DoubleThink

A soil can never get enough compost because soil can always be improved with additional organic matter. Compost is organic matter that has broken down sufficiently such that its mineral and nutrient components can be readily absorbed by plants. You can either buy compost or create compost yourself.

In order to create compost, you will need to dump yard scraps in a corner of the yard. Alternatively, you can also collect the yard scraps in a composter bin. An ideal blend would involve equal amounts of soft/green material (like manure and leaves) and hard/brown material (dead leaves or chopped twigs). Whenever you mow or rake your lawn, add your grass clipings and leaf rakings to your compost heap. An ideal compost pile reaches 3-4 feet high.

In order for compost to be formed, significant air is required. Aeration can be provided by moving the pile with a pitchfork. However, you can also add perforated PVC pipes the center of the pile to help aerate compost piles.

Tip: High temperatures will help to semisterilize the compost, killing disease spores and other pests.

After you have accumulated a heap of compost, add a compost started or a garden soil to help jump-start the decomposition of the organic materials. You can also speed up the decay of organic material by breaking up your organic matter (such as twigs) into smaller pieces before adding them to the pile.

Sources of Organic MatterSoft and Green

• Livestock manure
• Fruit and vegetable peels
• Grass clippings
• Green leaves
• Strips of turf
• Alfalfa
• Peat moss
• Seedless weeds

Hard and Brown

• Wood chips
• Ground-up twigs
• Sawdust
• Pruning scraps
• Brown leaves
• Straw
• Shredded bark