It’s January. The winds of winter are skittering across the husks of our summer gardens. And those of us who tend those gardens sit twiddling our thumbs—if you know how to do that, awaiting warmer days. I have a suggestion for how to begin now to help your garden and the earth more generally. Consider composting or re-invigorating your commitment to a composting project. Now, don’t panic! I’m not going to urge you to grab your pitchfork and head out to the back corner of your property to turn that pile of yard waste.
You may have already decided you’re going to start composting…soon, or you may have rejected the whole idea after investigating what’s involved. But, since it’s cold outside, and we’re all in our cozy homes waiting for our beautiful gardens to be reborn…let’s talk compost.
I’ll review with you these considerations:
- Why bother turning waste into fertilizer?
- What are the composting methods?
- What gets composted?
Why?
On this fragile planet, we all take from the earth, and we can give back to the earth in small and grand ways. One such way is by composting. The benefits include:
- Composting converts waste materials into organic matter that enriches the soil
- Organic matter produced by composting: encourages root growth, slows surface water (run-off) allowing that moisture to soak into the soil, lessens erosion by encouraging plant and root growth along with slowing water flow, assists in nutrient retention in the soil
- Composting at home reclaims household waste as rich organic matter
- Household composting reduces methane emissions from landfills
Why not?
Let us not be deluded; there are disadvantages to setting up your own composting system, whether large or small. These drawbacks include:
- Animals and insects: mice, raccoons, flies, gnats, and others are attracted by a healthy compost pile
- Composting stinks
- The process of decomposition takes time—from 2 weeks to 2 years to complete, depending on the method of composting and volume of matter decomposing
- An active compost pile oozes nutrient-rich liquid called leachate (the good news is that that leachate water can be collected and diluted, then fed to plants as liquid nitrogen)
- There’s time and effort necessary to maintain any composting project, whether small in-house or larger garden piles
The 4 methods of composting are:
1. If you’re feeling reluctant to get involved in this whole wasteful-to-useful project, start small! Try Household or Indoor Composting.
- Secure a composting bin that will fit under a counter or in the mud room next to the kitchen. The bin will have air holes, so there may be some odor involved
- Select an appropriate sink-side bowl where scraps can be gathered as you scrape dishes, discard stale bread, or clear out the refrigerator
- Dump the collected waste into the composting bin
- You’ll probably choose to use the Cold Composting Method, which means simply, “Leave it alone.” The bin will compress, begin to degrade the household tidbits, and eventually all will become compost
Could it be any simpler? Well, yes! It can. Cities like Baltimore, Washington, and Annapolis have composting services—businesses that collect household organic waste products. They whisk them from the clients and deliver them to partner farms where the serious composting occurs. But more of that later.
2. Hot Composting (aerobic) is the most common method of turning waste into fertilizer.
- Decide whether to compost by piling the collected organic material on your property or collecting the waste in a bin
- Choose a location for the pile or bin. Remember, there will be odors, flies and other pests, and it will be somewhat unsightly
- If you are not making a pile, procure a large bin, either stationary or tumbling
- As the organic material is gathered, add it to the composting pile or bin and turn or aerate the pile or bin
- Every 3–5 days the expanding pile will need to be turned, either with a garden fork or the crank on the roller bin. This improves the aeration which helps with the decomposition
- When the composting material is rich brown and earth-like your organic matter can be used in your garden or shared with other gardeners (anywhere from 2 months to a year)
* This method kills the pathogens and weeds that may have been collected with the waste material
3. Cold Composting (anerobic) is a very slow (perhaps 2 years) and very easy method.
- Used almost exclusively with piled organic matter
- Simply gather and dump organic waste on the pile and leave it alone. Don’t worry about the decomposing; it will take care of itself. You’ll know that’s happening by the odor of the pile and the leachate oozing out
- When the material looks dark and mushy, you’re ready to dig some off the outside of the pile and spread that organic matter on your flower beds.
* This method does not kill pathogens and weeds
4. Vermicomposting, sometimes called Live Composting, involves our friends the earthworms.
- Select a bin that has sufficient air holes. Worms require sufficient oxygen
- Add wood chips to your organic waste; the worms need places to rest from their work of burrowing among the eggshells and teabags
- Wait about a year while the worms wander to-and-fro through the bin, oxygenating the waste and aiding in the breakdown of the matter
*The advantage to this method is it works indoors because there is no odor and nothing to fuss with until it’s ready to be spread in the garden
What goes in and what stays out?
There’s some controversy about these lists, but here’s my understanding on the topic:
- Do compost: “Brown” (carbon rich) and “Green” (nitrogen rich) material
- Brown: includes pine needles, yard waste, paper, dryer lint, cardboard
- Green: includes fruit & veggies, meat, bones, dairy products, pasta, teabags & coffee grounds
If you’re torn between a desire to help the planet and a distaste for the messiness of composting, there’s one more choice. Annapolis Compost is a local business that will set you up with a kit for weekly collection of your organic waste, which they will transform into organic matter that can be returned to you or distributed to various community farms. To learn more check out annapoliscompost.com.
