G4107
MASTER
COMPOSTER
HomeStudyCourse
LessonsonHowtoEffectivelyManage
YardTrimmingsandOtherOrganicMaterials
GeneratedatHome
Master Composter
Table of Contents
Welcome to the Master Composter Course!
This series of lessons will teach you how to become more proficient at managing yard
trimmings and other organic materials that you generate at home.
Lesson 1. Managing Yard Trimmings and Organic Wastes at Home ....................................... 1
Why Manage Organic Materials at Home? ........................................................................................... 1
How Much Organic Material Can be Composted? ............................................................................. 3
Are There Certain Regulations I Should be Aware Of? .................................................................... 3
Lesson 2. The Composting Process ........................................................................................................... 8
History of Composting ................................................................................................................................. 8
The Science of Composting ........................................................................................................................ 9
Key Factors Affecting the Composting Process ................................................................................14
Lesson 3. Materials and Methods for Composting ..........................................................................20
What to Compost..........................................................................................................................................20
Composting Methods ..................................................................................................................................25
Lesson 4. Making and Maintaining a Compost Pile ........................................................................32
When to Start a Compost Pile..................................................................................................................32
Where to Compost .......................................................................................................................................33
Making a Compost Pile...............................................................................................................................34
Troubleshooting: Problems and Solutions.........................................................................................37
Compost Pile pH ...........................................................................................................................................39
Health Considerations................................................................................................................................39
Lesson 5. Using Compost ..............................................................................................................................42
Benefits of Compost ....................................................................................................................................42
Finished Compost ........................................................................................................................................44
Compost Application ..................................................................................................................................45
Lesson 6. Other Options for Managing Yard Trimmings & Food Scraps .............................49
Vermicomposting.........................................................................................................................................49
Grasscycling ...................................................................................................................................................56
Mulching ..........................................................................................................................................................59
Resource Saving Landscape Design .....................................................................................................61
Appendix Study Question Answers .........................................................................................................66
Master Composter
MANAGING YARD TRIMMINGS AND ORGANIC WASTES AT HOME
Lesson One
What’sahead
Inlesson1ofthehomestudycourse,
you’lllearn:
§ whyitisbeneficialtomanageyard
trimmingsandkitchenscrapsat
home;
§ howmuchorganicmaterialyoucan
expecttocompostandmulch;
§ stateandlocalregulationsrelatedto
managingyardtrimmingsandother
organics;and
§ differentoptionsavailableto
householdsforhandlingyard
trimmings
Whymanageorganicmaterialsat
home?
Inoursociety,wespendconsiderable
time,energy,andresourcesstopping,
controlling,andignoringdecay.Wespray
produceandaddchemicalstofoodto
inhibitit.Garbagetruckscomebyweekly
toremoveourdecay,takingittolandfills
soitcanrotelsewhere.
Atthesametimeweareinvestingour
energiesintodisposingofdecay,weare
alsodeprivingthelandofvaluable
nutrients.Allthatrottingorganicmaterial
hasthepotentialtosignificantlyimprove
soilhealthandplantgrowth⎯righta
home.Everyfall,manyfolksgotogreat
lengthstobagupdeadleavesandgarden
cuttingsthatgethauledawaytoa
compostingorland-spreadingsite.They
payfeeseitherdirectlyorthroughtaxes
tohavesomeoneelsemakethedecaygo
away.Inthespring,theyrushtostoresto
buyfertilizersandotheramendmentsto
putontotheiryards.
Thewordsassociatedwiththenatural
processofdecompositionseemtohave
unpleasantconnotations:rot,decay,
putrefaction,spoilage,waste.Thismay
explainwhysomepeoplearehesitantto
getinvolvedwithcompostingand
mulching.Compostingisaprocessthat
facilitatesrotanddecay.
Yardtrimmings:thisisaterm,whichhas
thesamemeaningasyardwaste.Many
peopleinvolvedincompostingand
recyclingacrosstheU.S.feelthattheword
“waste”makesitharderforthepublicto
appreciatethevalueofcompostand
mulchproducedfromleaves,grass
clippings,brushandgardendebris.Most
professionalsnowusetheterm“yard
trimmings”inplaceof“yardwaste”.
Througheducationandsubtlepeer
pressure,the“ick”factorassociatedwith
compostingandmulchingisslowly
disappearing.Homecompostingis
becoming“eco-chic”insome
neighborhoods⎯abackyardisnot
completeunlessitfeaturesacompostbin.
Moreandmorepeoplearetalkingabout
compostingwithneighbors,atpartiesand
inworkplacelunchrooms.
Thereareanumberofreasonsforthis
growinginterestinbackyardcomposting
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 1
andmulching.Childrenlearnabout
recycling,compostingandother
environmentalissuesatschoolandthey
taketheinformationhometotheir
parents.Communitiesareexpanding
educationeffortsassociatedwith
recyclingprogramstoincludebackyard
composting.Moreimportantly,peopleare
startingtorealizethatpersonalactions
canmakeadifferenceinourenvironment.
Asstewardsoftheplanet,oneofthemost
powerfulthingswecandoistocarefor
thesmallpatchesoflandsurroundingour
homes.Insteadofpackingupexcess
organicmaterialstosendtoadistant
destination,wecanturnthemintoa
valuableamendmentthatmakessoil
healthy,vibrantandliving.Wecanreap
benefits,whichincludeamorebeautiful
yardwithreducedwaterandfertilizer
bills.Inaddition,ouractionswillreduce
costsfortransportingandmanagingyard
materialsoff-site,andsavelandfillspace.
Reduce,reuseandrecycle
Manyfolksfinditeasiertounderstand
theconceptsofbackyardcompostingand
mulchingwhentheyareexplainedusing
recyclingandwastereduction
terminology.Wecanreduce,reuse,and
recycleasizablequantityof
ouryardtrimmingsandin
manycommunities,a
considerableamountoffood
wastes.Withasmallamount
ofplanningandeffort,we
canmakeasignificantdent
intheamountofmaterialput
outatthecurband/or
broughttocentralized
compostingsites.
Reduce-Oneoftheeasiestwaysto
reduceyardtrimmingsistoleavegrass
clippingsrightwheretheyfall.Clippings
2 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
worktheirwayintothegroundwithin
daysofcutting,improvingthesoiland
feedingthelawn.Anotherwaytoreduce
yardtrimmingsistodevelopand
maintainhomelandscapessotheymimic
naturalsystems.Considerreducingyour
lawnareabyplantingmoregroundcovers
andcreatingsmallbedsaroundtreesand
shrubs.Byanalyzingyourcurrentyard
layoutandmakingsomemodifications,
youcanreducetheamountofyard
trimmingsgenerated.
Reuse-Manyorganicmaterialsare
beingputbacktouseinyardsand
gardenswithverylittleeffort.Youcan
mulchwithyardtrimmingssuchas
shreddedleaves,grassclippings,and
chippedwood(frombranches).Mulching
offersnumerousbenefitssuchas
protectingthesoil,conservingmoisture
andsuppressingweeds.
Recycle-Twoformsoforganic
recyclingarebackyardcompostingand
vermicomposting(wormcomposting).
Homecompostingrecyclesyard
trimmingsandcertaintypesoffood
scrapsintoavaluablesoilamendment.
Vermicompostingisanothermethodfor
recyclingawidevarietyoffood
wastesintonutrientrichworm
castings.Youcanusethesesoil
amendments,compostand
wormcastings,inpottingsoil
mixtures,formakingcompost
tea,ingardens,onlawns,and
aroundshrubsandtrees.
Redwormsusedfor
vermicompostingcanalsobe
usedforfishingbait.Inaddition,
youcanrecycleyourChristmastreeintoa
birdfeedingstation,potpourri,mulchfor
acidlovingplants,andfireplacelogs(tree
trunk).
Lesson1
ManagingYardTrimmingsandOrganicWastesatHome
AlmostallhouseholdsinWisconsin
arerecyclingasignificantportionoftheir
wastes⎯cardboard,metalcans,plastic
containers,glassjarsandbottles,
newspapersandmore.Byreducing,
reusing,andrecyclingyouryard
trimmingsandfoodscraps,youmove
closertowardszerowastegenerationand
improveyouryardatthesametime.
Howmuchorganicmaterialcan
becomposted?
Youmaybesaying,“OK,ifIreduce,
reuse,andrecyclemyorganicmaterials−
justhowbigadentcanImakeinmy
householdwastestream?”
Mostpeopledon’tknowhowmuch
wastetheygenerate.In2009,theaverage
Wisconsinresidentgenerated4.5lbsof
trashperdayor1,643lbsperyear.An
averagefour-personhouseholdwould
thengenerateabout6,572lbsoftrashper
year.
Itisestimatedthattheaverage
compostinghouseholdrecyclesabout650
lbsperyear(EconomicCost-Benefit
AnalysisofHomeCompostingPrograms
intheUnitedStates,TheUSComposting
Council,1995).Thiscompareswithother
studiesthathaveshownaveragesof550
to750poundsofyardtrimmingsand
foodwastewerecompostedin
households.
ArecentWIDNRstudysortedand
weighedarangeofmaterialsdeliveredto
differentlandfillsinthestate.Even
thoughmostyardmaterialswerebanned
fromWIlandfillsin2010,theyfoundthat
about161,000tonsofyardmaterialswas
stillbeinglandfilled.Ifwecomposted
thesematerialsalongwithfoodscrapsthe
amountofwastesenttolandfillsfrom
residentswouldbereducedbyupto25%.
Foreachhouseholdthatstarts
composting,thereisthepotentialto
divertanadditional650lbsofmaterial
fromlandfillsandmunicipal
collection/curbsideprograms.Expanding
existinghomecompostinghelpstoo.
Increasingthenumberofhouseholdsthat
compostcanextendthelifeofexpensive
landfillsandreducescostto
municipalitiesandresidents.
Homecompostpiles,however,should
notincludemeatandoilyfoodsduetothe
possibilityofcreatingodorsand
attractingpests.Yet,manyfoodscraps
canbecompostedalongwithyard
materials,humanhair,naturaldryerlint,
lakeweeds,waxedcardboardandmore.
(SeelistsofacceptableandnonacceptableitemstocompostinLesson3.)
Perhapsthebestpartaboutreducing,
reusingandrecyclingorganicmaterials,is
thatyouryardwilldirectlyprofitfrom
yourefforts.Thecompostproducedfrom
thesematerialsisagreatsoilamendment.
