Shrewsbury Township

COMPOSTING

The Benefits of Compost

Improved microbial activity
Compost contains literally billions of microorganisms. The more you encourage microbial activity in the soil, the better plant roots can pick up nutrients.

Improved soil structure
Whether your soil is a heavy clay or a sandy mix, adding compost will benefit its structure. Clay soil has particles so fine that they stick tightly together and do not easily allow in air and water. Compost binds to the clay particles and helps open up the soil. Sandy soil has particles that are very coarse with lots of air space that allows water to drain through it very quickly. Compost fills these gaps and helps the soil retain water.

 

Improved soil chemistry
Soil conditions can range from extremely alkaline or acidic to nutrient excesses or deficiencies. Compost helps soil chemistry by softening these extremes. Many micronutrients are tied up in the soil and are totally unavailable to plants. Composted matter will bond to these micronutrients such as iron, copper, manganese and zinc and increase their availability.

Earthworms love it
Composted material provides food for earthworms encouraging them to multiply. Earthworm burrowing helps aerate the soil and their castings are a valuable source of nutrients and helps retain water.

Other benefits
Plant grown in soils amended with compost tend to be healthier, exhibit resistance to some diseases, are more resistant to pests, show increased drought tolerance and require less watering. Compost uses materials that would otherwise end up in landfills.

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• Every year Americans dispose of 24 million tons of leaves and grass clippings.
• Very little biodegradation takes place in landfill. Fifty year old organics excavated from landfills were still readily identifiable.

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Why you should compost. Composting is nature's way of continually replenishing the soil. Dropped leafs, fallen trees, the remains of woodland creatures, all get recycled efficiently and effectively in the wild.

You can do the same thing in your garden. Composting lightens heavy clay coil, improving your plants' health and growth. It extends root growth so plants can more effectively use soil nutrients. It increases moisture retention, reducing the hazards of drought. And it increases aeration and micro-organism activity in the soil, making plant food elements more available to your plants.

The two most popular ways to compost we'll call the passive method and the active method.

Passive method

The passive method is just one step above the pile of plant debris mentioned above. A little thought into what are the optimum conditions for microbial growth can speed up the decomposition without too much extra work.

In this method, building the pile is a gradual affair; you add the ingredients as you get them, keeping in mind the proper balance of "greens" and "browns", and keeping the pile moist. Since a passive pile doesn't get hot enough, care should also be taken not to include seeds that might sprout in your compost or diseased plants that might infect your garden.

The advantage of the passive method over the active method is that it requires less work; there is no turning required. The disadvantage is that it takes longer to get finished compost (5-12 months vs. 1-3 months for the active method).

Active method

Building a pile the active method way is not a gradual affair; the ingredients must be added all at once. The bulk is a key factor determining whether the pile can retain heat well enough for the thermophillic bacteria to kick in. When things start to cool down, the pile is physically turned which aerates the pile and it heats up again. This process is repeated a couple of times until the pile becomes compost.

Because of the high temperatures, pretty much any plant material can be thrown into the pile. However, it's still probably wise to avoid adding obviously diseased plants.

The beauty of the active method is that you can have beautiful brown compost in just a couple of weeks.

How to set up a compost system. Your compost needs to be in direct contact with the soil, so remove any grass. Layer it by putting 3" to 4" of coarse material like small twigs at the bottom. Then add 6" to 8" of leaves, grass or vegetable scraps. The smaller the particles, the faster the decomposition. The next layer is 1" of soil, the source of the micro-organisms that digest and decompose the organic matter. Then finally add 2" to 3" of manure or compost starter. This helps the micro-organisms decompose the compost. When your layers are complete, water the system but don't completely soak it. Repeat the layering process as needed.

How to hold compost. There are many different ways to hold compost. Your choices range anywhere from a simple chicken wire circle to an in-ground pit, to a multi-binwood, cinder block or plastic system that can be added to and turned.

You can purchase a composting bin for only $8 at the township building.

The basic requirements for a compost system are aeration and moisture. If your compost doesn't get enough of either, it will rot instead of decomposing, and may smell. Slatted or even removable sides provide all the air you need.

What can be composted. Almost anything can be added to a compost system except for meat or meat by-products, bones, cheese, fatty or greasy foods, or animal droppings. Though these will all decompose, they will also attract rodents and parasites. So basically grass, leaves, small twigs, garden waste and vegetable scraps from your kitchen (including egg shells and coffee grinds) are the ideal.

Organic mulches. Leaves, wood chips, bark, sawdust, perennial groundcovers, peat moss, moss, lawn clippings , hay, straw, nut shells, grain hulls, corn cobs, mushroom compost, manure, conifer needles, newspaper, sludge.

Periodic turning hastens decomposition, so turn your pile with a garden fork every 5 to 6 weeks. If you don't turn it, the decomposition process still works, but it takes longer. Similarly, more frequent turning hastens composting.

In around 4 months, your compost should be decomposed and ready to be used. You'll know it's ready when everything in the pile is so far decomposed that it's unrecognizable.