Fall composting in the garden

Fall composting in the garden- Leaves, grass clippings great additions to a compost pile By RICHARD POFFENBAUGH News Journal columnist Compost is to fertile soil as clean air is to healthy lungs. Both are vital to our survival. Composting is a process in which bacteria and fungi break down organic matter into humus -- the black crumbly material that improves soil structure. There is no substitute for generous amounts of organic matter in soil for the growth of healthy plants. Generally, it takes a year to produce compost. The process can be speeded up if selected materials are included in the pile. Over the many years I have combined grass clippings (pesticide-free) with shredded leaves as an excellent base for compost. The nitrogen in the clippings gives the compost pile a kick-start to generate heat for the composting process. Keeping the pile moist and turned every week or two will add to quicker break-down of plant material. Urban gardeners lack access to cow or horse manure. Compost from leaves and other plant matter offers an effective substitute. If added to a garden each year, the soil will become fertile, loose and receptive to root growth. The better the soil, the better the roots and more productive a plant. It's that simple! My garlic and sweet onion plants are planted in the same general area each year. It works well without rotation. These two crops are not eaten by deer and thus don't take up valuable space in my fenced-in garden. These are deer-proof vegetables. But each year a generous amount of compost is worked into the onion/garlic patch. This is done in the fall just before garlic is planted (this week). As a result, the soil is loose, fertile and easy to work without tilling. The compost does wonders for the production of these two crops. If you don't have a shredder to chop up the leaves, a rotary mower can be used as a shredder. For a finer product, mow over the leaves once. Then attach a bag to a mower and mow over the leaves again. The bag will accumulate leaves that have been chopped up twice. These will be ideal small-size particles to add to the compost pile. Some do's and don'ts for composting: DO recycle fallen leaves and other plant refuse into compost. It's a cycle that occurs naturally in woodlands and forests. DO start or add to a compost pile each fall. This provides a continual supply of organic matter for soil enrichment. DO make the compost pile at least 4 feet tall and wide, a 4 foot cube. If smaller, the material loses heat and won't heat up properly. DO locate a pile so it is convenient to water and turn the material over. DO begin the pile on soil with a layer of coarse material like corn stalks or other tough stems. This allows some air to enter from the bottom. DO create the pile like a sandwich. A layer should be at least 4 inches thick with a one-inch layer of soil between each two layers. Pest-free grass clippings combined with shredded leaves provides nitrogen and heat that will begin the decomposition process. DO chop or shred leaves, stems and other plant materials to increase their surface area. This will increase the rate of decomposition. DO add several shovels of finished compost to a new pile and mix thoroughly. This will introduce microorganisms to the new material. DON'T add these items to a compost pile: charcoal, meat or dairy materials, fish scraps, bones or fat, pet droppings, pesticide-treated grass clippings of other treated materials; or any materials that will attract rats, dogs, raccoons, skunks or other animals. DON'T compost diseased plant materials. While some pathogens may be destroyed due to heat inside the pile, odds are some will survive and be carried over from year to year. DON'T compost weeds that have seed heads. Seeds are survivors and likely will produce more weeds when the compost is spread over a garden area. DON'T add materials such as poison ivy or black walnut plant residue. This is a case where avoidance is the best protection against carryover of unfavorable chemicals. DON'T worry if you don't have a composting bin or enclosure. All it takes is a pile in a sunny location with a mixture of shredded materials and kept evenly moist. DON'T layer a pile higher than 5 feet. A tall pile is awkward to turn and the organic matter becomes compacted with poor aeration.