Your soil is the key to successful gardening
Most experienced gardeners know that a soil that is rich in composted organic matter will produce a better flower or vegetable garden. Our soil in Houston is naturally lacking in organic matter. Materials can be purchased for your garden that will provide that rich humus. Peat moss, cotton burr compost, or other composted bark products.
However,that source of free organic matter can be found right under your feet. The leaves that fall from our trees and our mown grass clippings are a great resourse wasted if not composted. That material just needs a little time and help from us.
Composting is an organized way of speeding up the natural process of decomposition. There are two kinds of composting. Slow and fast. Slow involves piling up leaves, branches, grass clippings and in a few years that pile turns into a pile of usable compost. The fast method takes a little more work. It involves shredding, turning, adding water and understanding the right ratios of green and brown materials.
You can build a compost bin yourself or buy a commercial bin. You can buy a good one for under $220. Some have wheels and some "tumble" which helps you turn the compost. Bins keep the composting area neater and can keep unwanted rodents and pests out.
Good brown materials to include in your compost recipe:
- Leaves Hay
- Pine
- Needles
- Cardboard
- Wood chips
- Sawdust
- Twigs
- Newspaper
- Egg shells
Good green materials to include in your compost recipe:
- Grass Clippings
- Manure
- Green leaves
- Seaweed
Materials that are not advised to use:
- Charcoal Ashes
- Cat or Dog Manure
- Cat Litter
- Meat or Bones
- Grease or Oil
- Lime
- Walnut leaves
- Fish Scraps
- Dairy Products
Course materials should be shredded to speed decomposition. Add twice as much brown material as green. Add layers in 6 inch increments and wet that thoroughly. Add layers until you get a minimum of 27 cubic feet ( 3' x 3' x 3'). This size is what is the minimum needed to produce enough heat for quick decomposition.
After the pile goes through the heating process turn the pile to add air and move the drier outside material to the inside. If the pile becomes dry add water. If the compost develops a bad smell it may not have enough air or the pile is staying too wet. If so, turn the pile to help aerate it and add course, dry material to absorb the excess moisture. If the pile is not producing enough heat you may need to add moisture, more aeration, or more green material. If the pile smells like ammonia you need to add more brown material and turn the pile.
When you have a finished product you can add it to flower and vegetable gardens, make a compost tea, enrich a potting soil or mulch your beds with this versatile resource.
For more composting information Click here.