brown and green materials until you fill up the bin.
- Cover the bin with a lid or tarp to keep animals and rain out. This will keep the pile moist so it will break down properly.
- Depending on the weather and season, in and about two weeks, the pile should heat up. Compost cooks faster in the warmer weather than the cooler weather. Once the center of the pile cools, turn the pile and move the outside materials into the center and the center materials to the outside. The pile should heat up again.
- Continue this every few weeks and after a few months, you will have a dark, earthy-smelling, crumbly-textured compost ready for spreading in your garden come early spring.
How can compost help my garden?
Fall is a great time to compost. Although it is not the most glamorous topic in the world of gardening, it is one of the most essential ones. Compost is decomposed organic matter that makes sandy soil hold water better and also makes our Georgia clay soil drain water faster. It also buffers soil pH levels.
When you add compost to your garden soil, it improves the health of the soil by providing food for the organisms in the soil that help release nutrients to your plants.
Although you can add organic matter in its raw form, such as chopped leaves, grass clippings, hay and pine needles, it works best if it is composted first into a dark, rich earthy-smelling material. Use it to mulch newly planted trees and shrubs or to top dress a lawn. Other uses are to build up vegetable or annual flower beds, as well as improving the soil around your perennial beds.
Although you can buy compost in bulk, why not make your own? By recycling organic yard waste, such as grass and dried leaves, you can save money. If you build the pile properly, the result is a feeding frenzy of soil bacteria that builds up heat and the end result is rich, dark compost.
You can build a compost in a variety of ways. The simplest and most common technique is to buy or build a 3- to 4-foot-wide container. The container will compost faster than big open piles outside and are more attractive visually in your yard. Whatever method you choose, the process is the same, mixing carbon- and nitrogen-rich organic materials.
Wanda Cannon is a Master Gardener trained through the Hall County program and also serves as Master Gardener coordinator and horticulture assistant for the Hall County Extension office. Phone: 770-535-8293