(Backyard Gardener - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Hello Mid-Ohio Valley gardeners and farmers! This week I want to talk about backyard composting. Composting will reduce the amount of waste going to landfills and supply homeowners with a valuable soil amendment. Compost is extremely valuable for using in lawns and garden soil with poor fertility. It is supplying essential nutrients and organic matter.

I have several homeowners contact me about difficulty getting a good stand of grass in their new lawn. Many of these lawns have subsoil mixed in them and are lacking organic matter. Yes, you can apply fertilizer and lime to increase fertility but nothing beats applying organic matter such as compost or aged manure.

Composting is controlling the natural process of decay to transform organic waste into a valuable soil amendment. By managing the amount of oxygen, water, temperature and the ratio of brown or green material (carbon to nitrogen) we are simply speeding up this decay process. When making a compost pile your goal is to create ideal conditions for microorganisms to thrive and break down the organic matter.

Americans generate a lot of waste. According to the EPA, in 2018 the United States generated more than 292 million tons of municipal solid waste. About 68% of that waste was sent to landfills and incinerators while 32% was recycled and composted.

Food is the single most common material sent to U.S. landfills, comprising 24.1% of municipal solid waste. When you add yard trimmings, wood and paper/paperboard, these organic materials comprise 51.4% of municipal solid waste in landfills.

Compost has many benefits. It is mainly used as a soil amendment to improve fertility. It will add organic matter to gardens, flower beds, lawns, and crops fields. Compost returns organic matter to the soil in a usable form.

Organic matter in the soil improves plant growth by stimulating the development of beneficial microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, loosening heavy clay soils to allow for better root penetration, improving the capacity to hold water and nutrients (particularly in sandy soils), and adding essential nutrients to any soil.

Ok, compost is good stuff. Now, what material from around the home can I add to the compost pile? Yard trimmings such as leaves, grass clippings, weeds, thatch, and the remains of garden plants (no diseased plants) make excellent compost. Other good additions to a compost pile include ground brush, wood ash, and kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable peelings, eggshells, and coffee grounds.

Do not compost meat, bones, or fatty foods such as cheese, salad dressing, and cooking oil. These foods ferment or putrefy, causing odors that attract rodents and other nocturnal animals that can be pests.

Location is important when backyard composting. It will be inconvenient if it is too far from the house. Make sure that it is accessible from all sides so it will be easy to turn and close to compost materials and water. Protect the pile from excessive wind and constant sun which may dry out the pile and, if necessary, be placed out of direct view from main roads or neighbors’ homes.

Pallets, cinder blocks, chicken wire or recycled lumber are all popular choices for material to construct your compost pile. For households with little waste or those in more urban areas, a closed tumbler offers a way to compost effectively on a smaller scale and keep it undisturbed. Many choose to keep a small bin in the kitchen to collect scraps, then transfer those to the pile on a routine basis.

The pile should be between about 3 cubic feet (3 ft. tall, 3 ft. wide and 3 ft. deep) to reach temperatures between 140 and 160°F. At this temperature, the pile’s surface will feel hot. As microorganisms decompose organic material, they create heat that warms the pile. A pile that is small will not be able to maintain this temperature during late fall months and early winter. A larger pile will restrict air movement to the center of the pile.

Everything organic has a given ratio of carbon to nitrogen (C:N) in its tissues. A C:N ratio of 30:1 is ideal for the activity of compost microbes. Brown materials have a high C:N ratio. This includes leaves (50:1), straw (80:1) , shredded paper (150:1) and sawdust (400:1). Green materials such as grass clippings (15:1), kitchen scraps (20:1), and coffee grounds (20:1) have a lower C:N ratio.

You should build your compost pile in layers, mixing a balance of brown and green material. Once triggered into action the “thermophiles.” or heat-loving bacteria, will generate temperatures of 130-170 degrees F. The temperature will typically rise within 24 hours after the bin is filled.

As the thermophiles consume nutrients and oxygen, they produce enough heat to evaporate some of the moisture and will produce a compost harvest in six to eight weeks.

If possible, brown material that is added to the compost pile should be shredded. Microorganisms will work faster and decompose materials quicker if pieces are smaller. If leaves and grass clippings are wet, allow them to dry so that they do not clump together when added to the pile.

If your compost mix is too low in nitrogen, it will not heat up. If the nitrogen proportion is too high, the compost may become too hot, killing the compost microorganisms, or it may go anaerobic, resulting in a foul-smelling mess.

Moisture content can often be insufficient for effective composting. The pile should be damp, not dripping wet and not dusty dry, but about as wet as a sponge that has been wrung out. Water the pile as needed to keep it damp.

Composting is an aerobic activity that requires oxygen. Once the pile is built, turn the pile weekly, using a pitchfork or shovel (spading fork works well). Turning adds air to the pile and mixes the material from the outside of the pile to the inside of the pile, where greater biological activity usually occurs.

Decomposition will continue without oxygen, but anaerobic decomposition produces foul odors and is a slower process. Depending on the speed of decomposition, the pile should stay hot for several weeks to two months.

For rapid composting, the temperature of the pile becomes important. Active composting occurs in the temperature range of 55-155 degrees F. High pile temperature provides rapid composting, destroys pathogenic organisms and kills weed seeds.

The compost pile will decrease in size to about half the original volume. Then the pile needs to sit for another four to eight weeks to “cure.” Turn the pile at least weekly during the curing phase. The compost is ready to use when the material in the pile no longer heats up when turned, the pile has a pleasant, earthy smell and the material in the pile is uniform, crumbly and dark brown in color.

Compost can be added annually to build good soil. The best time to add compost to the vegetable or flower garden is during fall or spring tilling. You can add it to the soil when planting trees, shrubs, annuals or perennials. Compost also is an excellent mulch or top-dressing. Compost may also be used as top-dressing for the lawn.

Contact me at the Wood County WVU Extension Office (304)-424-1960 or e-mail me at jj.barrett@mail.wvu.edu with questions. Good Luck and Happy Gardening!

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Ask the Ag Agent

Can Dryer sheets actually help with gnats in houseplants?

Yes. Researchers at the University of Illinois and Kansas State University studied using Bounce® original brand fabric softener dryer sheets to repel adult fungus gnats. The idea came from Master Gardener and trade magazine claims that sheets of Bounce® tucked into pockets of clothing repels mosquitoes.

Fungus gnats can become a nuisance where houseplants are overwatered, especially in peat-based media. Larvae feed on algae, fungi, and plant roots in the growing medium. Typically, non-chemical methods are used to control these gnats on plants growing indoors by watering less frequently, removing algae, or re-potting plants using clean media.

Adult fungus gnats were tested in special containers in the lab to determine how many flew into a compartment containing moist growing media or one with moist media plus a Bounce® dryer sheet. Results showed 45% of the total number of adult gnats released into the test chamber was collected from the compartment with moistened media, while only 18% were present in the compartment with media and the dryer sheet.

Dryer sheets contain linalool, a common ingredient used in cosmetics and perfumes to produce a floral odor. This compound occurs naturally in lavender, marjoram, coriander, and basil.