Home Garden Compost and Mulch
Garden compost and mulch are two of a gardener's best friends. It is beneficial
for strong and healthy plants, and will significantly increase the productivity
of your garden. Their long lasting benefits save time and effort in all types
of gardens. There are many forms of compost and mulch. Some are organic while
others are artificial.
What's the Difference between Compost and Mulch?
Compost is any kind decayed, organic plant or animal matter. In
the home garden, we think of compost as organic plant matter. It's nutrient
rich composition acts as a natural fertilizer for your plants. The act of
"composting" is the process where organic plant and animal matter decays
as a result of piling it up and allowing it to decay through the natural
process of decomposition. This is accomplished over a period of time by means
of natural bacteria and often aided by worms, heat ,and water.
Compost is literally any organic matter. It can include weeds, grass clippings,
hay, seaweed, garden waste, kitchen scraps, tree leaves, or branches to name
a few. It can also be animal matter. Animal matter is discouraged, as it
has several dis-advantages, most notably attracting unwanted garden pests.
Mulch on the other hand, is any material placed around plants as a
protective covering for the purpose of:
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Reducing weeds around the plants
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Increasing or decreasing soil temperature
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Retaining moisture around the plant
Mulches can be organic such as compost, wood chips, grass clippings, or hay
to name a few. Or, they could be inorganic such as black plastic newspaper,
or even aluminum foil. The benefit of organic is that it also enriches the
soil. In-organic mulches can be much more efficient in keeping out weeds.
But they are of no benefit to the composition of your garden soil.
How to Compost:
There is not much you can do wrong long term to the compost pile. Pile up
any organic matter and it will decompose over time. If you simply pile it
on, it will decompose.....eventually. What most gardeners want however, is
to speed up the composting process and avoid the pitfalls of bad odor and
attracting unwanted pests.
A well maintained and active compost pile will convert organic material to
compost in as little as thirty days. Left to nature, it could take several
months or even a year. The byproduct of active decomposition is heat. Have
you ever seen a large twenty foot pile of wood chips pile up at your local
nursery in the middle of the winter? You may have observed it smoking. A
pile can actually become so hot that it ignites. This is a not so rare an
occurrence, most commonly occurring in large town or industrial composting.
The basics to good composting:
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Select an area to create your pile.
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Many people opt to close in their pile with fencing or acquire a home composter.
Home composters are neat and more aesthetically pleasing than a pile of weeds
in the middle of your yard.
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Add any organic matter from your garden or yard.
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Also include any vegetable waste from your kitchen, including egg shells,
coffee grounds, tea bags, etc.
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If possible, alternate layers of green (new) and brown waste. This helps
the mixing process, and aids in decomposition.
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Keep the compost pile moist, but not wet.
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Turn the pile over from time to time to maximize air circulation to the bacteria
and microbes that "eat" and convert your pile into rich compost.
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Use the compost after it has almost completely turned into soil. It will
be rich in nutrients and minerals.
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Use and enjoy!
Did you know? Along with heat, odor is another common by-product of
your compost pile. You can keep odor to a minimum by turning the pile regularly.
One of the most common culprits is grass clippings piled too thickly. Make
sure to mix them in well.
Some Do's and Dont's:
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Do stir the pile to allow air penetration
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Do not put animal remains or meat and fats from cooking in the pile. While
they may be rich in nutrients, they attract unwanted little "critters"
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Do keep the pile moist
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Do not put grass clippings too thickly, or they will smell as they decay
and decay slower.
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Chip or shred larger items such a branches and plant stalks if possible.
The more area bacteria has to work, the quicker the decomposition.
-
Do not put diseased plants of any kind into the compost pile. They can overwinter
in the pile and re-infest your garden next year.
Speeding up the process:
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Stirring the pile from time to time, speeds up the process.
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Keep it loose to allow air flow
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Red worms will speed up the composting process. Add them to your pile once
and they should reproduce and you may not need to buy them again.
More Information:
More
on Composting at Garden Hobbies
Compost Tea a great liquid fertilizer
Buy Composters
The Envirocycle Compost/ Compost Tea maker is the perfect solution for people
who want to make compost and collect compost tea. It does both!
Buy Composter/Compost Tea Maker now
More Information:
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