Inadditiontoprovidingnutrientsforthe
plantscomposthelpstoimprovesoil
texture,suppresscertainplantdiseases,
andimprovessoilhealth.
AretherecertainregulationsI
shouldbeawareof?
WisconsinisoneofmanyU.S.states
thathavepassedyardtrimmings
legislation.Inaddition,some
communitieswithinWisconsinhave
ordinancesrelatedtohomecomposting
orburningleavesandbrush.These
regulationsaresometimesconfusingfor
residentsandbusinesses.Manypeople
areawareofthestatewidebanon
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 3
landfillingyardwaste,buttheymayhave
questionsonexactlywhatmaterialsare
bannedandwhattheiroptionsarefor
handlingthem.
Wisconsin’srecyclinglaw
AccordingtoWisconsin’srecycling
law,yardtrimmingsarebannedfrom
landfillsandincineratorsthatdon’t
recoverenergy(sinceJanuary3,1993).
Yardtrimmings,definedas“yardwaste”
underWisconsin’srecyclinglaw,consist
ofthefollowingmaterials:
• leaves,
• grassclippings,
• yardandgardendebris,and
• brushincludingclean,woody
vegetativematerialsnogreater
thansixinchesindiameter
Thislawappliestoyardwaste
producedfromeitherresidentialornonresidentialsources,withsome
exemptionsforbrush.Thelegaldefinition
ofyardwastedoesnotinclude:
• stumps,
• roots,
• shrubswithintactrootballs,
• Christmastrees,
• wreathsorgarlands,
• floralarrangements
Itshouldbenoted
thatthelandfillban
appliesonlytobrush
generatedin“yards
andgardens”.The
term“yardsand
gardens”hasafairly
broaddefinition.It
appliestoany
dwelling,including
privateresidencesandapartments,orany
business,institution,orgovernmentthat
4 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
generatesbrushonbuildinggrounds,in
parks,orinyardsand/orgardens.Brush
generatedintheselocationsmustbe
managedtocomplywiththerecyclinglaw.
TheWisconsinDNRexemptsbrush
generatedby:
• farms,
• commercialorchardsand
nurseries,
• publicandprivateforests,
• roadmaintenanceand
construction,
• utilityorrailroadrightof-way
clearing,and
• prescribedburnsdonetocreateor
maintainwildlifehabitatby
private,public,ornon-profit
organizationsorindividuals
Exemptedbrushgeneratorsmust
complywithlocalandstateburning
restrictionsimposedforreasonsoffire
safety,airpollutioncontrol,and
preventionofpublicnuisances.
Optionsformanagingyardtrimmings
Theoptionsavailableforresidentsto
managetheiryardtrimmingswillvary
withtheirlocation.Accordingto
Wisconsin’srecyclinglaw,recycling
programsoperatedbytowns,villages,
citiesandcountiesmustinformresidents
oftheiroptionsforhandlingyard
trimmings,buttheyarenot
obligatedtoprovideacommunity
managementprogram.
Oneoptionison-site
managementorbackyard
composting,whichisthefocusof
thishomestudycourseandthe
MasterComposterTraining
Program.Municipalitiescan
encourageuseofthisoptionby
publicizingitsbenefits,providing
Lesson1
ManagingYardTrimmingsandOrganicWastesatHome
residentswitheducationalmaterialsand
programs,aswellasbyofferingbin
distributionprograms.Master
Composterscanhelppromoteon-site
managementtoavarietyofaudiences
suchasresidentsandyouththrough
outreachactivities.
Anotheroptionforsomeresidentsisa
communitymanagementprogram.A
numberofWisconsincommunitiesand
countiesoffersuchaprogram.Withthis
option,thecommunityoversees
collection,transportation,andprocessing
ofyardtrimmings.Variationsfor
communitymanagementprograms
include:
• Contractingforservices.The
municipalitycontractswith
haulers,nurseries,landscapefirms,
orfarmerstocollectand/or
processyardtrimmings.Yard
trimmingsarecompostedina
centralizedfacilityorlandspread
onagriculturalfields.
• Operatingacompostingfacility.
Municipalitieshandlethe
processingofyardtrimmingsand
marketingoffinishedcompost.
Collectionandtransportationmay
betheresponsibilityofthe
generator,theresponsibleunit,or
itmaybeacontractedservice.
Anumberoflocalgovernments
successfullyutilizebothoptionsofon-site
managementandacommunity
managementprogram.Theydevelop
educationalprogramsforhome
compostingandotheron-site
managementmethodsandpromotethem
asthepreferredoptionforhandlingyard
trimmings.Thecommunitymanagement
optionisutilizedforyardtrimmingsthat
aredifficulttomanageon-sitedueto
spaceconstraints,physicaldisabilities,
and/orstorms.Byencouragingalarge
numberofgenerators
tomanageyard
trimmingson-site,
localgovernmentscan
saveoncollection,
transportationand
processingcosts.
Residentsalsosave
money–either
directlyorthrough
decreasedtaxes.
Athird,butlesspreferable,optionfor
residentsistoburnbrushandotheryard
trimmingsintheirownbackyards.The
baninWisconsin’srecyclinglawdoesnot
prohibitbackyardburning,butitishighly
discouragedbytheWIDept.ofNatural
Resources.Burningmay,however,be
prohibitedinsomemunicipalitiesbylocal
ordinances.Burningisalsorestrictedby
statefirecontrolandairqualityrules.
Leafburningcancauseserioushealth
problems,especiallyinurbanizedareas.
Theopenburningofleavesproduces
particulatematter,carbondioxideand
hydrocarbons.Particulatematteris
comprisedofmicroscopicparticlesthat
canreachintothedeepestregionsofthe
lungandstaythereformonthsoryears.
Inhalingparticulatemattercanincrease
thechanceofrespiratoryinfectionand
triggerasthmaattacks.Highlevelsof
hydrocarbonsareproducedwhenmoist
leavesareburnedwithoutproperair
circulation.Someofthesehydrocarbons,
suchasaldehydesandketones,cause
irritationoftheeyes,nose,throatand
lungs.Asubstantialportionofthe
hydrocarbonsinleafsmokeconsistof
aromatichydrocarbons,someofwhich
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 5
areknowncarcinogens.Carbonmonoxide
isaninvisiblegasthatresultsfrom
incompletecombustion.Burningleafpiles
areidealforcreatingcarbonmonoxide
emissions.Carbonmonoxideisabsorbed
intothebloodstreamthroughthelungs
andcombineswithredbloodcells.This
reducestheamountofoxygenthered
bloodcellscanabsorbandsupplytobody
tissues.Unbornchildren,infants,smokers,
elderly,andpersonswithheartandlung
diseaseareespeciallyvulnerableto
problemswithcarbonmonoxide.
Comparedwithbackyardburning,
compostingandmulchingaremuch
betterwaystomanageyardtrimmings
becausetheyreturnnutrientstothesoil,
theykeepairclean,andtheypose
significantlylesshealthrisk.
WisconsinDNRAdministrativeCode
Chapter502–largescalecompost
facilities
Inadditiontothedisposalbanonyard
waste,Wisconsinhasregulations
governingcompostingfacilitydesignand
operationunderDNRChapterNR502.
Facilitiesforcompostingsolidwaste
fromasinglefamilyorhouseholdare
exemptfromtheregulationsandlicensing
requirementsprovidedthefacilityis
operatedinanuisance-freeand
environmentallysoundmanner.In
addition,ChapterNR502providesan
exemptionforyardandvegetablefood
wastecompostingfacilitieswitha
capacityof50cubicyardsorlesson-site
atanytime.Facilitiescanalsocompost
cleanchippedwoodwasteandmanure.
Thesesitesmustalsobeoperatedina
nuisance-freeandenvironmentallysound
manner.
6 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Ifyouorsomeoneyouknowofis
interestedindevelopingandoperatinga
largercompostingsite,youcanobtaina
copyofChapterNR502fromyourDNR
districtoffice.
Localordinancesaffectingcomposting
activities
SomecommunitiesinWisconsinhave
passedordinancesregulatinghousehold
compostingactivities.Ordinancesvary,
butmayincludespecificsetbacksfromlot
lines,requirebinenclosuresortheremay
berestrictionsonincorporatingfood
wastesintoapile.Beforebuildingyour
owncompostpileorconductingMaster
Composteroutreachactivitiesinyour
community,itwouldbewisetocheck
withofficialsinyourcommunitytoseeif
thereapplicablelocalordinances.
Summary
Inthislesson,you’velearnedabout
reasonsformanagingorganicmaterialsat
homeandhowmuchyoucanpotentially
compostormulch.You’vealsobecome
familiarwithstateregulationsthatrelate
toyardtrimmingsanddifferentoptions
forhandlingthem.Nowtrytoanswerthe
studyquestions.Theywillhelpyou
rememberwhatyou’velearned.The
studyactivitieswillassistyouinfurther
expandingyourknowledge.Inthenext
lesson,Lesson2,you’lllearnaboutthe
historyofcompostingandhowthe
compostingprocessworks.
Studyquestions
Lesson1
1. Namethreereasonsformanaging
organicmaterialsathome.
Lesson1
ManagingYardTrimmingsandOrganicWastesatHome
2. Describetheconceptsofbackyard
compostingandmulchingusing
recyclingandwastereduction
terminology.
3. Whatisthenumberofpoundsof
yardmaterialsandfoodscraps
thatanaveragehousehold
composts?
4. Listthreeitemsthatarenot
includedintheWisconsinlegal
definitionofyardwaste.
5. Namethreebyproductsfromthe
openburningofleaves.
Answerscanbefoundinthebackofthe
studyguide.
Studyactivities
Lesson1
Localordinancesaffectingcomposting
activities
Contacttheclerkforyourcity,village
ortown.Inquirewhetherthereareany
ordinancesregulatinghousehold
compostingactivities.Ifthereisan
ordinance,trytoobtainacopyofit.Study
theordinancetoseeiftherearelotline
setbacks,policiesonincorporatingfood
scrapsorotherrestrictions.Passthis
informationontoothersyouknowthat
areinvolvedincompostingactivities.
Localoptionsformanagingyard
trimmings
Researchtheoptionsavailableinyour
communityorcountyformanagingyard
trimmings.Whatlevelofgovernmentis
responsibleforrecyclingwhereyoulive?
