Published: September 02, 2008 06:43 pm            

Compost called black gold for a reason

Each year citizens, businesses, and institutions in the U.S. produce more than 500,000,000,000 pounds of municipal solid waste. According to the USEPA, around 30 percent is comprised of food scraps and yard waste, and paper represents another 30 percent. If someone were to suggest that we could dramatically reduce these numbers with minimal effort and receive a free, beneficial source of nutrients for our plants, trees, and vegetables, you might think, "snake oil salesman" or something worse. But it's true.

With increasing interest in backyard gardening and the local food movement, many people have expressed interest in composting a simple way to recycle food scraps and yard waste into compost. In general, composting is just an enhanced version of the natural process of decomposition. The end result is humus: a dark, stable, and nutrient rich form of organic matter. And it's called Black Gold for a reason.

According to the Rodale Book of Composting, "...composting (is) the oldest and most universally practiced form of soil treatment in the world...". George Washington composted as did Thomas Jefferson. The reasons our founding fathers composted are the same reasons people compost today. Compost recycles waste, builds soil structure, protects against drought and erosion, improves aeration, offers a slow steady source of nutrients to plants, buffers against extreme pH levels, stimulates biological activity, and improves soil quality.

How can you make compost? All that you need to make high quality compost is organic material, moisture, air, and time. Grass clippings, leaves, weeds, manure, cardboard, fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, can all be composted, while meat, dairy products, fatty foods, and pet feces are best avoided. All organic materials have a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Food scraps, grass clippings, and manure have low C:N ratios (~20:1), while sawdust, cardboard, and newspaper have high C:N ratios (~500:1). Ideally the C:N ratio of a compost pile should be 25 or 30:1. So for example, one part fallen leaves and two parts grass clippings would result in a ratio very close to 30:1.

What sort of container is necessary? There are many different types of compost bins for sale: tumblers and drums, mobile bins, and stationary bins to name a few. But, with minimal effort it is easy to construct your own compost bin using wood, pallets, or concrete blocks. You can also simply make a compost heap or pile. To make a pallet bin, place four pallets upright in a square and fasten them together with zip ties or screws. If you find you need more room, just add three more pallets to expand your bin into two bins. This also makes it easier to turn the compost on a regular schedule.

For more information on composting, contact your local MSU Extension office to locate a Master Composter near you or visit your local library and check out a book or two on composting. With minimal effort, you too can make compost happen.

Dr. Rob Sirrine is the Michigan State University Extension Director in Leelanau County. He grew up working on cherry farms in northern Michigan and provides support to farmers in the area through MSUE. He has a Ph.D. in Environmental Studies and a B.S. in Natural Resources.

        

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