What’s Your Compost Type?
Host: Gary Bachman, Ornamental Horticulture Specialist
Transcription:
There’s a reason gardeners call compost “black gold” today on Southern Gardening.
Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
Compost is broken down organic matter than improves any kind of soil. It adds nutrients and moisture holding capacity to sandy soil and helps loosen clay soil helping it to drain better. Plants simply grow better when compost is around.
A lot of gardeners don’t compost; they think that it’s complicated and, somehow, that they’ll mess it up. I’m here to tell you that anyone can compost. It can be as easy as dumping leaves or grass clippings in a pile.
Here’s a good day to deal with fall leaves: run them over first with your lawn mower if you want them to break down a little faster in your compost pile. Simply making a pile is a good option for what’s called “cool composting.” Or you could put more time and effort into a three bin system that creates compost quickly.
These bins can be purchased or ready- made, or you can build them out of slats or pallets. Make sure each bin holds at least one cubic yard—three foot-by three foot-by three foot—that appears to be the magic number when composting is most efficient.
Ready- made compost tumblers are enclosed, so it’s safe to put food scraps in them. Some have a stand that allows them to be flipped over to turn the compost. Others are ball shaped so you can roll them around the yard to turn the compost.
Which one works best for you? You might choose a combination. A simple compost pile in an area hidden away across the house, and a ready-made compost tumbler for the kitchen garden. Whether you’re producing lots of compost or just enough to top dress a bed or two every spring, your plants will love you.
Until next time, I am horticulturist Gary Bachman enjoying our Southern Gardening.
Southern Gardening with Gary Bachman is produced by the Mississippi State University Extension Service.