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Compost and Mulch
Composting and using mulch are not new ideas. Compost is the natural breakdown of plant remains and other once-living materials to make an earthy, dark, crumbly substance that is excellent for adding to houseplants or enriching garden soil. Making your own compost is not only beneficial for your garden, but ecologically sound as leaves, yard waste, and some household waste and organic materials can be used. Mulch is a layer of material placed over soil to modify the effects of the local climate. It is used to hold in moisture, insulate from cold, and as an assist in controlling weeds. To learn more and share knowledge about compost and mulch, ask and answer questions about them here.
878 Questions
Of course! You can also add Coffee grounds, used tea bags, melon rinds, peelings, corn cobs, egg shells, fruits and vegetables.
What do you put in compost bins?
everything that came from a plant. avoid adding meat and milk products cos they stink and atract street cats and stray dogs. also avoid dog feces as they may contain diseases. cow and other grass eating animals manure is fine.
Why do dogardeners add rotted down compost to their soil?
Compost has all of the nutrients (micro as well as macro) plants need to grow and thrive, and no harmful chemicals. Food grown naturally using compost is so much better in every way than chemically fertilized plants that many people prefer it, even if it does take a little more work.
To learn how you can make your own compost, go to the Related Link.
How do you compost palm trees?
You can compost anything organic.. the question is how long will it take.. If that's not an issue and you have the space, then go ahead and through it in the pile. Personally, I'd split the wood and run it through a chipper first... that would get you headed in the right direction. Careful though.. palm is very fibrous and tends to clog chippers...
What conditions are needed to ensure that compost can be successfully made?
The smell, the look, the feel and the content tell you whether or not you have quality compost. If proper procedure is followed, then compostable materials will break down into crumbly, dark brown, fresh smelling, nutrient rich organic material. The breakdown will occur if only compostable materials layered into a location that has adequate air, moisture and temperature levels and that allows for regular turning of the entire pile. In fact, the more often the turning takes place, the faster the breakdown takes place. Depending upon the size of the pile, quality compost may be available within a month to a year.
What bugs are found in compost piles?
To be frank, I believe that all insects are beneficial to compost, as most bugs that eat organic matter will help break down the contents of your compost pile. Centipedes, millipedes, sowbugs, earwigs, beetles, and of course, earthworms of all stripes are welcome.
Since I live in a small apartment building, I compost on the roof in clear 19 gallon plastic tubs, with the tops cut off, trimmed to fit over the lower part, and onion bag material covering the open spouts to keep insects out, yet oxygen in.
I call these Solar Composters, since the trapped heat of the sun speeds up the decomposing going on inside.
Tubs like these also look attractive anywhere in the vegetable or flower garden. Just remove the bottoms so juices can drain down into the soil and attract and feed our friends, the earthworms.
Add water occasionally to produce extra " juice ".
What kinds of items can be put in to a compost pile?
Theoretically, compostable materials include whatever breaks down with death and decay; doesn't attract scavenging wildlife such as coyotes; and isn't considered a weed or known to be diseased or toxic.
Why is straw used in compost heaps?
Assistance in decomposition rates and heat control are reasons why straw is used in compost heaps. Straw helps speed up the natural breakdown of carbon- and nitrogen-rich recyclables into dark-colored, fresh-smelling, nutrient-rich organic matter. In addition to breaking down quickly, it also helps temperatures rise to the proper heat thresholds required by aerobic composting.
How much mulch do nyou need to cover an area 20 yds long and 3 yds wide 3 inches deep?
9
there are 9 sq feet in a sq yard. there 27 cubic feet in a cubic yard
Can covering soil with compost or mulch near bases of plants reduce soil erosion?
No it's better to plant grass around the plant or place rocks around it.
What does a compost bin look like?
A compost bin is usually square and come in many sizes, but it should have a panel or door at the bottom to access the the compost that is oldest. Since you fill from the top. It can take 3 months or more for the first compost to start degrading.
Gardeners tend to have three main uses for compost. Specifically, the dark brown, fresh-smelling, organic matter rich soil may be used as mulch, natural fertilizer, or soil amendments. Any one of the three uses adds nutrients to soil and improves soil structure by encouraging air and water pore spaces. Improved air and moisture movement means improved well being of the soil food web below ground, and of plants above and below ground. Such are the ways in which compost may be used, be it outside wherever the need may be, or inside with houseplants.
In contrast to the above case of garden compost is the term potting compost. The latter is what is sold in local garden centers. It's a mixture to which fertiilzer is added. It may be used for growing seeds or plants in pots.
What do worms do for a compost pile?
Compost worms eat compostable materials. Compostable materials tend to include nitrogen rich green materials such as fresh grass clippings. Or they tend to include carbon rich brown materials such as fallen leaves. Sources of both carbon and nitrogen are the dead and decaying bodies of soil food web members.
Compostable materials may include newspapers and papers. But they aren't compostable when they're printed in colors. They also may include kitchen scraps other than dairy products, greasey or oily foods, and meat.
How many different types of compost are there?
Two, through aerobic or anaerobic (without air) decomposition, is the number that generally is given for the different types of compost. The breakdown of carbon- and nitrogen-rich recyclables supplies cultivators, farmers, gardeners, growers and orchardists with dark-colored, fresh-smelling, nutrient-rich compost. Compost additionaly will be grouped by one of two temperature drives -- cold or hot -- and by one of three inputs -- animal manure, vegetable debris and scraps, and vermicompost -- or by one of four uses -- lawns, perennial beds, shrubs and trees, and vegetable gardens.
