Many gardeners and vegetable growers improve their soil making it more rich and fertile by composting excess organic material. I know I have personally spoke with some of you who already make use of this practice.

For a refresher, compost is fine-textured humus, which is an end product from the natural decomposition of plants and plant products under controlled conditions. Just about any type of organic material can be used for composting, including grass clippings, leaves, twigs, chipped brush and old vegetable or flowering plants. Vegetable peelings and coffee grounds can also be composted. You should avoid adding meat scraps, bones, or dairy products as they might attract unwanted animals. Also avoid adding pet wastes because they may harbor parasites that can infect humans.

Some vegetation should be avoided, seeds and tubers of some plants such as morning glory, nutsedge, and Florida betony may not be killed by the composting process and therefore should be left out of the mix.

Compost piles are like miniature power plants in your back yard. The pile itself is a microbial farm, teeming with bacteria, fungi, insects and earthworms. These compost inhabitants feed on the organic matter, breaking it down into the fine-textured humus that can be added to the soil. When the decomposition process is in full swing, energy generated by the micro-organisms will cause the pile to heat up. You may even see steam rising from the pile on a cool morning or when turning and aerating the material.

This is an indication things are going well. You also might notice earthworms in the upper level of the organic materials and in the finished compost that has cooled down at the bottom of the pile because they do not like the high temperatures in the center of the pile.

For best decomposition, it's recommended to mix a variety of materials, both browns and greens. The ideal ratio is four parts brown material (leaves, chipped wood, twigs) to one part green material (green trimmings, discarded annuals, old vegetable plants, fruit/vegetable peelings). Fall leaves can be held in plastic bags throughout the fall and winter months for layering in the pile whenever browns are needed.

When adding woody material, it's best to chip or shred it into small pieces so it will break down more quickly. When the pile is mature, add a few shovelfuls of livestock manure or previously made compost to the top in order to inoculate the material with microorganisms, insects, and earthworms which start the decomposition process. A cup of ammonium nitrate fertilizer added to the top of the materials will provide energy for the microorganisms and will speed up the composting process but it is not required for decomposition to occur.

Keep the pile moist, but not too wet. You can test to see if it’s too wet if water can be squeezed from a handful of organic material taken from the center of the pile several hours after rain or irrigation. To speed up the decomposition process, reduce moisture content and prevent odors, mix the pile once a month using a shovel or spading fork. The more often the pile is turned, the more quickly the organic materials will decompose. Some gardeners prefer a more passive approach and do not turn the pile at all. That's perfectly acceptable, but the composting process will likely occur more slowly.

Compost is ready when it looks like rich, crumbly earth and the original plant material is no longer recognizable. Each time the pile is turned, some ready-to-use compost should be available for harvesting from the bottom of the pile. Some gardeners screen their compost by sifting it through a mesh screen. Any organic materials that have not fully decomposed are added back to the pile to continue decomposing.

Make sure your piles are at least 3 feet high and 3 feet wide. Piles generally won’t smell if they are managed properly, so be sure to keep your piles within the 4:1 ratio of browns to greens and moist but not wet.

If you have any questions, please call the Bryan County Extension Office at 912-653-2231.  

Many gardeners and vegetable growers improve their soil making it more rich and fertile by composting excess organic material. I know I have personally spoke with some of you who already make use of this practice.

For a refresher, compost is fine-textured humus, which is an end product from the natural decomposition of plants and plant products under controlled conditions. Just about any type of organic material can be used for composting, including grass clippings, leaves, twigs, chipped brush and old vegetable or flowering plants. Vegetable peelings and coffee grounds can also be composted. You should avoid adding meat scraps, bones, or dairy products as they might attract unwanted animals. Also avoid adding pet wastes because they may harbor parasites that can infect humans.

Some vegetation should be avoided, seeds and tubers of some plants such as morning glory, nutsedge, and Florida betony may not be killed by the composting process and therefore should be left out of the mix.

Compost piles are like miniature power plants in your back yard. The pile itself is a microbial farm, teeming with bacteria, fungi, insects and earthworms. These compost inhabitants feed on the organic matter, breaking it down into the fine-textured humus that can be added to the soil. When the decomposition process is in full swing, energy generated by the micro-organisms will cause the pile to heat up. You may even see steam rising from the pile on a cool morning or when turning and aerating the material.

This is an indication things are going well. You also might notice earthworms in the upper level of the organic materials and in the finished compost that has cooled down at the bottom of the pile because they do not like the high temperatures in the center of the pile.

For best decomposition, it's recommended to mix a variety of materials, both browns and greens. The ideal ratio is four parts brown material (leaves, chipped wood, twigs) to one part green material (green trimmings, discarded annuals, old vegetable plants, fruit/vegetable peelings). Fall leaves can be held in plastic bags throughout the fall and winter months for layering in the pile whenever browns are needed.

When adding woody material, it's best to chip or shred it into small pieces so it will break down more quickly. When the pile is mature, add a few shovelfuls of livestock manure or previously made compost to the top in order to inoculate the material with microorganisms, insects, and earthworms which start the decomposition process. A cup of ammonium nitrate fertilizer added to the top of the materials will provide energy for the microorganisms and will speed up the composting process but it is not required for decomposition to occur.

Keep the pile moist, but not too wet. You can test to see if it’s too wet if water can be squeezed from a handful of organic material taken from the center of the pile several hours after rain or irrigation. To speed up the decomposition process, reduce moisture content and prevent odors, mix the pile once a month using a shovel or spading fork. The more often the pile is turned, the more quickly the organic materials will decompose. Some gardeners prefer a more passive approach and do not turn the pile at all. That's perfectly acceptable, but the composting process will likely occur more slowly.

Compost is ready when it looks like rich, crumbly earth and the original plant material is no longer recognizable. Each time the pile is turned, some ready-to-use compost should be available for harvesting from the bottom of the pile. Some gardeners screen their compost by sifting it through a mesh screen. Any organic materials that have not fully decomposed are added back to the pile to continue decomposing.

Make sure your piles are at least 3 feet high and 3 feet wide. Piles generally won’t smell if they are managed properly, so be sure to keep your piles within the 4:1 ratio of browns to greens and moist but not wet.

If you have any questions, please call the Bryan County Extension Office at 912-653-2231.