Dotheysponsoracommunitycollection
ormanagementprogram?Ifso,dothey
providehouse-to-housecollectionof
grass,leavesorbrush?Howoftenare
yardtrimmingscollectede.g.weekly,
seasonally?Isadrop-offsiteavailablefor
residentstobringyardtrimmings?Where
dotheyardtrimmingsgo?Arethey
compostedorlandspreadson
agriculturalfields?Whopaysforthese
services?
Youmaywanttofindoutifyour
communitysponsorsabackyard
compostingeducationprogram.What
typesofeducationalactivitiesarebeing
donee.g.workshops,fairexhibits,etc.?Do
theyunitsendoutmailingsorother
educationalmaterialsabouthomeyard
trimmingsmanagementoptions?
Ifyourcommunityhasthe
informationreadilyavailable,askthem
howmoneyisspentonyardtrimmings
management−forcommunity
managementprogramsandbackyard
compostingeducationprograms.Note
thatsomecommunitiesmaynotspend
anymoneyonyardtrimmings
management.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 7
Master Composter
THE COMPOSTING PROCESS
Lesson Two
What’sahead
Inlesson2ofthehomestudycourse,
you’lllearn:
§ whatcompostingis;
§ thehistoryofcomposting;
§ howmicroorganismsdecompose
organicmatter;
§ theroleofmacroorganismsin
decomposition;and
§ keyfactorsthataffectthecomposting
process.
Introduction
Compostingisthebiological
decompositionoforganicmaterialinthe
presenceofoxygenintoahumus-like
substancecalledcompost.Theprocess
occursnaturally,butcanbeaccelerated
andimprovedbycontrolling
environmentalfactors.Peoplemay
wonder,“whybothercompostingif
everythingorganicdecomposes
eventuallyanyway?”Ifrawwastes
areputdirectlyintothesoil,the
decompositionprocesswillrobthe
soilofnitrogen,animportant
nutrientforplants.(Soil
incorporationisonemethodof
composting,butrequiresleavingthe
areafallow−seeChapterThree.)
Finishedcompostfromapileis
typicallyamoreuniformproduct
withabetterbalanceofnutrients.It
canbeusedthroughoutthegrowing
seasoninmanydifferenttypesof
applications.Withapile,
compostershavemorecontrolover
8 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
addingandmixingtheamountofcarbon
andnitrogenrichmaterialsusedtomake
theendproduct.Inaddition,aproperly
controlledcompostingenvironmentcan
ensureproductionofhightemperatures
neededforkillingweedseeds,diseased
planttissueandpathogenicorganisms.
Historyofcomposting
Occasionally,curiousindividualswant
toknowtheoriginsofcomposting.Itis
difficulttoattributethebirthof
compostingtoaspecificindividualor
evenonesociety.TheancientAkkadian
EmpireintheMesopotamianValley
referredtotheuseofmanurein
agricultureonclaytabletsover4300
yearsago.ThereisevidencethatRomans,
GreeksandtheTribesofIsraelknew
aboutcompost.TheBibleandTalmud
bothcontainnumerous
referencestotheuseof
rottedmanure,strawand
organicmaterialson
agriculturalfields.Other
referencestocompost
arecontainedintenth
andtwelfthcenturyArab
writings,inmedieval
Churchtexts,andin
Renaissanceliterature.
Notablewriterssuchas
WilliamShakespeare,Sir
FrancisBacon,SirWalter
Raleighallmentionedthe
useofcompost.
Lesson2
TheCompostingProcess
OntheNorthAmericancontinent,
bothNativeAmericansandearly
EuropeanfoundersofAmericaenjoyed
thebenefitsofcompost.ManyNew
Englandfarmersmadecompostusinga
recipeof10partsmuckto1partfish,
periodicallyturningtheircompostheaps
untilthefishdisintegrated(exceptthe
bones).OneConnecticutfarm,Stephen
HoytandSons,used220,000fishinone
seasonofcompostproduction.Other
famousindividualsthatproducedand
promotedtheusesofcompostinclude
GeorgeWashington,ThomasJefferson,
JamesMadisonandDr.George
WashingtonCarver.
Theearly20thcenturysawthe
developmentofanew“scientific”method
offarming.Workdonein1840byawellknownGermanscientist,Justusvon
Liebig,provedthatplantsobtained
nourishmentfromcertainchemicalsin
solution.Liebigdismissedthesignificance
ofhumus,becauseitwasinsolublein
water.Afterthatdiscovery,agricultural
practicesbecameincreasinglychemicalin
nature.Combinationsofmanureanddead
fishdidnotlookveryeffectivebesidea
bagoffertilizer.Forfarmersinmany
areasoftheworld,chemicalfertilizers
replacedcompost.
SirAlbertHoward,aBritish
agronomist,wenttoIndiain1905and
spentalmostthirtyyearsexperimenting
withorganicgardeningandfarming.He
foundthatthebestcompostconsistedof
threetimesasmuchplantmatteras
manure,withmaterialsinitiallylayeredin
sandwichfashion,andthenturnedduring
decomposition(knownastheIndore
method).In1943,SirHowardpublisheda
book,AnAgricultureTestament,basedon
hiswork.Thebookrenewedinterestin
organicmethodsofagricultureand
earnedhimrecognitionasthemodern
dayfatheroftheorganicfarmingand
gardening.
J.I.RodalecarriedSirHoward’swork
furtherandintroducedAmerican
gardenerstothevalueofcompostingfor
improvingsoilquality.Heestablisheda
farmingresearchcenterinPennsylvania
andthemonthlyOrganicGardening
magazine.Now,organicmethodsin
gardeningandfarmingarebecoming
increasinglypopular.Agrowingnumber
offarmersandgardenersarerealizingthe
valueofcompostforplantgrowthand
restoringdepletedsoil.
Thescienceofcomposting
Whileourancestorsrealizedthat
compostwashelpfulforgrowingplants
andimprovingsoilhealth,theydidnot
knowhoworwhyitworked.Our
knowledgeaboutthescienceof
compostingcomesfromresearch
conductedduringthepast50years−
relatively
recent
compared
tothe2000
plusyears
that
humans
havebeen
composting.
Backyardcompostingspeedsupthe
naturalprocessofdecomposition−
providingoptimumconditionssothat
organicmattercanbreakdownmore
quickly.Asyoudig,turn,layerandwater
yourcompostpile,youmayfeelasifyou
aredoingthecomposting,butthebulkof
theworkisactuallydonebynumerous
typesofdecomposerorganisms.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 9
Microorganismsinacompostpile
Microorganismssuchasbacteria,
fungiandactinomycetesaccountformost
ofthedecompositionthattakesplaceina
pile.Theyareconsideredchemical
decomposersbecausetheychangethe
chemistryoforganicwastes.Thelarger
decomposers,ormacroorganisms,ina
compostpileincludemites,centipedes,
sowbugs,snails,millipedes,springtails,
spiders,slugs,beetles,ants,flies,
nematodes,flatworms,rotifers,and
earthworms.Theyareconsideredtobe
physicaldecomposersbecausetheygrind,
bite,suck,tear,andchewmaterialsinto
smallerpieces.
Ofalltheseorganisms,aerobic
bacteriaarethemostimportant
decomposers.Theyareveryabundant−
theremaybemillionsinagramofsoilor
decayingorganicmatter.
Youwouldneed25,000ofthemlaid
endtoendonarulertomakeaninch.
Theyarethemostnutritionallydiverseof
allorganismsandcaneatnearlyanything.
Bacteriautilizecarbonasasourceof
energy(tokeeponeating)andnitrogen
tobuildproteinintheirbodies(sothey
cangrowandreproduce).Theyobtain
energybyoxidizingorganicmaterial,
especiallythecarbonfraction.This
oxidationprocessheatsupthecompost
pilefromambientairtemperature.If
properconditionsarepresent,thepile
willheatupfairlyrapidly(withindays)
duetobacteriaconsumingreadily
decomposablematerials.
Whilebacteriacaneatawidevariety
oforganiccompounds,theyhave
difficultyescapingunfavorable
environmentsduetotheirsizeandlackof
complexity.Changesinoxygen,moisture,
temperature,andaciditycancause
10 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
bacteriatodieorbecomeinactive.
Aerobicbacterianeedoxygenlevels
greaterthanfivepercent.Theyarethe
preferredorganismsbecausethey
providethemostrapidandeffective
composting.Theyalsoliberateplant
nutrientssuchasnitrogen,phosphorus
andmagnesium.Whenoxygenlevelsfall
belowfivepercent,theaerobesdieand
decompositionslowsbyasmuchas90
percent.Anaerobicmicroorganismstake
overandintheprocess,produceorganic
acidsandamines(ammonia-like
substances),whicharesmelly,contain
unavailablenitrogenandinsomecases,
aretoxictoplants.Inaddition,anaerobes
producehydrogensulfide(smellslike
rotteneggs),cadaverine,andputrescine
(othersourcesofoffensiveodors.).
Therearedifferenttypesofaerobic
bacteria(fig.1),thatworkincomposting
piles.Theirpopulationswillvary
accordingtothepiletemperature.
Psychrophilicbacteriaworkinthe
lowesttemperaturerange.Theyaremost
Figure1
activeat55°Fandwillworkinthepileif
theinitialpiletemperatureislessthan
70°F.Theygiveoffasmallamountofheat
incomparisontoothertypesofbacteria.
Theheattheyproduceisenoughhowever,
tohelpbuildthepiletemperaturetothe
Lesson2
TheCompostingProcess
pointwhereanothersetofbacteria−
mesophilicbacteria−starttotakeover.
Mesophilicbacteriarapidly
decomposeorganicmatter,producing
acids,carbondioxideandheat.Their
workingtemperaturerangeisgenerally
between70and100°F.Whenthepile
temperaturerisesabove100°F,the
mesophilicbacteriabegintodieoffor
movetotheouterpartoftheheap.They
arereplacedbyheat-lovingthermophilic
bacteria.
