Compost: Black gold for garden

Composting recycles waste into humus.

Date published: 10/15/2004

FALL IS HERE, and a beautiful one it promises to be thanks to all the year's rainfall, which helps provide a colorful and long-lasting autumn foliage display.

However brown or beautiful the foliage is in a given year, the leaves always end up in the same place--on the ground. And they have to be dealt with.

When I was young, many people in the neighborhood would pile their leaves at the curb and burn them. Others would pack them into lawn and garden bags and haul them to the dump.

Now, many localities have ordinances against burning leaves. The regular dumps and landfill space are so precious that people are discouraged from depositing their yard waste there. Some localities are opening special areas for composting, and now accept yard waste.

Another answer is backyard composting. Don't burn, give or throw away those valuable leaves. They can, in a short period of time, become rich, crumbly, black humus--an excellent soil conditioner.

Humus has a number of soil-beneficial qualities. It increases aeration, improves soil structure and water-holding capacity, and encourages the growth of soil-borne microorganisms that help plants in many ways.

If you'd like to produce an ongoing supply of compost, a good idea to build a composting bin using wood or wire or a combination of the two. Many people make two or three adjoining bins to have compost at every stage of decomposition.

Whichever composting method you use, locate it in or near the garden to take advantage of the many nutrients will leach out from under the pile. The type of bin pictured with this article can easily be moved from time to time to gain access to the nutrient-rich soil beneath it.

Creating a compost pile is easy. Start with a layer of fairly coarse material such as twigs or chopped corn stalks. This should be covered with a layer of plant and kitchen refuse, such as leaves, straw, weeds, coffee grounds, crushed egg shells, or garden soil.

Don't use meat wastes, as this will attract all sorts of animals. Over this, add a layer of rich, green material or manure. If you have no manure, a half-cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer or blood meal will do.

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Date published: 10/15/2004