 | asheville business & community directory |
|
It won’t be long before many western North Carolina gardeners will be ready to get out and start working up that garden soil. When you shove your shovel into the ground, are you faced with sticky red clay, rather than the nice loamy soil you envision? That situation can be remedied with the addition of plenty of organic material. Compost is high on the list for improving garden soil. You can purchase a pickup truck load of compost at some of the local mulch yards, but most gardeners like to make their own. You need a place to put yard waste and kitchen scraps anyway. The process of making compost is not difficult or mysterious. Mother Nature has been doing it since the beginning of time. But there are some basic requirements that will help the process to work well. Plant material is decomposed naturally by an assortment of microorganisms - mostly fungi and bacteria. These living organisms have some of the same needs as the rest of us. They need oxygen, adequate water (but not too much), and a high energy food supply. Compost can be made by simply piling yard waste in an out-of-the-way place, or in a compost bin. Gardeners have used all sorts of creative methods for building compost bins. The primary considerations are size and available materials. The most efficient size for a bin is about 4 feet by 4 feet. Construction materials can be almost anything that will allow air flow to allow for that needed oxygen supply. "Serious" composters prefer a covered bin so the amount of moisture in the bin can be controlled. In an uncovered bin, good drainage under the pile and good air flow are especially important to prevent the pile from staying too wet during rainy weather. Materials added to the compost bin generally fall into the categories of "high carbon" or "high nitrogen." Anything dry and brown is high in carbon. Fresh green materials such as grass clippings or kitchen scraps are high in nitrogen. The nitrogen is the energy food needed for the microorganisms to work most effectively. A pile of leaves will break down eventually, but it may take a long time. If the leaves are chopped and mixed with green materials, composting will be much faster. Yard waste usually contains adequate amounts of the needed microorganisms, especially if you pull spent plants up and leave some soil attached to the roots. To assure a good supply, one can also add several shovels if topsoil or finished compost. Manures are also a good source of both nitrogen and microorganisms. Aerating the compost pile is the only labor intensive step; and it is not essential. The pile can be “turned” by literally shoveling the pile to an adjacent spot, essentially turning it upside down. Or if the pile is not too large it can be aerated by fluffing with a garden fork or a special aerating tool. The purpose of aerating is to re-mix the materials and infuse a fresh supply of oxygen to get the microbes reenergized and working again. To learn more about backyard composting, visit the Extension Master Gardeners’ demonstration site at the WNC Farmers’ Market. Later in the spring volunteers will be available at the site for some Saturday morning workshops. You may also call Buncombe County Cooperative Extension at 255-5522. (Image provided by Buncombe County.)
|