Thermophilicbacteriathriveat
temperaturesrangingfrom113°Fto
160°F.Thermophilicbacteriacontinue
thedecompositionprocess,raisingthe
piletemperatureto130-160°F,whereit
usuallystabilizes.Unlessapileis
constantlyfednewmaterialsandturned
atstrategictimes,thehighrange
temperaturestypicallylastnomorethan
threetofivedays.Thermophilicbacteria
useuptoomuchofthedegradable
materialstosustaintheirpopulationfor
anylengthoftime.Asthethermophilic
bacteriadeclineandthepileofthe
temperaturegraduallycoolsoff,the
mesophilicbacteriaagainbecome
dominant.Themesophilicbacteria
consumeremainingorganicmaterialwith
thehelpofotherorganisms.
Thedropincompostpiletemperature
isnotasignthatcompostingiscomplete,
butratheranindicationthatthecompost
pileisenteringanotherphaseofthe
compostingprocess.Whilehigh
temperatures(above140°F)havethe
advantageofkillingpathogenicorganisms
andweedseeds,itisunnecessaryto
achievethosetemperaturesunlessthere
isaspecificconcernaboutkillingdisease
organismsandseeds.(Youcangreatly
reducethepossibilityofpathogensina
pilebyexcludingpetwaste,diseased
plantsandmanurefromplanteating
animals.)However,manuresaregood
compostmaterialsbutmustbe
compostedwiththermophilic
temperaturestokillvirulentstainsof
salmonellaandE.coli.Manydecomposers
arekilledorbecomeinactivewhenpile
temperaturesriseabove140°F.
Ifthepiletemperatureexceeds160°F,
compostersmaywanttotakeactionand
cooltheirpilebuyturningit.Anumberof
researchprojectshaveshownthat
compostamendedsoilcanhelpfight
fungalinfestations.Ifthecompostpile
temperaturegoesabove160°F,the
compostingmaterialsmaybecomesterile
andloseitsdiseasefightingproperties.
Figure2
Whilethevarioustypesofbacteriaare
atwork,othermicroorganismsarealso
contributingtothedegradationprocess.
Actinomycetes(Fig.2),ahigher-form
bacteriasimilartofungiandmolds,are
responsibleforthepleasantearthysmell
ofcompost.Grayishinappearance,
actinomycetesworkinthemoderateheat
zonesofacompostpile.Theydecompose
someofthemoreresistantmaterialsin
thepilesuchaslignin,cellulose,starches
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 11
andproteins.Astheyreducematerials,
theyliberatecarbon,nitrogenand
ammonia,makingnutrientsavailablefor
higherplants.Actinomycetesoccurin
largeclustersandbecomemostevident
duringthelaterstagesofdecomposition.
Likebacteriaandactinomycetes,fungi
arealsoresponsiblefororganicmatter
decayinacompostpile.Fungiare
primitiveplantsthatcanbeeithersingle
celledormanycelledandfilamentous.
Theylackaphotosyntheticpigment.Their
maincontributiontoacompostpileisto
breakdowncelluloseandlignin,after
fasteractingbacteriamakeinroadson
them.Theyprefercoolertemperatures
(70to75°F)andeasilydigestedfood
sources.Asaresult,theyalsotendtotake
overduringthefinalstagesofcomposting.
Macroorganisms
Asmentionedearlier,larger
organismsareinvolvedinphysically
transformingorganicmaterialinto
compost.Theyareactiveduringthelater
stagesofcomposting−digging,chewing,
sucking,digestingandmixing
compostablematerials.Inadditionto
mixingmaterials,theybreakitinto
smallerpieces,andtransformitintomore
digestibleformsformicroorganisms.
Theirexcrementisalsodigestedby
bacteria,causingmorenutrientstobe
released.
Micro-andmacroorganismsarepart
ofacomplexfoodchain.Thisfoodchain
consistsoforganismsclassifiedasfirst-,
second-,orthird-levelconsumers.The
categoriesarebasedonwhattheyeatand
whotheyareeatenby.Firstlevel
consumersbecomethefoodforsecond
levelconsumers,whichinturn,areeaten
bythirdlevelconsumers.SoilecologistDr.
12 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
DanielL.Dindalgivesanexampleofhow
thefoodchainworksEcologyofCompost:
“Mitesandspringtailseatfungi.Tiny
feather-wingedbeetlesfeedonfungalspores.
Nematodesingestbacteria.Protozoaand
rotiferspresentinwaterfilmsfeedon
bacteriaandplantparticles.Predaceousmites
andpseudoscorpionspreyuponnematodes
flylarvae,othermitesandcollembolans.
Free-livingflatwormsingestgastropods,
earthworms,nematodesandrotifers.Thirdlevelconsumerssuchascentipedes,rove
beetles,groundbeetles,andantspreyon
second-levelconsumers.”
Thefollowingisanoverviewofsome
ofthelargermacroorganismsyouare
likelytofindainacompostpile.
Ants–Antsfeedonavariety
ofmaterialsincludingfungi,
seeds,sweetsandother
insects.Theyhelpthe
compostingprocessbybringingfungiand
otherorganismsintotheirnests.Antscan
makecompostricherinphosphorusand
potassiumbymovingmineralsaroundas
theywork.
Millipedes–Millipedes
haveworm-likesegmentedbodies,with
eachsegmenthavingtwopairsofwalking
legs(exceptthefrontfewsegments).
Millipedeshelpbreakdownplant
materialbyeatingsoftdecaying
vegetation.Theywillrollupinaball
whenindanger.
Centipedes–
Centipedesareflat,
segmentedworms
withonepairof
legsineach
Lesson2
TheCompostingProcess
segment.Theyarethird-levelconsumers
thatfeedonsoilinvertebrates,especially
insectsandspiders.
Sowbugs–Sowbugshavea
flatandovalbodywithdistinctsegments
andtenpairsoflegs.Theyarefirst-level
consumersthatfeedonrottingwoody
materialsandotherdecayingvegetation.
Pillbugslooksimilartosowbugs,butroll
upinaballwhendisturbed.
Springtails–Springtails
aresmallinsectsdistinguishedbytheir
abilitytojumpwhendisturbed.They
rarelyexceed¼inchinlengthandvaryin
colorfromwhitetobluetoblack.
Springtailsareprincipallyfungifeeders,
althoughtheyalsoeatmoldsandchewon
decomposingplants.
Flies–Fliesaretwowinged
insectsthatfeedonalmostandkindof
organicmaterial.Theyalsoactas
airbornecarriersofbacteria,depositingit
wherevertheyland.Althoughfliesarenot
oftenaproblemwithcompostpiles,you
cancontroltheirnumbersbykeepinga
layerofdryleavesordrygrassclippings
ontopofthepile.Also,buryfoodscraps
atleasteighttotwelveinchesdeepinto
thepile.Thermophilictemperatureskill
flylarvaeandmiteshelptokeepflylarvae
reducedinnumbers.
Beetles–Beetlesare
insectswithtwopairsofwings.Types
commonlyfoundincompostpilesinclude
therovebeetle,groundbeetle,and
feather-wingedbeetle.Thefeatherwingedbeetlefeedsonfungalspores.
Immaturegrubsfeedondecaying
vegetables.Adultroveandgroundbeetles
preyonsnails,slugs,andothersmall
animals.
Snailsandslugs–
Snailsandslugs
aremollusksthat
travelinacreeping
movement.Snailshaveaspiralshellwith
adistinctheadandretractablefoot.Slugs
donothaveashellandaresomewhat
bulletshapedwithantennaeontheir
frontsection.Theyfeedprimarilyon
livingplantmaterial,buttheywillalso
attackplantdebris.Lookforthemin
finishedcompostbeforeusingitasthey
coulddodamagetoyourgardenifthey
movein.
Spiders–Spidersareeightleggedcreaturesandthirdlevelconsumersthatfeedon
insectsandsmallinvertebrates.
Theycanbeveryhelpfulfor
controllinggardenpests.
Earthworms–
Earthwormsarethemostimportantof
thelargephysicaldecomposersin
compostpile.Earthwormsingestorganic
matteranddigestitwiththehelpoftiny
stonesintheirgizzards.Theirintestinal
juicesarerichinhormones,enzymesand
otherfermentingsubstancesthat
continuethebreakdownprocess.The
wormsleavedark,fertilecastingsbehind.
Awormcanproduceitsweightin
castingseachday.Thesecastingsarerich
inplantnutrientssuchasnitrogen,
calcium,magnesiumandphosphorusthat
mightotherwisebeunavailabletoplants.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 13
Earthwormsthriveoncompostand
contributegreatlytoitsquality.The
presenceofearthwormsineither
compostorsoilisevidenceofgood
microbialactivity.
Keyfactorsaffectingthe
compostingprocess
Therearecertainkeyenvironmental
factorswhichaffectthespeedof
composting.Theorganismsthatmake
compostneedfood(carbonandnitrogen),
airandwater.Whenprovidedwitha
favorablebalance,theywillproduce
compostquickly.Otherfactorsaffecting
thespeedofcompostingincludesurface
area/particlesize,volumeand
temperature.
Food
Organicmaterialprovidesfoodfor
organismsintheformofcarbonand
nitrogen.Asdescribedearlier,bacteria
usecarbonforenergyandproteinto
growandreproduce.Carbonandnitrogen
levelsvarywitheachorganicmaterial.
Carbon-richmaterialstendtobedryand
brownsuchasleaves,strawandwood
chips.Nitrogenmaterialstendtobewet
andgreensuchasfreshgrassclippings
andfoodwaste.Atipforestimatingan
organicmaterial’scarbon/nitrogen
contentistorememberthatfresh,juicy
materialsareusuallyhigherinnitrogen
andwilldecomposemorequicklythan
older,drier,andwoodiertissuesthatare
highincarbon.
ACarbon:Nitrogen(C:N)ratioranging
between25:1and35:1istheoptimum
combinationforrapiddecomposition.If
thereismorethan35:1carbon,heat
14 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
productiondropsanddecomposition
slows.Youmayhavenoticedthatapileof
leavesorwoodchipswillsitforayearor
morewithoutmuchapparentdecay.
Whenthereistoomuchnitrogen,your
pilewilllikelyreleasetheexcessnitrogen
assmellyammoniagas.Toomuch
nitrogencanalsocauseariseinthepH
level,whichistoxictosome
microorganisms.
