Composting and Soil Improvements
Author: David Selman, Tracker-Outdoors.com
Article:
Composting provides a great natural resource!
Where we live, the soil is black clay (north Texas). We have
found that by using a compost, we can almost eliminate the need
for commercial fertilizers to grow most vegetables, herbs and
spices.
Our compost is lined with rail-road ties (4 tall) but is open on
one side for easy access. We put hay, table scraps, garden
scraps, firewood ash, and manure from our cattle and horses in
it. The materials in the compost are "turned" from time to time.
The soil from the compost is great for starting new plants of
all kinds as well as being tilled into the soil of the garden.
This organically rich soil helps make the black clay much easier
to work and provides nutrients for the vegetables. Neighbors
barns and livestock auction houses are great resources for
manure. Composting provides an environmentally safe way to
transform biodegradable waste products into rich and fertile
soil.
For those of you who suffer from a high concentration of clay in
your soil, composting is the answer. Composting will supply your
garden with a continual source of rich humus that will loosen up
clay based (heavy) soils, allowing the roots of flowers and
vegetables to penetrate the soil. For folks with sandy soils,
compost will perform the opposite function: it will bring soil
particles together and help retain water for plants to use,
while still allowing the soil to "breath."
A few of the best composting materials include leaves, shredded
newspaper, grass clippings, farm manure, garden waste, sawdust
and vegetable peelings. Household biodegradable refuse is not
recommended because it’s messy and attracts insects & rodents.
These are items you deffinately don't want to use; bones, meat
scraps, cat or dog manure, grease, diseased plants or walnut
leaves.There are several companies that manufacture composting
bins. Another option is to use scrap lumber, railroad ties or
wood pallets. Make sure whatever you build is well ventilated to
allow for the free movement of moisture and air, which will aid
in the breakdown process. I use three wood pallets which I stand
at right angles to each other. I tie these together to hold them
in place. This makes it easy to access the compost, which needs
to be periodically turned to aid in the breakdown stage.
Compost is a dark-colored, loose mixture of well-rotted organic
matter that can be used by the gardener to improve garden or
potting soil. Any organic matter such as garden waste is a good
ingredient for compost. If soil is hard and crusty when dry or
sticky when wet, vegetables do not grow properly. Good garden
soil is loose, has high water-holding capacity and proper
drainage. Put your compost pile in a well-drained area. A shady
spot or a place behind bushes will shield the heap from view.
It is possible to accumulate materials in a loose pile but it is
better to have an enclosure for the compost. This could be a pit
dug 18 inches into the ground of any length and width or an
above-ground structure. Either type of structure should be
divided with a partition. One side can be used for composting
material and the other for usable compost.
A rectangular pile 2 to 5 feet wide, 5 to 10 feet long and 2 to
4 feet high is adequate for most households. If space is not
available, a single, tall pile can be used. Fresh material is
added at the top and finished compost dug out at the bottom.
Build your compost pile in layers. First add 6 to 8 inches of
garden refuse. Each layer of this organic material should be
moistened. A little lime also may added to help the process and
keep new soil from packing. Add 1 to 2 inches of soil. Repeat
this process as composting material is available.
The top layer should be lower in the center to help collect
moisture. Water may have to be added during dry weather to keep
the pile going. Compost materials should be moist but not
saturated.
Turn the pile with a garden fork a couple of times a month to
hasten composting. In about a month the pile should be hot in
the center indicating it is decomposing properly. If this
doesn't happen, the pile may be too wet or too small. Fertilizer
or more frequent turnings could be needed. A well-maintained,
active pile will not attract rodents. When adding food scraps,
bury them in the center of the pile.
Soil that is ready for use from a compost is dark, loose and has
an "earthy" smell. Most organic materials should compost in 4-8
months.
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