Why do gardeners add compost to the soil

Organic materials used for compost should include a mixture of brown organic material dead leaves, twigs, manure and green organic material lawn clippings, fruit rinds, etc. Brown materials supply carbon, while green materials supply nitrogen.

The best ratio is 1 part green to 1 part brown material. Shredding, chopping or mowing these materials into smaller pieces will help speed the composting process by increasing the surface area. For piles that have mostly brown material dead leaves , try adding a handful of commercial fertilizer to supply nitrogen and speed the compost process. Moisture is important to support the composting process. Compost should be comparable to the wetness of a wrung-out sponge. If the pile is too dry, materials will decompose very slowly.

Add water during dry periods or when adding large amounts of brown organic material. If the pile is too wet, turn the pile and mix the materials. Another option is to add dry, brown organic materials. Oxygen is needed to support the breakdown of plant material by bacteria.

To supply oxygen, you will need to turn the compost pile so that materials at the edges are brought to the center of the pile. Turning the pile is important for complete composting and for controlling odor. Wait at least two weeks before turning the pile, to allow the center of the pile to "heat up" and decompose. Once the pile has cooled in the center, decomposition of the materials has taken place.

Frequent turning will help speed the composting process. Bacteria and other microorganisms are the real workers in the compost process. By supplying organic materials, water, and oxygen, the already present bacteria will break down the plant material into useful compost for the garden.

As the bacteria decompose the materials, they release heat, which is concentrated in the center of the pile.

You may also add layers of soil or finished compost to supply more bacteria and speed the composting process. Commercial starters are available but should not be necessary for compost piles that have a proper carbon to nitrogen ratio 1 part green organic material to 1 part brown organic material. In addition to bacteria, larger organisms including insects and earthworms are active composters.

These organisms break down large materials in the compost pile. The amount of time needed to produce compost depends on several factors, including the size of the compost pile, the types of materials, the surface area of the materials, and the number of times the pile is turned.

For most efficient composting, use a pile that is between 3 feet cubed and 5 feet cubed cu. This allows the center of the pile to heat up sufficiently to break down materials. Smaller piles can be made but will take longer to produce finished compost. You may also want to have two piles, one for finished compost ready to use in the garden, and the other for unfinished compost.

If the pile has more brown organic materials, it may take longer to compost. You can speed up the process by adding more green materials or a fertilizer with nitrogen use one cup per 25 square feet. The surface area of the materials effects the time needed for composting. Compost helps bind clusters of soil particles, called aggregates, which provide good soil structure. Compost brings and feeds diverse life in the soil.

These bacteria, fungi, insects, worms and more support healthy plant growth. Healthy soil is an important factor in protecting our waters.

Runoff pollutes water by carrying soil, fertilizers and pesticides to nearby streams. When that first batch of finished compost is ready to spread, congratulate yourself for your efforts because you are ecological minded, and know that organic materials should be recycled into the soil instead of being put in a garbage can.

By recycling the organic materials, valuable nutrients and organic matter are recycled. You have helped alleviate the solid waste problem! Return to Whatcom County Composting. Compost Benefits Using compost as mulch, in the soil or as potting media is beneficial in many ways. Compost contains macro and micronutrients often absent in synthetic fertilizers. Compost releases nutrients slowly—over months or years, unlike synthetic fertilizers Compost enriched soil retains fertilizers better.