TheC:Nratiodoesnotneedtobe
exact.ValuesinTable1arecalculatedon
adry-weightbasis.Itisdifficultto
determineanexactC:Nratiowithout
knowingthemoisturecontentofthe
materialsbeingused.Homecomposters
seldomhavetheequipmentorinclination
tomeasuremoisturecontentorworry
aboutnumbers.Blendingmaterialsto
achieveasatisfactoryC:Nrationispartof
theartofcomposting.Asimpleruleof
thumbistodevelopavolumebased
recipeusing3partscarbonrichmaterials
(Browns)to1partNitrogenmaterials
(Greens).Asamplerecipewouldbethree
30galbagsofleaveswithone30galbag
ofgreenweedsandgrassclippings.
Lesson2
TheCompostingProcess
TABLE1
Carbon/Nitrogenratios
forselectedcompostingmaterials
MATERIALC:NRATIO
Cornstalks.......................................................................................50-100:1
Fruitwaste.......................................................................................35:1
Grassclippings...............................................................................12-25:1
Hay,green........................................................................................25:1
Leaves,ash,blackelderandelm............................................21-28:1
Leaves,oak.......................................................................................47-50:1
Leaves,pine.....................................................................................60-100:1
Leaves,other...................................................................................30-80:1
Manure,horseandcow..............................................................20-25:1
Paper..................................................................................................170-200:1
Sawdust.............................................................................................200-500:1
Seaweed............................................................................................19:1
Straw..................................................................................................40-100:1
Vegetablewaste.............................................................................12-25:1
Weeds................................................................................................25:1
Woodchips......................................................................................500-700:1
Materials with a C:N ratio greater than 30:1 can be considered “Browns” while materials
withaC:Nratiobelow25:1areconsidered“Greens.”
Air
pineneedles,grassclippings,orsawdust
Properaerationisakeyenvironmental
areused.Inaddition,aircirculationcan
factor.Manymicroorganisms,including
beimpededifmaterialsbecomewater
aerobicbacteria,needoxygen.Theyneed
saturated.
Figure3
oxygentoproduceenergy,
growquickly,andconsume
Airmovementinthepilecanbe
morematerials.Aeration
improvedwithafewsimple
involvesthereplacementof
techniques.Theeasiestwaytoaerate
oxygendeficientairina
apileistoregularlyturnitwitha
compostpilewithfreshair.
pitchforkorshovel.Turningwillfluff
Naturalaerationoccurs
upthepileandincreaseitsporosity.
whenairwarmedbythe
Anotheroptionistoaddcoarse
compostingprocessrises
materialssuchasleaves,strawor
throughthepile,bringingin
cornstalks.Otheroptionsinclude
freshairfromthe
usingacompostaerationtool(Fig.3
surroundings.Aerationcan
availablefromgardensupply
alsobeaffectedbywind,
companies),oraventilatorstack(Fig.
moisturecontent,andporosity(spaces
4).Stackscanbemadeoutofperforated
betweenparticlesinthecompostpile).
plasticpipes,chickenwirewrappedina
Compactingthepilereducesthepile’s
circleorbundlesoftwigs.Ventilator
porosityanddecreasesaircirculation.
stacksmaybeusefulforlargepilesand
Porositycanbenegativelyaffectediflarge
shouldstickoutoftoporsides.
quantitiesoffinelysizedmaterialssuchas
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 15
Moisture
Decomposerorganismsneedwaterto
live.Microbialactivityoccursmost
rapidlyinthinwaterfilmsonthesurface
oforganicmaterials.Microorganismscan
onlyutilizeorganicmoleculesthatare
dissolvedinwater.Theoptimum
moisturecontentforacompostpile
shouldrangefrom40to60percent.If
thereislessthan40percentmoisture,
bacteriaslowdownandmaybecome
dormant.Ifthereismorethan60percent,
thewaterwillblockporespacesstopping
themovementofoxygenintothepileand
suffocatingtheaerobicbacteria.
Anaerobicbacteriawilltakeover,
resultingunpleasantodors.
Theidealpercentageofmoisturewill
dependontheorganicmaterial’s
structure.Strawandcornstalkswillneed
moremoisturethanleaves,whilefood
wasteorgrassclippingsarenotlikelyto
needadditionalmoisture.Sincemost
homeownersdonothaveaccessto
laboratoryequipmentusedtomeasure
moisture,ageneralruleofthumbisto
addwatertoandmixmaterialssothey
areaboutasmoistasawrung-outsponge.
Materialshouldfeeldamptothetouch,
withjustadroportwoofliquidexpelled
whensqueezedinyourhand.
Ifacompostpileistoodry,itshould
bewateredasthepileisbeingturnedor
withatricklinghose.Certainmaterials
suchasdeadleaves,hay,straw,and
sawdustshouldbegraduallymoistened
untiltheyglisten.Thesetypesofmaterials
haveatendencytoshedwateroradsorb
itonlyonthesurface.Ifapileissaturated
withwater,turnitsothatmaterialsare
restacked.Itmayalsohelptoadddry,
carbonrichmaterial.
16 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Temperature
Temperatureisanotherimportantfactor
inthecompostingprocessandisrelated
toproperairandmoisturelevels.Asthe
microorganismsworktodecomposethe
compost,theygiveoffheat,whichinturn
increasespiletemperatures.
Temperaturesbetween90°and140°F
indicaterapiddecomposition.Lower
temperaturessignalaslowinginthe
compostingprocess.Hightemperatures
greaterthan140°Freducetheactivityof
mostorganisms.
Outsideairtemperaturescanimpact
thedecompositionprocess.Warmer
outsidetemperaturesinlatespring,
summerandearlyfallstimulatebacteria
andspeedupdecomposition.Lowwinter
temperatureswillslowortemporarily
stopthecompostingprocess.Asair
temperatureswarmupinthespring,
microbialactivitywillresume.During
wintermonths,compostpilescanbe
coveredwithatarptohelpretainheat
longer,butitisnotnecessary.
Figure4
Novicecompostersandpeople
interestedinmakingafastcompostmay
wanttotracktemperatures.Themost
accuratereadingswillcomefroma
compostthermometerortemperature
probe.Compostthermometersare
Lesson2
TheCompostingProcess
availablefrommanygardensupply
companies.Anothermethodfor
monitoringtemperatureistostickyour
fistintothepile.Youcanalsoplacea
metalpipeorironbarinthemiddleofthe
pile,periodicallypullingitoutandfeeling
it.Ifthebarortheinteriorofthepilefeels
uncomfortablywarmorhotduringthe
firstfewweeksofcompositing,you’ll
knoweverythingisfine.Ifthe
temperatureinsidethepileisthesameas
outside,itisanindicationthatthe
compostingprocessisslow.Youcan
increaseactivitybyaddingnitrogenrich
materialsandturningthepile.
Particlesize
Particlesizeaffectstherateoforganic
matterbreakdown.Themore“surface
area”available,theeasieritisfor
microorganismstoworkbecauseactivity
occursattheinterfaceofparticlesurfaces
andair.Microorganismsareabletodigest
more,generatemoreheatandmultiply
fasterwithsmallerpiecesofmaterials.
Althoughitisnotrequired,reducing
materialsintosmallerpieceswill
definitelyspeeddecomposition.Organic
materialscanbechopped,shredded,split
bruisedorpuncturedtoincreasetheir
surfacearea.Don’t“powder”materials
becausetheywillcompactandimpedeair
movementinthepile.
Formanyyardtrimmings,cutting
materialswithaknife,pruningshear,or
macheteisadequate.Aneasywayto
shredleavesistomowthembefore
raking.Youcancollectthematthesame
timeifyourmowerhasabagattachment.
Anotheroptionistousealawntrimmer
toshredleavesinagarbagecan.Several
differentmodelsofshredders(Fig.5),and
chippersareavailableforsaleorrentalto
useinshreddingwoodymaterialsand
leaves.Itisagoodideatowearsafety
goggleswhendoinganytypeofshredding
orchoppingactivity.
Figure5
Kitchenscrapscanbechoppedup
withaknife.Someambitiouspeopleuse
meatgrindersandblenderstomake
“garbagesoup”fromtheirfoodscrapsand
water.Theypourthemixtureintotheir
heaps.
Volume
Volumeisafactorinretaining
compostpileheat.Inordertobecome
self-insulatingandretainheat,pilesmade
inWisconsinshouldideallybeaboutone
cubicyard.Theonecubicyardsize
retainsheatandmoisture,butisnottoo
largethatthematerialwillbecome
unwieldyforturning.Homeslocatedon
lakesorinwindyareasmaywantto
considerslightlylargerpilese.g.4’x4’x4’.
Smallercompostpileswillstill
decomposematerial,buttheymaynot
heatupaswell,anddecompositionis
likelytotakelonger.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 17
Summary
Inthislesson,you’velearnedabout
thehistoryofcompostingandthescience
ofhowitworks.Nowtrytoanswerthe
studyquestions.Theywillhelpyou
rememberwhatyou’velearned.The
studyactivitieswillaidyouinapplying
yourknowledge.Inthenextlesson,
Lesson3,youwilllearnwhatmaterials
canbecompostedanddifferentmethods
thatcanbeused.
Studyquestions
Lesson2
1. Definewhatcompostingis.
2. Nameatleastthreefamous
individualslivingduringthepast
fivehundredyearsthatrecognized
thevalueofcompostasasoil
amendment.
3. Whatmicroorganismisconsidered
themostimportantofall
decomposersandwhy?
4. Whatmacroorganismisnotedas
themostbeneficialoneforyour
compostpileandwhy?
5. Listsixkeyfactorsthataffectthe
compostingprocess.
Answerscanbefoundinthebackofthe
studyguide.
Studyactivities
Lesson2
Decomposerhunt
Ifyouhaveanexistingcompostpile,
turnitwithashovelorpitchfork.Sift
throughthepiletolookfor
macroorganisms.Seehowmanyyoucan
findandidentifybasedonthe
descriptionsanddrawingsinthislesson.
Ifyoudonothaveapile,youcantrythis
exerciseinafriend’scompostpile,oryou
canlookinyouryardandgardenunder
18 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
largerocksoritemssuchasbirdbaths,
trashcans,etc.
