Transcript What is Compost? - University of Maryland Extension

Backyard Composting
How-to advice to get started!
College of
Agriculture and
Natural Resources
2
•
•
•
•
•
•
What is compost?
Why start composting?
Pick a place. Build your pile.
Active (hot) vs. passive (cool).
How do I use it?
Resources to learn more.
Compost Through History
• Akkadian Empire in the Mesopotamian Valley
referred to use of manure in agriculture on
clay tablets in 23rd Century BC.
• Romans and Greeks knew about compost.
• William Shakespeare’s Hamlet advised:
“Do not spread the compost on the
weeds, to make them ranker.”
Famous Composters
• Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Madison.
All were farmers. All used compost.
• George Washington Carver said,
“…a compost pile is essential and
can be had with little labor and
practically no cash outlay.”
Compost, the Early Years
• New England farmers made compost:
10 parts muck to 1 part fish, periodically
turning the heaps until the fish disintegrated
(except the bones!).
• In 1905, British agronomist learned best
compost consisted of three times as much
plant matter as manure.
What is Compost?
• Organic material from decomposition of
carbon (dried leaves), nitrogen (food scraps).
• Happens naturally – certain techniques
accelerate the process.
• Dark, crumbly, soil-like.
Why is it Important?
• Reduces waste stream.
Yard and food waste = 30% of landfill
• Improves soil structure.
• Retains moisture, slows run-off from rain.
• Reduces need for
fertilizer.
Starting a Compost Pile
• Select a location – away
from the house.
• Make your own, buy a tub,
use pallets for 3-bin style.
Starting your Compost Pile
- Ideal size is 3 ft. x 3 ft. x 3 ft. (27 cubic ft.)
Easier to turn, aerobic action
- No larger than 5 x 5 x 5
- Can become anaerobic
What goes in your Compost
Carbon: dried leaves
Nitrogen: food scraps, plants
Water: moisture
Oxygen
Turn it to add Oxygen
Keep the worms, bugs, microbes happy and
eating your browns and greens. Use a pitch fork
to turn the pile.
Carbon
Nitrogen
BROWNS
GREENS
Dried leaves
Straw
Shredded paper
Drier lint
Newspaper
Pine needles
Sawdust
Kitchen scraps
Coffee grounds & filter
Tea bags
Yard clippings
Pet hair
Manure (from
herbivores)
A Few Things to Avoid
- Meat, bones
- Dairy products
- Fats and oils
- Pet feces (dog, cat, other carnivores)
These can attract critters you don’t want,
may create odd odors, or contain harmful
bacteria/parasites.
Active (hot) vs. Passive (cool)
• Hot composting
Materials added all at once. Temperatures 110 to 140.
Finished in three to four months.
• Cool composting
– Continuous pile. Add material as it’s available.
– Trench. Kitchen scraps placed 12” deep and
covered immediately. Typically near garden.
– Sheet. Layers of newsprint, yard waste, dried leaves.
Ready in six to eight months (next season).
Troubleshooting
Materials not decomposing:
Add water, turn pile to add oxygen, add more greens
Ammonia odor:
Add browns such leaves, straw
Rotten odor:
Turn pile, add coarse dry materials.
Bury food scraps
How to use your Compost
• Mulch for garden, fruit trees
• Top dressing on flowering plants
• Soil improvement, helps to change structure
– Enhances moisture retention in sandy soil
– Improves drainage in clay soil
– Attracts earthworms which
aerate soil
Compost Demonstration Sites
Master Gardeners offer how-to advice at five locations in Howard
County from April to November. Free bins to County residents.





Schooley Mill Park
Centennial Park
Alpha Ridge Landfill
Miller Branch library
Robinson Nature Center
Top 10 Reasons to Compost
10.Be environmentally responsible.
9. Reduce need for chemical fertilizers, mulch.
8. Create a healthy landscape.
7. Improve the quality of your soil.
6. Reduce amount of yard waste going to landfill.
5. Protect the Chesapeake Bay and watershed.
4. Decrease water use in your landscape.
3. Protect privacy. Use shredded personal papers!
2. It's easy. Good exercise.
1. Free bin for Howard County residents!
Resources to Learn More
• Home and Garden Information Center
extension.umd.edu/hgic/resources
• HC Bureau of Environmental Services
howardcountymd.gov/composting.htm
• Howard County Master Gardeners
The University of Maryland Extension programs are open to any person and will not
discriminate against anyone because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, physical or
mental disability, religion, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information,
political affiliation, and gender identity or expression.