Life in the Compost Pile
More and more gardeners are creating compost areas in their yards. It is such a beneficial amendment to the soil when growing plants! Although many companies sell bags of compost in bulk, we can create our own free and readily available source at home.
Why do we compost? Some good reasons are to help reduce landfill, cut down on wasted food, create a good amendment to our garden, and stay organic. So, what makes a good compost? We basically need food scraps, other plant material, the right temperature, oxygen and water. It’s the proper proportions of these that make a difference. We want to get good, usable compost in a reasonable amount of time without bad odors from adding the wrong material. We could leave a pile of plant materials unattended without water, and it will eventually break down, but it takes a long time.
In addition to water, heat, air and organic materials, the most important part of composting is the diligent work of microbes, invertebrates. and crustaceans that live in our compost. We only see the big bugs, but it’s a fascinating world once you’re aware of what’s going on in there. In a teaspoon of compost, you may find up to a billion bacteria, 440-900 feet of branching fungi, and 10,000 to 50,000 protozoa!
Here’s a little view into the center of that compost pile. Let me introduce you to these hard workers without actually having to shake their hands. In fact, we can’t even see most of them without a microscope.
The microbes are the primary consumers that eat the food waste in the compost. These include bacteria, fungi, actinomycetes, and nematodes. Sowbugs are also primary consumers. Earthworms are a subject all their own, feasting on the microbes while eating the partially broken-down food scraps and doing a tremendous job in the garden. Their tunneling aerates the compost and enables water, nutrients and oxygen to filter down through the pile.
The next group consists of the secondary consumers, who continue to break down the material by eating the primary consumers. This group includes springtails, nematodes, protozoa, rotifers, some beetles and mites.
And finally, the last group are the tertiary consumers, who eat the secondary consumers, continuing to process the decaying organic matter. These include centipedes, predatory mites, rover beetles and ants. It’s really a complex food web in action and each stage breaks down that “black gold” a little more until its ready to make our vegetables grow and taste better.
The temperature of the compost pile is very important to how fast it works. This all happens with chemical reactions. Without being overwhelmed by the chemistry, we can understand what is happening inside that compost pile. You might want to purchase a long thermometer to insert in your pile to tell you what’s going on in there and what stage your compost is in. Essential elements for microbes and invertebrates in compost are carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and moisture. As the metabolic rate of microbes speeds up, the system temperature increases, and the compost is “cooking”. As the microbes reduce the organic material, oxygen is depleted and the temperature lowers. Destruction of weed seeds, pathogens, and fly larvae is favorable at 130° or more.
There are many styles of compost bins available, or you can make your own. Use a container with airholes or even a pile with chicken wire around it. You just want to be able to turn it when it needs it.
Building and maintaining your compost:
Start with a layer of “browns” for carbon: Shredded twigs, leaves, paper, coffee grounds are examples.
Add “greens” for nitrogen: Yard waste, food scraps.
Add horse, cow, sheep or goat manure - not too much, because it really heats up. Chicken poop and bat guano is also good, but only small amounts, as these are very “hot.”
Water each layer.
Avoid meat, milk, oil and pet droppings. These can smell bad and attract animals.
Check your moisture content and heat. A long-stem thermometer is a good tool for your compost pile.
Cover new food additions with soil without disturbing the center of the pile.
When temperatures within a pile are high, let it be, but if they approach 150°, you should turn it.
When temperatures decrease, turn the pile to increase oxygen and start “cooking" again.
Let your compost “rest”, cool down and fully decompose before adding it to garden.
A small composting area is a fun way to use vegetable scraps and make a wholesome addition to your garden soil. If your compost pile is really small, it might not heat up. Don't worry - just keep it moist and it will eventually break down. Be sure that your compost bin or pile is secure from explorations by the local wildlife!
Start small and grow as you go.
Laurie Bryant
Oracle Community Learning Garden
Tips and Tricks from Bunny - Another way to use those veggie scraps
I have a small garden at home with six grape vines facing north. In the spring, I take my vegetable kitchen scraps out every few days, dig a hole about 2’ away from the vine, then cover the scraps with soil. I water it with a couple gallons of water I saved from shower warm-up water in a five-gallon bucket, then mulch with straw and shredded paper. The grapes exploded with growth! I dug, filled, covered and mulched eight holes.
I also have dug holes for veggie scraps in the garden bed in four spots next to a Large Cherry Tomato plant, watered it, then laid down straw mulch. The mulch adds to the water retention and keeps the roots cool. I’ll do the same with a small fig tree I grew from a cutting and planted in my garden.
Note: Be sure your veggie scrap compost holes cannot be dug up by local wildlife - some kind of fencing around them is very important or your compost will be feeding the javelina and packrats.
Start small, one plant at a time and go from there. I like trying anything that will save me time, money and energy.
Happy gardening!
Bunny Bunzel
Do you have questions about compost, or do you want help building your own compost? Send us an email at oraclegardening@gmail.com or call Laurie at 910-670-5665.