Compostpiletemperaturemonitoring
Considerstartingaseasonalprojectto
monitortemperaturesinyourcompost
pile.Ifyoudothis,youmaybeabletosee
thecorrespondingtemperatureand
physicalappearancechangesthatoccur
asyoumodifyenvironmentalfactorssuch
asfood,airandwater.Youwillneedto
purchaseorborrowacompost
thermometer.Usethechartprovidedon
thenextpagetodevelopyourown.You
canstartwithanexistingpileorbuilda
newone.Ifthepilewasconstructed
previoustowinter,youcanrecord
changesinpiletemperatureasthe
weatherwarmsupandyouaddnew
material.Ifyoustartthisprojectwitha
newpile,youmaywanttoinitiallyrecord
thepiletemperaturetwoorthreetimes
perweekforfirstthreeweeks.
Lesson2
TheCompostingProcess
Lesson2
Compostpiletemperaturemonitoring
Recordtemperaturesandotherinformationaboutyourpileonaweeklybasistoseefirst
hand,howyouractionsaffectthecompostingphase.Makemultiplecopiesofthissheetif
necessary.
Week
Date
Temper Pile
Compostactivity
Noteson
ature
height (Notematerialsused,turn,
appearance
watering)
Week1
May1
(sample)
65°
3’
Builtnewpileofleaves,garden
Leavesandgarden
debris,foodscraps,straw,added debrismushyfrom
water
overwintering
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
Week
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 19
Master Composter
MATERIALS AND METHODS FOR COMPOSTING
Lesson Three
What’sahead
inlesson3ofthehomestudycourse,
you’lllearn:
§ aboutmaterialsthatcanbeaddedto
compostpiles;
§ whysomematerialsdonotbelongin
yourbinorheap;
§ whatcompostadditivescanand
cannotdoforcompostpiles;and
§ differentmethodsthatcanbeusedfor
homecomposting.
Whattocompost
Thematerialsyouputintoyour
compostpilehaveamajorimpactonhow
wellthecompostingprocessworksand
thequalityofthefinalcompost.Thekey
togoodcompostingistohaveavarietyof
materialsandabalancedcarbonto
nitrogenratio.Varietyincreasesthetypes
ofmicroorganismsatworkinyourpile
andyourchancesofobtainingnutrient
richcompost.Somepeoplethinkthey
don’thaveenoughorganicmaterialto
buildandmaintainacompostpile,butin
additiontotheleavesandgrassclippings
thatweusuallythinkofcomposting,there
arenumerousothersuitableorganic
materials.Mostofthesematerialsare
easytofindathomeandasyoureadthis
chapteryouwilllearnaboutthemany
materialsthatcanbesafelycompostedin
yourbackyard.Manypeoplewhohave
hadsuccessmakingcompostwillseekout
freeorcheaplocalsourcesofmaterialsto
20 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
addtotheirpiletoproducemore
compost.
Incontrasttothosewhoworryabout
havingenoughmaterials,somefolkswant
toputalmostanytypeoforganicmaterial
intotheirpile.Whileanythingorganicwill
eventuallydecompose,itmaynotbelong
inabackyardcompostingpile.Itis
importanttobeawareofthesematerials
andthereasonstheyshouldbeavoided.
Newandpotentialcompostersoftenhave
questionsaboutwhatmaterialscanbe
composted.Alistofsomecommonly
availablematerialsisincludedinTable2.
Compostablematerialsthatneedspecial
handlingarementionedinTable3.
Materialsthatshouldbeavoidedare
namedinTable4.(Note:Theterm
“organic”asitisusedhereand
throughoutthismanualrefersto
materialsderivedfromlivingorganisms.)
Commonlyusedcompostable
materials
Asyouarecollectingmaterialsaround
youryardandhome,itmaynotbeeasyto
determineifmaterialsarehigherin
carbonorinnitrogen.Tablesshowing
carbontonitrogenratiosforparticular
materialsarehelpfulbuttheyusuallyonly
showalimitednumberofmaterials.A
simplemethod(alsodescribedearlierin
Lesson2)fordifferentiatingbetween
materialsistorememberthatfresh,juicy
materialsareusuallyhigherinnitrogen.
Lesson3
MaterialsandMethodsforComposting
Inaddition,materialsofanimalorigin
(suchasfeathers,manure,bloodmeal)
aretypicallyhigherinnitrogen.Drier,
older,orwoodyvegetableandplant
tissuesareusuallyhigherincarbon.The
followingtablehelpstoillustratethis
point.ThepresenceofaC,N,orOinthe
C/Ncolumnindicateswhethera
material’seffectoncompostwouldbe
carbonaceous(C),nitrogenous(N),or
other(O).Materialsdesignatedasother
(O)donotaffecttheC/Nratio.
Beforeaddingfoodscrapsandlake
weedstoourcompostingpile,checkwith
yourmunicipalitytomakesurethatthere
arenorestrictionsontheiruse.
TABLE2
Partiallistingofcompostablematerials
MATERIALC/NMATERIALC/N
Bedding,herbivorous
Pets(exceptbirds)
Bloodmeal
Bonemeal
Coffeegrounds
Crushedeggshells
Feathers
Fruit
Fruitpeelsandrinds
Gardendebris,fresh
Gardendebris,dried
Grassclippings,fresh
Grassclippings,dried
C&N
N
N
N
O,alkalizer
N
N
N
C&N
C
N
C
Hair
Hay
Lakeweeds
Leaves
Lint
Manure
Paper(non-recyclable)
Peanutshells
Pumpkins
Straw
Teagroundsandleaves
Vegetablescraps
N
C
N
C
N
N
C
C
N
C
N
N
Compostablematerialsthatrequirespecialhandling
Therearenumberofcompostablematerialsthatrequirealittlespecialhandlingbefore
theyareputintoabackyardpile.Someofthematerialslistedbelowmayrequireextra
preparationortheymayneedtobeaddedinlayersorsmallquantities.Othermaterials
listedinTable3maycausedifficultieswiththecompostingprocessornegativelyaffectthe
finalproduct.Thecommentsareintendedtohelpyoudecidewhethertoincludethese
particularmaterialsinyourownpile.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 21
TABLE3
Compostablematerialsrequiringspecialhandling
MATERIALC/NComment
Applepomace
N
Highmoisturecontent–spreadonpileinthinlayers
Cardboard(nonrecyclable)
C
Slowtodecompose–shredintosmallpieces.
Corncobsand
stalks
C
Slowtodecompose–runthroughshredderorchopintovery
smallpieces,mixwithnitrogenrichmaterial
Citrusrinds
N
Slowtodecompose–chopintosmallpieces
Diseasedplants
CorN
Grassclippings
withchemicals
N
Hedgetrimmings
Lime
Nutshells–
walnut,pecan
Paper,glossy
colored
Peatmoss
CorN
O,
alkalize
r
C
C
Pinecones
Pineneedles
C,low
in
nutrient
s
C
C
Quackgrass
N
Rhubarbleaves
N
Diseasesmaybehardtoeliminate.Sunbakeplantsinblack
plasticbaguntilthoroughlycooked,orleaveinhotpile(131140°F)for2to4weeksoromitfrompile
Mostpesticidesdegradein3-12months.Leaveclippingson
lawnfor2-3weeks(best)oradddirecttopileifmaterials
compostsforatleast12months.Donotusegrassorweeds
treatedwithClopyralidorPicloram,suchasConfront,Stinger,
Hornet,Tordonorotherswiththesechemicals.Verylowlevels
remainincompostthatdamagescertainplants.(Donotuse
clippingsasgardenmulchfor2-3weeksaftertreatment.)
Slowtodecompose–thinlayersofhedgetrimmingscanbeused
occasionallytoincreaseporespace;choptwigsandbranches
intosmallpieces
Changespilechemistry,causesnitrogenlossintheformof
ammonia,toomuchlimehurtsbacteriaandother
microorganisms–omitfrompileoruseverysparinglyinthin
layersifpileisgoinganaerobic(donotmixwithmanure)
Slowtodecompose–pulverizewithshredder
Itisbettertoputglossymagazinesandinsertsintoyourpaper
recyclingbin.Butifaddedtothecompostbinrememberglossy
paperistypicallycoatedwithclayandmaybeslowto
decompose
Highlymoistureabsorbent,slowtodecompose–mixthoroughly
withothermaterials,addinsmallquantities.Ifpossible,soak
peatmossinwarmwaterbeforeaddingtopile
Slowtodecompose–shredorchopintoverysmallpieces
Slowtodecompose–mixthoroughlywithothermaterials,add
insmallquantities:5-10%ofmaterials
OmitfrompileunlessQuackissunbakedinblackplasticbag
untilthoroughlycooked
Containsoxalicacidbutsincecompostpilesaretypicallywell
bufferedminimalimpactoccurs–addinsmallquantities,mix
thoroughlywithothermaterials
22 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Lesson3
MaterialsandMethodsforComposting
TABLE3
Compostablematerialsrequiringspecialhandling(continued)
MATERIALC/NComment
Sawdust
Soil
Sod
C
O,
activator
source
N
Walnutleaves
C
Weeds,
pernicious
Weeds,other
C
N
Woodchips
C
Slowtodecompose,cannegativelyaffectaeration–workinto
pileinthinsprinklings;mixwithnitrogenrichmaterials;omit
anytreatedlumbersawdust
Canmakefinishedcompostheavy–addsmallquantitiesinthin
layersassoilactivatororomitfrompile(finishedcompost
producesthesameresultsandtypicallyweighsless)
Slowtodecompose–breakintosmallclumps,mixthoroughly
withothermaterialsorcovertopofthepilewithrootsup,grass
down(betterinfall)orcompostseparatelywithrootssideup,
waterthoroughly,coverwithadarktarp
Containjuglonewhichcanbetoxictoplants–mixthoroughly
withothermaterials,toxinwillbiodegradeintwotofourweeks
accordingtoanOhioStateUniversitystudy
Rhizomatousrootsystemhardtokill–sunbakeinplasticbag
untilthoroughlydriedoromitfrompile
Weedseedshardtokill–besttousewhengreenandnosee
headspresentorleaveinhotpile(131-140°F)atleast1week
Slowtodecomposecanimproveaeration,shredorchopinto
smallerpiecesifpossible;mixwithnitrogenrichmaterials;omit
anytreatedlumberchips–landfillinstead
Organicmaterialstoavoid
Somedaywhenyourcompostpilehasshrunkandlooksdisappointedlysmall,youmay
scouryouryardandhomefororganicstoaddtoit.Someofthosematerialsdonotbelong
inyourbackyardcompostpile.Table4listsmaterialstoavoidalongwiththereasonsfor
omittingthem.
