Start your year off with composting
Brennan Jackson
County Extension/ANR Agent
If you’re looking to develop a new habit for the new year then consider composting. Many people today are looking for ways to engage in sustainable practices to reduce waste and create a better environment to live in. There are many ways to achieve that goal, but composting is a great sustainable practice and provides a great product to be reused.
Not only is it beneficial, but most everyone has the materials needed to start composting. Simply put, compost is decayed organic material that can be used to improve your soil by adding organic matter, help retain soil moisture and nutrients, reduce soil erosion, and sequester carbon in the soil. For those of us in the lower Piedmont region of the state, we typically have low organic matter in our soils with the soil primarily consisting of clay. Clay is a great medium for plants to grow, but it does have its disadvantages. The soil particles in clay are more prone to compact which can prevent nutrient uptake, root development, and decreases air flow in the soil. However, by incorporating compost the soil the effects of compaction can be reduced, nutrients can be added and the other benefits of compost.
Before determining what you would like to put in your compost bin you need to decide what type of bin you would like to use. There are commercially available compost tumblers, stationary bins, and expandable bins, but you can also build one yourself. The easiest way to compost utilizes plastic garbage bags. With this method you can fill the bag with the composting material, one tablespoon of fertilizer with a high nitrogen content, hydrated lime to counteract extra acidity, and a quart of water.
After filling the bag let it sit for six months to a year. The process is slow, but there is no turning of the material.
When composting with tumblers or stationary bins, the composting material will need to be turned over once or twice a month to allow for the oxygen needed to bring about decomposition. Stationary or drum composters can be built as well. Once the bin has been established keep in mind that the compost pile will need to stay moist (not soggy) to perform decomposition, the materials will decompose quicker if they are smaller or grinded before introducing them to the pile, the pile will decompose quicker when temperatures are warmer, and the pile will need adequate oxygen.
Additionally, make sure that the pile is fully decomposed before using it because if it is not then the soil will have to use nitrogen to continue to break down the compost which takes away nitrogen from the plants.
Adding nitrogen-based materials will help feed the microbes that are decomposing the compost material.
There are certain materials that will work well in a compost pile and some that will not. Fruit and vegetable scraps, grass clippings, coffee grounds, paper tea bags and crushed egg shells work well as the nitrogen- rich materials. Dry leaves, plant stalks and twigs, shredded paper or brown bags, shredded cardboard and untreated wood chips work well as the carbon-rich materials. However, make sure that the paper is non-glossy and uncolored, and make sure the carboard does not have a wax coating, tape or glue. The following items should be avoided: meat, bones, diary products, fats, oils, grease, a lot of cooked food or compostable bags. These produced can be composted, but they are not as conducive to backyard compost bins because the piles will not get hot enough to decompose the materials. Other materials to avoid include plants where herbicides have been applied, weeds with seeds, diseased plants, treat or painted wood, pet waste, or dryer lint.
By incorporating a compost bin into your normal routine you will reduce unnecessary waste and provide yourself a product that can be used in your landscape or lawn. Compost alone is not a replacement for fertilizer, but will be a great soil amendment. For more information about composting or other agriculture related issues please contact the Jones County Extension office by calling (478) 986-3958 or emailing brennan4@uga.edu.
