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Starting a Compost Pile

Compost is formed in nature all the time as plants and animals die and decompose. This natural compost is generally called humus. Decomposition involves the breakdown of plant and animal remains into simpler components. As a result nutrients, which are essential for plant growth, are released into the soil. Decomposition is brought about by the action of decomposers which include bacteria, fungi, and earthworms.

By making compost in our gardens, we imitate nature and ensure that our gardens are healthy and productive. Compost returns nutrients to the soil, increases the soil's ability to hold water and air, and prevents erosion by binding the soil.

About half of the organic refuse we throw away each day can be turned into compost, thus reducing waste, recycling valuable resources and enriching the soil. Composting is a cheap and hygienic way of converting waste into a clean-smelling substance that will improve the soil and make any garden flourish.

Need a Compost Bin?

Environmental Co-op has Sheppard Compost Bins you can purchase for $57.00 each. These are very easy to use bins and very durable. Call 972-524-0007 to purchase bins.

What to Use in Making Compost

Most organic (of plant or animal origin) materials that will rot or decay easily are suitable for composting.
Garden wastes: grass cuttings, non-woody garden prunings, leaves, flowers, and vegetable remains.
Kitchen wastes: vegetable peelings and leaves, fruit peelings and cores, cooked table scraps, coffee and filters, tea leaves and bags, egg shells.
General: paper and cardboard, sawdust and wood shavings, animal manure, wood fire ash.
Materials which you should not add to a compost heap: garden wastes sprayed with pesticides, meat, milk products, diseased plants, anything that does not decompose, e.g. metals, glass, plastics.

Building a Compost Heap

Remember that compost can be made in many different ways, and these are only general guidelines. In fact, nature does it without any help from people!

A good size for the compost pile is 4 ft. X 4 ft., depending on the amount of compost you want to make.

Mix the organic material well and chop up any big pieces—do not add large amounts of only one material, such as grass cuttings or leaves to the compost heap.
Start by putting down about a foot of brown (carbon) organic material such as leaves or straw. Then a foot of green (nitrogen) material such as grass clippings, animal manure, garden clippings, etc. Water each layer thoroughly.
If you would like to speed up the process of decomposition, add a "starter." This might be a bucketful of mature compost, animal manure, or bone meal. Commercial starters are available at nurseries and garden shops.
You can also add small amounts of soil to the growing heap as the many organisms that it contains will multiply and help the rotting process.
Continue building the heap in layers of about 1 foot. The last layer should be soil, dry grass, leaves, or sawdust, as this will keep smells in and not attract flies.

Turning the Heap

After one week the compost will feel warm from the heat generated by the decomposition process. You can turn (mix) the compost and apply water as needed. After a few weeks the heap will have cooled down and this means that it should be turned and allowed to heat up again. The heat kills the weed seeds and insect larvae.

Turning encourages decomposition and speeds up the formation of compost. The time between `turnings' of the heap depends on the speed at which decomposition takes place, and this in turn depends on the ingredients in the heap, and the weather.

Watering the Heap

Keep the heap moist, but not water-logged as this inhibits decomposition and will make the compost smell. If it does get too wet, add absorbent material such as sawdust, straw, or manure, and turn the heap.

Controlling Pests

If your compost heap is cared for correctly, flies and rodents will not create a problem in the garden. Flies can be controlled in a compost heap by immediately covering new material with dry soil, sawdust, grass or leaves. If flies breed in compost, the heap should be turned frequently so that enough heat is generated to destroy fly eggs and pupae.

Do not add meat scraps to the compost as this will attract rodents. Do not use any poisons such as insecticides to control pests as these will stop the decomposition process by killing the organisms responsible for decomposition, e.g. fungi, earthworms, bacteria.

Using Compost in Your Garden

Compost is mature and ready to use when it looks crumbly and has an earthy smell. It can then be dug into the top-soil of garden beds or spread as a mulch under trees and bushes. Compost also makes a very good potting mix for houseplants or seedling trays.

Composting—The 3 Rs in Action

Composting is a natural way to recycle organic materials such as grass, leaves, manure and vegetable scraps. Composting reduces the volume of solid waste going to the landfills, with the added benefit of reusing the material as a free soil amendment for gardens, yards, flower beds, and other landscaping, thereby recycling nutrients back into the soil.

Composting is the natural breakdown (or decomposition) of organic materials. Decomposition and recycling of organic materials are an essential part of soil building and healthy plant growth. Finished compost is a dark, crumbly and earth-smelling material that can improve soil texture, increase the ability of the soil to absorb air and water, suppress weed growth, decrease erosion, loosen tight, heavy clay soil, and reduce the need to apply commercial soil additives.

Websites to Check Out on Composting

www.epa.state.oh.us/pic/facts/compost.html

www.eurekarecycling.org/inf_composting.cfm

For a more technical look at composting and its usefulness for bioremediation and pollution prevention, erosion control, wetlands restoration and more, visit the EPA website at www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/composting.