What are three good things compost can do for a garden?
The source of nutrients, structure, and texture for soil is a reason why compost is important for plants. Plants generally grow best in soil which contains minerals and trace elements, does not leach or waterlog, drains well, and has air and moisture pore spaces. As dark-colored, fresh-smelling, nutrient-rich organic matter, compost meets all of the above-mentioned requirements by serving as a soil food web-friendly amendment, fertilizer, and mulch.
What are examples of macrorganisms in a compost pile?
Among the most helpful macroorganisms in a compost pile are ground beetles and worms. For they help break down the compostable materials, such as grass clippings and other yard wastes, and kitchen scraps. They also feed on other ground-dwelling organisms that may wander into the pile, die and decay. The consequence is the decomposition of compostable materials into dark brown, organic matter-rich compost that encourages healthy plant growth and healthy soil structure. For the breakdown adds to the amount and range of the 16-17 nutrients that are necessary to plant and soil health. Among those nutrients is nitrogen, which may be found within the soil, or within organisms, but needs the release of digestion and elimination in order to be available to plant roots.
When do you use ericaceous compost?
Autumnal, spring, and summer fertilization schedules is the time to use ericaceous compost. The compost in question references the needs of plants that prefer soils more in the acidic soil pH ranges and that respond disastrously to lime treatments. It responds therefore to the requirements of such Ericaceae plant family members as azaleas, heathers, heaths, magnolias, and rhododendrons.
How much worm compost should you add to your garden?
That is dependant on a few things. The size of your garden, how much the soil has retained nutrients vital to growing a new garden, and what compost you are going to use. Obtain a soil test kit from an agriculture garden center or retailer with a garden section. Test your soil according to directions, after the first tilling. A compost of grass trimmings/food stuff is a bit different than rotted manure. the nutrients vary. With rotted manure you can never add too much and with the other you may never have enough. This is where the size of your garden comes into play. Personally, I add roughly 500 lbs. of rotted manure and hay to a garden which measures 20 ft x 50 ft. The next season may be 200 lbs. What you would want to do is add your compost, no matter how much you have, till it in and then plant your seedlings. One thing to keep in mind is giving the plant a chance to root. Adding compost may not be necessary. Give the garden a 12" base for root growth. Recommendations vary from 9"-12" from seed packaging companies like Burpee. Keep a record of what you do, and how the plants thrive, as each year goes by. In time you will know what your needs are for your garden.
Compost produces compost, a light top soil super rich in nutrients and in humus.
The compost comes from decomposed vegetal and usually animal material.
Basically, the vegetal material provides the carbon that the decomposing bacteria need, and the animal material provides the nitrogen it also needs to build cells, although in a much smaller ratio.
Once all the organic material is fully decomposed and transformed into humus, the bacteria die and add their own dead bodies to the amount of nutrients available to the plants when the compost is finally spread on the soil.
Most plastics cannot be composted. There are newly developed plastics that do breakdown over time, but these are not common and would still not be suitable for compost.
What do you need for a compost heap?
Microbes will eat everything organic. The more microbes and the better the mixture of your compost "salad" the faster and the more efficient they will work for you.
HOW TO CARE FOR & MAKE COMPOST
One part green and 2 parts brown,
makes your compost turn into ground.
Add some water and some soil,
turning is the only toil.
C.R., Ray Ayer, "The Compost Guru", feel free to use with attribution
1.To make good compost you need a mixture of 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen. If you mix 1 part grass with 2 parts or more of leaves that is about the right mixture. Too much grass and it will putrefy and smell. All leaves will take a year of longer to break down and will not be a "great" compost.
2. Microbes actually do the work of composting. If you take care of them with moisture and oxygen they will work their butts off for you.
3. You need to think of them as your little "pets" and keep them moist. Like a wrung out sponge. Adding a shovel full or so of soil or manure or other compost will "seed" your compost with the microbes you need. Sort of like making yogurt or sourdough.
4. You must get a compost fork and leave it in the compost pile. That way every time you add something you will naturally turn it in. Like cake batter you need to mix in the ingredients. Turning also exposes fresh material to oxygen. With out oxygen your little pets will die and stink. Turning also hides food waste that is objectionable to your neighbors, and reduces the chance of critters other than your "microbe pets" chewing them up. Do not put the garden fork in the garage! You will never turn the pile if it is not left in the pile.
You now have a PhD in compost. (Piled higher and deeper)R.A. the Compost Guru
Compost should be maintained in three separate consecutive bins. These bins should not be tight, but should be aerated properly for the process to occur. Fresh leaves and full materials should be placed into the first bin, sufficiently chipped to facilitate the breaking down process.
After this material begins to resemble soil, but still with small chips of original material, it should be moved to the second bin. The compost in the first bin will be high in temperature, when that material is no longer steaming and hot, it should be moved to the second bin.
When this material resembles pure soil, is cold to the touch, and smells like fresh Earth, it should be moved into a third bin. This third bin will be the bin which the gardener takes from to spread as a mulch around the plants which need the nutrients, covering the weeded topsoil.
well it depends on the flower like if it is a hibiscus bush it does very well......but if its like a cranberry hibiscus it does o..k but does not thrive
so as I said it depends:)
