The Joys of Composting
When people hear that I compost, many think that’s a nice thing to do, but they don’t understand how much I enjoy composting. My husband laughs at how much I love to play in the dirt, but for me, it is about creating something useful out of what many people consider a waste product. I am passionate when I talk about the process of decomposition and the many benefits of using compost.
Compost is a soil amendment. It is manufactured through the controlled aerobic, biological decomposition of biodegradable materials. Feedstocks can include leaves, grass, shredded wood, food scrap, manure, or biosolids. It often smells woodsy. It is a key component in organic food cultivation and restoration of soils.
In our backyard compost bin, we compost fall leaves, grass clippings, and food scrap from our kitchen. Notice I use the term “food scrap,” because we treat it not as waste, but an input to its next form in the natural recycling process.
Remains from Thanksgiving and other fall items go into our bin. Decorative pumpkins should be cracked and placed in the compost pile (not the garbage), along with those wilted flower arrangements and the front step mums that are past their prime. All may need a little cutting or breaking up to make composting easier.
After the holidays, you will often find me (on the occasional nice days) out at the compost bin, shovel or pitchfork in hand, turning and mixing the pile. There may be nothing growing in our garden, but mixing gives me an opportunity to get my hands dirty.
My husband watches from the sunroom, shaking his head. He does not participate in the turning of the compost in the bin, nor the distribution of the final product. But he does not mind putting the eggshells, banana peels or other food scrap in our countertop tub nor bringing it out to the bin.
By late spring and with a load of fresh grass clippings mixed in, the compost is an even rich brown material ready for mixing into our beds or spreading on our lawn. The raw materials did not end up in a landfill where they would create greenhouse gases; rather, they are making my garden grow better.
When compost is added to soil, it adds to the organic matter in the soil and adds millions of microbes which add biodiversity and reinforce the nutrients in the soil. Ideally, your yard topsoil should be four to five percent organic matter, but in many cases, homebuilders just regrade the soil excavated for the building foundation and do not restore the topsoil. This leaves the surface soil as sand or clay with just seed or sod thrown on top. Most unamended lawn soils are one to three percent organic matter.
Not only does compost add organic matter, but it often acts like a sponge, helping soils hold water. Raising the organic matter in your yard soil by one percent can add an additional 30,000 gallons of rainwater storage per acre. This reduces urban runoff, encourages groundwater recharge, and reduces the need for sprinkler systems.
You can make compost in your backyard, purchase compost by the bag at your local hardware store, or buy it in bulk from a gardening center. If you work with a landscaper, they can bring it and spread it for you. Ask them to spread a ¼ inch on your lawn and rake it in. It is best to spread the compost after you have aerated your lawn. This allows the compost to work into the holes created by the aeration instead of being spread just on the surface. While compost has some nutrients, it is not really a fertilizer. But the low levels of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (NPK) it contains will deepen the green of your lawn.
For us, we do all of the above. Our backyard compost is spread across our backyard and incorporated in our flower beds. In the past, we have bought compost in bulk and spread it on the front lawn. The pile of compost in our driveway was distributed relatively quickly. Commercial compost is made with hot temperatures and screened for an even size. Most backyard bins, mine included, make good compost, but do not get hot enough to destroy the tomato and squash seeds that are occasionally added with food scrap, and sometimes they sprout where the compost is placed. (No harm done as mowing solves that issue.)
While there are many bins out there for composting, the Sussex County Cooperative Extension office sells bins for $20 as subsidized by Delaware Solid Waste Authority. They can be reached at 302-856-7303. They and local Master Gardeners will be glad to talk compost with you if you decide you want to start.
It is a bit of effort. But to me, making something that improves my lawn and gardens while reducing potent greenhouse gases is worth my effort. You may find it worth yours, too. ▼
Jeff Dannis is a Delaware professional engineer, nutrient consultant, and certified composter. He can be reached at FitnessEngineering.net or at Jeff.Dannis.FE@outlook.com.