Compost
I had a small compost in my backyard when I lived in the city. I had no idea what to do with it. I had a small garden and I was still figuring things out. That was almost 5 years ago. Fast forward to now, I have a huge compost pile and I build my own soil and you can too! Most of what I know about gardening I either learned from my father or through trial and error. This technique I use now I came up with myself but I’ve convinced my father to use it as well.
About compost:
Soil is the backbone of your garden. You should be doing everything you can to improve it. A compost pile is really just a replication of a natural process that occurs almost everywhere.
The ideal garden soil has a granular or a crumb-like structure. Sandy soils will have poor structure, while heavy clay will compact when wet and inhibit good plant growth. Compost can correct a soil that is either too sandy or too clayey by adding organic matter that encourages aggregate formation.
Soil test!
So how do you know what kind of soil you have? A soil test! I’ll tell you a quick way to do that, but first let’s talk about your soils components. Testing your soil will help determine how much water and fertilizer your plants will need and what other adjustments you need to make to your soil.
Clay:
Is the smallest mineral component. These tiny flat particles fit together closely to create the greatest surface area of all soil types. Clay soil contains needed nutrients and also stores water well. So well, in fact, that drainage is slow in clay soil.
Sand:
Makes up the largest particles in soil structure. These are rounded rather than flat and allows for larger space between the particles. Water drains quickly from soil that has a lot of sand and nutrients drain fast too. If your soil is mostly sand your plants will need more water and fertilizer.
Silt:
Represents the granular material between the size of sand and clay.
So for the soil test you just need some of your soil, water, and a mason jar.
- use a clean mason jar with a tight lid.
- fill jar halfway with your soil.
- fill jar to the top with water leaving a little room for shaking.
- secure lid and shake vigorously for a few minutes.
- set jar aside for a few hours so everything settles. They will separate into layers.
* The bottom layer will be heavier particles, rocks, and sand.
*The next will be the silt layer.
* Above that are the clay particles.h
*There may be some organic matter floating on the surface of the water.
Ideal garden soil is 20% clay, 40% silt, 40% sand
Don’t fret if your soil isn’t ideal, it can be adjusted!
So now that you know what kind of soil you have let’s move on to the part about composting! There are several ways to make a compost. I have a bin but I also have a random pile at the end of my property. If you don’t have much land I would suggest a bin as things can get stinky sometimes depending on what you’re composting. Once you decide what you want to put your compost in (or not) and find a location for it, now let’s talk about WHAT you can put in your compost. Below is a list of a few things you can compost. It’s best to use what is readily available to you.
- yard trimmings: yard trimmings compost is the most widely available material for high rate incorporation into soil.
- leaves from deciduous trees: leave are perhaps the best and readily available organic matter source for vegetable gardens or other areas that get annual tillage.
- crop residue: I get my crop residue from my neighboring farm. I understand this may not be available to most people who don’t reside in rural areas, but if it’s available to you I recommend it.
- animal manure: I keep chickens so that’s my go to, I also use a bit of water from my cichlids tank when I my water changes. It’s very high in nitrogen, ammonia, and salt. Some manure can be purchased at stores. Please never use cat or dog poop.
- kitchen scraps: fruits and veggies, crushed egg shells, tea and coffee ground (no tea bags), can all be used. If you use live worms in your compost do not use citrus, citrus peels, or onions in your compost as it will kill them.
I usually spread mine out and layer it. Manure, leaves and soil mixture first, then veggies and kitchen scraps and grass clippings, a layer of soil, then water on top.
Add compost to your soil in the spring when you start planting. Compost will improve all soil types.
I will post a blog for the different fertilizer teas I make and another about soil building in the next few days.
Happy composting!!
About compost:
Soil is the backbone of your garden. You should be doing everything you can to improve it. A compost pile is really just a replication of a natural process that occurs almost everywhere.
The ideal garden soil has a granular or a crumb-like structure. Sandy soils will have poor structure, while heavy clay will compact when wet and inhibit good plant growth. Compost can correct a soil that is either too sandy or too clayey by adding organic matter that encourages aggregate formation.
Soil test!
So how do you know what kind of soil you have? A soil test! I’ll tell you a quick way to do that, but first let’s talk about your soils components. Testing your soil will help determine how much water and fertilizer your plants will need and what other adjustments you need to make to your soil.
Clay:
Is the smallest mineral component. These tiny flat particles fit together closely to create the greatest surface area of all soil types. Clay soil contains needed nutrients and also stores water well. So well, in fact, that drainage is slow in clay soil.
Sand:
Makes up the largest particles in soil structure. These are rounded rather than flat and allows for larger space between the particles. Water drains quickly from soil that has a lot of sand and nutrients drain fast too. If your soil is mostly sand your plants will need more water and fertilizer.
Silt:
Represents the granular material between the size of sand and clay.
So for the soil test you just need some of your soil, water, and a mason jar.
- use a clean mason jar with a tight lid.
- fill jar halfway with your soil.
- fill jar to the top with water leaving a little room for shaking.
- secure lid and shake vigorously for a few minutes.
- set jar aside for a few hours so everything settles. They will separate into layers.
* The bottom layer will be heavier particles, rocks, and sand.
*The next will be the silt layer.
* Above that are the clay particles.h
*There may be some organic matter floating on the surface of the water.
Ideal garden soil is 20% clay, 40% silt, 40% sand
Don’t fret if your soil isn’t ideal, it can be adjusted!
So now that you know what kind of soil you have let’s move on to the part about composting! There are several ways to make a compost. I have a bin but I also have a random pile at the end of my property. If you don’t have much land I would suggest a bin as things can get stinky sometimes depending on what you’re composting. Once you decide what you want to put your compost in (or not) and find a location for it, now let’s talk about WHAT you can put in your compost. Below is a list of a few things you can compost. It’s best to use what is readily available to you.
- yard trimmings: yard trimmings compost is the most widely available material for high rate incorporation into soil.
- leaves from deciduous trees: leave are perhaps the best and readily available organic matter source for vegetable gardens or other areas that get annual tillage.
- crop residue: I get my crop residue from my neighboring farm. I understand this may not be available to most people who don’t reside in rural areas, but if it’s available to you I recommend it.
- animal manure: I keep chickens so that’s my go to, I also use a bit of water from my cichlids tank when I my water changes. It’s very high in nitrogen, ammonia, and salt. Some manure can be purchased at stores. Please never use cat or dog poop.
- kitchen scraps: fruits and veggies, crushed egg shells, tea and coffee ground (no tea bags), can all be used. If you use live worms in your compost do not use citrus, citrus peels, or onions in your compost as it will kill them.
I usually spread mine out and layer it. Manure, leaves and soil mixture first, then veggies and kitchen scraps and grass clippings, a layer of soil, then water on top.
Add compost to your soil in the spring when you start planting. Compost will improve all soil types.
I will post a blog for the different fertilizer teas I make and another about soil building in the next few days.
Happy composting!!
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