TABLE4
Materialstoavoidputtinginahomecompostpile
MATERIALComment
Bones
CatLitter
Charcoalandbriquettes
Cookedfoodwaste
Dairyproducts
Dishwater
Fatty,oily,greasyfoods
Fishscraps
Meat
Peanutbutter
Veryslowtodecompose,canattractpests
MaycontainpathogensharmfultohumansToxoplasmagandior
Toxocaracati,mayalsocontainchemicalstoperfumelitter
Contain sulfur oxides and other chemicals (to assist ignition)
thataretoxictosoilandplants
Maycontainfatswhichcanattractanimals
May smell, and attract pests (butter, cheese mayonnaise, salad
dressing,milk,yogurt,sourcream)
May contain grease, perfume and sodium from dish soap and
foodresidue
Mayputrefyandsmellbad,attractpests
Canattractpests,smellsbadduringdecomposition
Canattractpests,smellsbadduringdecomposition
Canattractpests,slowtodecompose
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 23
TABLE4
Materialstoavoidputtinginahomecompostpile(continued)
MATERIALComment
Petwastes,human
excrement
Treatedwoodchips&
sawdust
Woodashes
May contain pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites that
requireprolongedhightemperaturestobedestroyed
Landfill,donotcompostoruseasmulch
Changes pile chemistry, can cause nutrient imbalance - omit
frompile
Compostadditives
Thereisawidearrayofcompost
inoculants,startersandactivatorssoldin
storesandmailordercatalogs.Some
typesofactivatorscanalsobefoundat
home.Sortingouttheclaimsandbenefits
ofcompostadditivescanbealittle
overwhelmingforfirst-timecomposters.
Fortunately,compostadditivesarenot
requiredforsuccessfulcomposting.In
somesituations,certainadditivescanbe
helpful.
Inoculantsgenerallycontainspecial
culturesofdormantbacteriaandfungi.
Thetheorybehindusingthemisthatthey
aresupposedtointroduce
microorganisms,hastenthebreakdownof
materialsinacompostpileandproducea
betterproduct.Theyarerarelyneeded
becauseleaves,kitchenscraps,finished
compostandotherorganicmaterials
alreadycontainamplebacteriathatwork
readilyontheirown.
Commercial“starters”oraccelerators
aresupposedtohelpthedecomposition
processbyaddingnitrogen,enzymes,and
bacteriatoapile.Somepeoplefeelbetter
puttingtheseproductsintheirpiles,but
independenttestsconductedtodatehave
notshownsignificantbenefits.Tests
conductedatUniversityofWisconsinStevensPointandRodaleResearchCenter
showedthatthebestcompostadditives
arefinishedcompostortopsoilfromyour
24 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
yard.(Storeboughtsoilissometimes
sterilizedsoitdoesnotalwaysadd
microorganisms.)
Activatorscontainanitrogensource.
Activatorsincludeorganictypes(manure,
bloodmeal,finishedcompost,soil)and
artificialtypes(chemicallysynthesized
compoundssuchascommercialnitrogen
fertilizers).Whileactivatorsarenot
necessaryforsuccessfulcomposting,they
cansometimeshelpifapileismadefrom
materialslowinnitrogen.Nitrogenis
usuallythelimitingnutrientinapilethat
doesn’theatupordecayquicklyenough.
Somepuristsdonotrecommendusing
commercialnitrogenfertilizersasan
activator,butifyouhavesomereadily
available,itmaybehelpful.Avoidusing
ammoniumsulfateasitmaybetoxicto
earthworms.Keepinmindthatchemical
fertilizersarenotaseffectiveasorganic
sourcesbecausetheycontainnoprotein
(whichmicro-organismsuse).Organic
sourcesarebettersourcesofnitrogenif
youneedtoaddanactivator.
Ifadditionalnitrogenisneeded,apply
approximately0.15poundsactual
nitrogenper3bushels(33/4cubicfeet)
ofcarbonrichmaterialssuchasleaves.
Table5listsestimatedamountsof
variousnitrogensourcestoadd.For
example,7ounces(about1cup)of
ammoniumnitrateisequivalentto0.15
pounds.AuthorsofTheRodaleBookof
Lesson3
MaterialsandMethodsforComposting
Compostingrecommendadding2to3
poundsoforganicnitrogensupplement
(bloodmeal,manure,bonemeal,alfalfa
meal)per100poundsoflownitrogen
materials(e.g.straw,sawdust).
TABLE5
Amounts of various nitrogen sources
neededtoapply0.15pounds
(2.4oz)Nitrogen
NITROGEN
%
OUNCES
SOURCE
NITROGEN TOAPPLY
Ammonium
nitrate
Calcium
nitrate
Urea
Driedblood
Fishmeal
33
15
46
12
10
7.0
16.0
5.2
20.0
24.0
Source:Dickson,et.al.1991
Compostingmethods
Answeringthequestion,“Howshould
Imakecompost?”isratherlike
answeringthequestion,“HowcanI
bakeacake?”Itdependsonwhatyour
objectivesare,whatmaterialsand
equipmentyouhavetoworkwith,and
howmucheffortyouarewillingtoput
in.Source:StuartB.Hill,Ecological
AgriculturalProjects
Thesecrettosuccessfulcompostingis
toselectanapproachandtechniquethat
suitsyourneedsandlifestyle.Yourchoice
willdependonanumberoffactorssuch
ashowmuchspaceyouhaveavailable,
whatmaterialsyouhave,whatyouwant
thecompostfor,howmuchtimeyouwant
tospend,andhowneatyouwantyour
compostpiletolook.Forexample,ifyou
onlyneedalittlecompost,wanttoexpend
minimaleffort,andhaveasmallareato
doitin;yourbestchoicemightbea
commerciallyavailablebin.Ifyouhave
plentyofspace,andwantlargequantities
Youcanmakecompostabovetheground
inbins,boxes,garbagecan,bags,barrels
orpiles.Youcanmakecompostonthe
groundinrows.Youcanmakecompost
belowthegroundinpits,trenches,or
holes.Youcanmakecompostinside,
outside,onabalcony,adeckorina
garage.
Source:MarkCullenandLorraineJohnson,
Urban/SuburbanComposter:The
CompleteGuidetoBackyard,Balcony,and
ApartmentComposting
ofcompostquickly,youmaywanttobuild
adeluxethree-binunit.Ifyouwantto
compostfoodwasteseparately,youmay
finditeasiesttodirectlyincorporatethem
intothesoil.Thislessonwillcoverfive
methodsofcomposting:holdingunits,
turningunits,heaps,sheetcomposting,
andsoilincorporation.Othercomposting
alternativessuchasleavinggrass
clippingsonthelawn,mulching,and
vermicomposting(wormcomposting)are
discussedinalaterlesson.
Holdingunits
Holdingunitsarebinsusedtohold
yardandkitchenmaterialsuntil
compostingiscomplete.Theyneed
relativelylittlemaintenanceandsome
modelscanbeusedbyapartment
dwellersforcompostingonbalconies.
Non-woodymaterialscanbeaddedtoa
holdingunitastheyaregenerated.(Many
ofthecommercialone-binsystemssoldin
storesandmail-order/internetcatalogs
areholdingunits.)Usingaholdingunitis
oneoftheeasiestwaystocompost,butis
generallyslower.Thistypeofenclosure
makesitdifficulttoturntheheapasa
wayofgettingoxygenin.Noturningis
required,butthelackofaerationcauses
thecompostingprocesstotakeuptotwo
years.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 25
Theprocesscanbehastenedbyusing
portablebins.Somelightweightunitsare
designedtobetakenapartandeasily
moved.Theseunitscanberemoved
fromanexistingheapandtransferred
toanadjacentlocation.Theheapisthen
turnedbackoverintotheunit,mixing
andaeratingmaterials.Portableunits
canbepurchased(usuallyplastic)or
constructedfromcirclesofwirefencing
orhardwarecloth,snowfencing,or
wireframedinwood.
Otherfolksattempttoimprove
aerationinholdingunitsbyaddingoneor
moreventilatingstacks,bypokingholes
intothepileorbymovingthebintothe
sideandtransferringmaterialstothe
emptymovedbin.Ventilatingstacksneed
tobeplacedintothecenterofthebin
priortomakingapile.Stackscanbemade
ofperforatedpipe,acylinderofwire
meshorevenabunchoftwigsloosely
tiedtogether.PVCpipesshouldbeatleast
1inchindiameterwithholesdrilled
randomlyalongthelength.Theycanbe
insertedverticallyorhorizontally.
Anotheralternativetoimproveaeration
istoplacetheholdingunitonawood
palletorabedofsmallbranches.
Inholdingunits,stagesof
decompositionwillvaryfromthetopto
26 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
thebottomoftheheapsinceyard
trimmingsandotherorganicsareadded
continuously.
Typically,the
morefinished
compostwillbe
foundnearthe
bottomofapile.
Finished
compostatthe
bottomcanbe
removedand
used.How
easilyonegetstothefinishedcompost
dependsonthetypeofbinused.Some
holdingunitsaredesignedwitha
removablefrontorsmalldoorsatthe
bottomofthebin.Withportablebins,
finishedandunfinishedcompostcanbe
separatedusingasimilarmethodtothe
onedescribedabove.Theportablebin
shouldberemovedandsetnearby.Less
decomposedmaterialsfromthetopofthe
pilecanbeputintotheemptyunituntil
finishedcompostisuncovered.More
effortisrequiredforheavyorpermanent
holdingunitswithoutremovabledoors.
Unfinishedcompostmustberemoved
andplacedinanadjoiningunitor
temporarystoragecontainer.Ifyouhave
room,itishelpfultohavetwoorthree
stationaryunits.Onebincanbeusedfor
freshorganics,anotherformaturing
materials,andpossibly,athirdfor
finishedcompost.
Inadditiontotheportablebins
mentionedearlier,therearenumerous
othertypesofcommercialandhome-built
units.Storesandmailordercatalogs
typicallysellunitsmadefromplasticand
occasionally,wood.Home-builtunitscan
beconstructedfrompallets,lumber,
hardwarecloth,tiresandplasticormetal
barrels,amongothermaterials.Some
peopleliketheappearanceofpermanent
Lesson3
MaterialsandMethodsforComposting
structures,whichcanbemadefrom
landscapetimbers,concreteblocks,rocks
orbricks.Descriptionsofcommercially
availablebinsanddetailedplansfor
buildingcompostingunitsareavailablein
aseriesoffactsheetsavailableperthe
listingattheendofthislesson.
