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Healthy Garden Soil - Composting; how, when, & why
In the soft, warm bosom of a decaying compost heap, atransformation from life to death and back again is takingplace. Life is leaving the living plants of yesterday, but intheir death these leaves and stalks pass on their vitality tothe coming generations of future seasons. Here in the dank,moldy pile the wheel of life is turning.Compost is more than a fertilizer or a healing agent for thesoil's wounds. It is a symbol of continuing life. Nature herselfmade compost before man first walked the earth and before thefirst dinosaur lifted its head above the primeval swamp. Leavesfalling to the forest floor and slowing moldering arecomposting. The dead grass of the meadow seared by winter'sfrost is being composted by the dampness of the earth beneath.Birds, insects and animals contribute their bodies to this vastand continuing soil rebuilding program of nature.The compost heap in your garden is an intensified version ofthis process of death and rebuilding which is going on almosteverywhere in nature. In the course of running a garden, thereis always an accumulation of organic waste of different sorts -leaves, grass clippings, weeds, twigs - and since timeimmemorial gardeners have been accumulating this material inpiles, eventually to spread it back on the soil as rich, darkhumus.The Purpose of Composting:Gardening and farming disrupt the natural pattern of the returnof plant matter to the earth. Compost is the link between modernagriculture and nature's own method of building soil fertility.In addition to returning rotting vegetable material to the soil,there are two major reasons for making compost: - to render certain materials such as manure and garbagepleasant to handle- to increase the nitrogen content of low-nitrogen materialssuch as sawdust, straw and corncobs The high heat of composting rapidly "cooks" the smell out ofmanure and garden waste. This is a significant gain becausegardeners are often reluctant to use those materials "fresh".The composting process also increases the nitrogen content ofthe pile. Microorganisms "burn off" much of the carbon, reducingthe cubic bulk of the heap but correspondingly increasing itsnitrogen portion.Organic matter is valuable to the soil only while it isdecaying. Even finished compost is actually only partly decayed.It continues to break down in the soil, providing food forincreasing populations of microorganisms upon which your planthealth depends. Pound per pound (kg per kg) compost is thefinest soil conditioner to be had.How To Make CompostMaking compost is not difficult and can be easily done at home.Essentially, the basic methods call for layering naturalingredients in heaps in mixed proportions, providing necessaryair and moisture and tu...
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...rning the heaps to provide bacterialaction on all parts of the heap.Just about any organic matter can be used. Weeds, fruit andvegetable peelings, grass, garden clippings, dead flowers,sawdust, woodchips, coffee wastes, nutshells, shredded leaves,and more can all be used provided they are chemical, pesticideand herbicide free. Also, do not use feces, or dead animals. Inshort, think to yourself, "Do I really want to eat this?" Compost can be made either in open piles or in bins. Piles aremore easily turned, but bins have a better appearance in thegarden. Bins also have the advantage of better moisture andtemperature control. Personally, I have found beginning with apit in the garden seems to work best, as it attracts earthwormsto help with the breakdown of the materials, plus you can turnit easily. 1. Whichever method you choose, select a sunny spot and begin byputting down a 6 inch layer of plant wastes such as spoiled hay,straw, sawdust, plant leaves (shredding them first helps) gardenclippings, or wood chips2. Add a 2 inch layer of manure and bedding3. Follow with a layer of topsoil, approximately 1/8 inch thick.Unrine-impregnated topsoil is particularly valuable but find outwhat the animals have been eating as hormones, antibiotics, andchemicals etc, will end up in your soil and then in your food.4. On top of this layer of soil spread a sprinkling of lime,phosphate, bone meal, rock, granite dust, or wood ashes toincrease the mineral content of the heap. Lime is not added ifan acid compost is wanted.5. Water the pile, and continue the process of laying. Do nottrample on the heap as if it is matted down, aeration will beimpeded. Within a few days the heap will begin to heat up and start toshrink in size. The heap is turned with a pitchfork 2 - 3 weeksafter being made, and again at about 5 weeks of age. Care istaken during turning to place the outer parts of the heap on theinside so that they can decay fully. Do not turn the heap too frequently, as it needs to build upheat for the decaying process. Keep the pile moist, but not wet,and let nature take its course. The compost will be finishedafter about 3 months.When To Apply Compost:The main influence on timing, rate and method of applyingcompost is its condition, age, and degree to which thecomposting process is complete. Fully mature compost resembles -indeed, it is - supersoil, a light, rich loam. If half completedso it still retains some fibrous material, it will continue todecompose and generate heat. Such compost should be permitted tofinish composting. Never place it near growing plants. However,if you have unfinished compost in the fall of the year, it issafe to apply it. It will finish up in the soil and be ready tosupply...
...y growth nutrients to the first spring plantings.The preferred time to apply fully matured compost is a month orso before planting - or, if you are a successive cropper,planting two or more crops to the same parcel of land eachsession, just before planting. The closer to planting time itgoes on, the finer it should be shredded or chopped, and themore thoroughly it should be hoed or tilled into your soil.If compost is ready in the fall but not intended for use untilspring, it should be kept covered and stored in a protectedplace. If it is kept for a long period of time during thesummer, the finished compost should be watered from time to time.How To Apply:For general application, the soil should be stirred or turnedthoroughly. Then the compost is added to the top four inches ofsoil. For flower and vegetable gardening, it is best to pan thecompost through a 1/2 inch sieve. Course material remaining maythen be put into another compost heap.To avoid disturbing roots of established plants, compost shouldbe mixed with topsoil aand applied as mulch. This is oftentermed "side dressing". It serves a double purpose, providingplant food that will gradually work itself down to the growingcrop, and as a mulch giving protection from extremes oftemperature, hard rains and growth of weeds.For best results, compost should be applied liberally, from 1 -3 inches per year. There is no danger of burning due to overuse,as happens with artificial fertilizers. Apply compost eitheronce or twice a year.Layered Garden or "Lasagna" GardenFor those of you who are short on garden space, you might wantto try one of the two methods pictured on the right. The firstpicture allows for more intensive gardening (more plants for thearea available). See pictures at http://www.growitgold.com/resources/soil.shtml1. Begin by digging a pit of the appropriate size 2. Line the bottom with wire mesh if rodents are a problem inyour area The core or bottom of your compost pile garden is madeup of twigs, small branches, and other coarse materials Nextcomes twigs, finely shredded branches, sawdust, etc 3. On top of this, place garden materials such as weeds, lawnclippings, fruit and vegetable peelings from the kitchen, coffeegrounds, shredded leaves. It's best to shred the leaves, as toomany leaves placed in whole can pack down and prevent naturalaeration and decomposition (it might start to stink) 4. Follow with a layer of partially finished compost.5. Top with fully finished compost mixed with quality topsoil For more gardening information, please visithttp://www.growitgold.com/resourceindex.shtmlThis article has been brought to you by: GROWIT GOLD Garden &Landscape design software. See the slideshow –http://www.growitgold.com
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