Ifyouplantobuildawood
compostingunit,avoidusinglumber
treatedwithchromatedcopperarsenate
(CCA),alkalinecopperquant(ACQ),
creosoteandotherrotinhibiting
treatments.(Youshouldalsoavoidusing
treatedlumberaroundvegetable
gardens.)Toxiccompoundsfromthe
woodpreservativescouldleachintoyour
compost.Thecompoundsareharmfulto
humansandpets.Theyhavebeenshown
tocausecancerandskinandeye
irritations.Usewoodthatisnaturally
resistanttodecaysuchascedaror
untreatedpine.Structuresbuiltfrompine
willprobablyhavetobereplacedwithina
fewyears.Bythen,youmaybereadyfora
multiplebinunitoranewdesign.
Turningunits
Turningunitsaresystemsdesignedto
turnoraerate.Theseunitsmakecompost
fasterthanunturnedholdingunits
becausetheaerobicbacteriamultiply
withmoreoxygenandcanbreakdown
moreorganicmaterials.Onetypeof
turningunitisabinthatcanbetaken
apart,movedempty,sothatthe
compostingmaterialcanbetransferred
backtotheemptybin.Othertypesarea
seriesofbins,arotatingdrumorrolling
ball.Compostcanbemadein3months
(includingagingtime)whenorganic
materialshaveagoodC:Nratio,proper
moistureandareturnedonaregular
basis(every5-7days).Frequentturning
notonlymakescompostfaster,butitalso
yieldhighertemperatures(130-140°F)
thatkillmajordiseaseorganisms,fly
larvaeandweedseeds.Thesehigher
temperaturesalsoprovideagood
environmentforthemosteffective
decomposerorganisms.
Turningsystemstypicallycostmore
thanholdingunits.Homebuiltunitsmay
alsotakemoreefforttobuild.Turning
unitsmaybedifficultforpeoplewithback
andlimitedstrengthissues.However,
somebarrelunitsaredesignedforeasier
turningandmaintenance.Thesesystems
mayactuallybeeasiertousethanholding
unitsforolderorphysicallychallenged
composters.Barrelunitstendtohave
smallercapacitiesthanmostotherbins,
whichmakethembettersuitedforpeople
withsmallamountsofyardtrimmings
andfoodscraps.
Materialsneedtobecarefully
preparedandaddedtoturningunitsin
stockpiledbatches.Materialsshouldbe
saveduntilthereisenoughtofillonebin
ofamultipleunit,ortofillabarrelunitto
theprescribedlevel.Foodwastescanbe
accumulatedinapest-proofcontainer
suchasaplastic,five-gallonbucket.If
necessary,sawdustcanbeaddedtothe
topofeachday’sscrapstoreduceodor.
Heaps
Heapcompostingissimilarto
compostingwithholdingandturning
unitsexceptthatitdoesnotrequirea
structure.Recommendeddimensionsfor
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 27
aheapare5feetwideby3feethigh.
Lengthcanvarydependingontheamount
ofmaterialsused.Heapstakemorespace
duetogravity.Thewiderwidthwillhelp
thepileretainheatbetter.Materialscan
beaddedastheyaregeneratedorthey
canbesorteduntilenoughareavailable
tomakeagoodsizedheap.Duringfall
months,makingagoodsizedheapwill
helpthecompostingprocessworklonger
intothewinterseason.Ideally,twoheaps
arebetterthanone.Whenthefirstheapis
largeenough,itshouldbeallowedto
compostundisturbed.Asecondheapcan
bestartedwithnewmaterials.
Turningaheapisoptional.The
compostingprocesswillobviouslytake
longerifthepileisnotturned.Food
scrapsshouldnotbethrownonan
unturnedpilebecausepestsarelikelyto
beattracted.Woodymaterialsmayalso
poseaproblem.Ifwoodymaterialsare
notcutupintosmallpieces,thepilemay
tendtobecomemoreofabrushpilethan
acompostingpile.Awoodypile
decomposesextremelyslowly,usually
overaperiodofseveralyears,andcan
becomehugequickly.
Sheetcomposting
Sheetcompostingisawaytoobtain
thebenefitsofdecayedorganicsmaterial
withoutbuildingacompostingpile.Sheet
compostinginvolvesspreadingathin
layeroforganicmaterials,suchasleaves,
overagardenarea.Thematerialsare
thentilledinwithahoe,spade,garden
fork,orrotarytiller.Leaves,garden
debris,weeds,grassclippings,and
vegetativefoodscrapsareexamplesof
materialsthatcanbeeasilytilledintothe
soil.Toaiddecomposition,materials
shouldbeshreddedorchoppedpriorto
layering.
28 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Thedangerofsheetcompostingasa
compost-makingmethodisthatcarbon
containingresidueswillcalluponthe
nitrogenreservesofthesoilfortheir
decomposition.Ontheotherhand,highnitrogenmaterialsmayreleasetheir
nitrogentooquicklyinthewrongform.
Whatmaytakeamatterofweeksina
compostpile,givenconfinedand
thermophilicconditions,maytakeafull
seasoninthesoil.
Toensureadequatedecompositionof
organicmaterialsbeforeplanting,itis
besttodosheetcompostinginthefall.
Spreada2-to4-inchlayeroforganic
materialsonthesoilsurfaceandtillin.A
rotarytillerwilldothemostthoroughjob
ofworkingmaterialsintoavegetable
garden.Inaflowerbedcontaining
perennialsandbulbs,itmaybenecessary
tocarefullyworktheorganicmaterialin
withgardenforkorhoe.
Soilincorporation
Soilincorporationisalsoknownaspit
ortrenchcomposting.Organicmaterials
areburiedintothesoilwellbelowground
surface.Withtime,materialsbreakdown
tofertilizefutureplantinginyourgarden.
Thismethodissimpleandwellsuitedfor
compostingnon-fattyfoodwastes.The
decompositionprocessusesanaerobic
bacteria,soitisgenerallyslowerthan
othermethods.Decompositioncantake
uptoayear,dependingonthesoil
Lesson3
MaterialsandMethodsforComposting
temperature,thenumberoforganismsin
thesoil,andthecarboncontentofthe
materials.Soilincorporationworksbest
forpeoplewithlargegardenareas.Itis
advisabletowaitayearbeforeplanting
overareaswherefoodscrapsorother
materialshavebeendugintoavoidthe
possibilityofnitrogenborrowingfrom
plantsandensurecomplete
decomposition.
Therearedifferentwaystodosoil
incorporation.Withalltechniques,the
holeshouldbedugatleast8inchesdown,
preferably12-to15-inchesdeep.Burying
tothisdepthdiscouragesanimalsfrom
digginguptheorganicmaterialsshould
bemixedwithsoilfromthehole.After
placingtheminthegroundthehole
shouldbecoveredwiththesoildugfrom
it.
Somefolksliketouseaposthole
diggertoquicklydigaspotfor
incorporation.Otherpeopleliketosetup
arotationaltrenchsystem.Avegetable
gardencanbeorganizedaroundathreerow,three-yearrotation.Asshowninthe
diagram,initially,youusethefirstrowfor
planting,thesecondrowisapath,andthe
thirdrowisforcomposting.Duringthe
secondyearwiththissystem,thefirst
rowbecomesthepathandthesecond
rowbecomesthenewtrenchfor
composting,andthethirdrowbecomes
theplantingarea.Inthethirdyear,the
firstrowisusedforcomposting,the
secondforplanting,andthethirdfora
path.Ifthiscycleiscontinued,you’ll
alwaysbeplantinginfertilebeds.
Summary
Inthislesson,you’velearnedabout
organicmaterialsthatcanbeusedfor
composting,includingsomethatneed
specialattention.Youhavealsolearned
whycertainmaterialsshouldnotbe
addedtoapile,andaboutcompost
additives.Thefinalpartofthelesson
coveredfivemethodsthatcanbeusedfor
homecomposting.Nowanswerthestudy
questionsanddooneormoreofthe
studyactivitiestoapplyyournew
knowledge.Inthenextlesson,Lesson4,
youwilllearnaboutbuildingand
maintainingcompostpiles.
Studyquestions
Lesson3
1. Whyisitgoodtouseavarietyof
organicmaterialsinacompost
pile?
2. Describeasimplemethodfor
determiningwhetheramaterialis
higherincarbonornitrogen.
3. Listfourcompostablematerials
thatsomefolksmayprefertoleave
outofahomecompostpile
becauseofpotentialproblemsthey
couldcause.
4. Describewhycatlitterandother
petwastesshouldnotbeputintoa
compostpile.
5. Listthefivemethodsof
compostingcoveredinthelesson.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 29
6. Whichcompostingmethodislikely
toproducefinishedcompostthe
mostquickly.
Answerscanbefoundinthebackofthe
studyguide.
Studyactivities
Lesson3
Compostpilecandidates
Developalistofcompostable
materialsthatyougenerateinyouryard
andhome.Ifyoucurrentlyhavea
compostpile,startthelistwiththose
materials.Seeifyoucanfindatleast10
differentitemstoputinyourpile.Noteif
thematerialsareavailableseasonally,
whethertheymightbehigherinnitrogen
orcarbon,andestimatepotential
quantities.Keepthislisthandyforquick
referencethroughouttheyear.
Findingsupplementalmaterialslocally
Asmentionedinthelesson,
occasionallycompostersmaylookforfree
orinexpensivesourcesofcompostables
toincreasethevarietyofmaterialsin
theirpile.Considerusingthechart
providedonthenextpagetomakealist
ofmaterialsreadilyavailableinyour
community.Includesources,quantities
andcosts,ifapplicable.Thisinformation
canbesharedwithothersasyouperform
MasterComposteroutreachduties.
Compostbinresearchandfieldtrip
Oneofthebiggesthurdlesforpeople
thatarethinkingaboutcompostingis
acquisitionofacompostbin.Peoplewant
toknowwhatkindsofbinsareavailable
locallyand/orthroughwebbasedorders.
Theymayprefercommerciallybuiltbins
ortheymayhopetoconstructoracquire
ahome-builtbin.Youcanhelpmaketheir
30 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
taskeasierbydoingsomeresearchon
binsavailableinyourcommunity.
First,ifyouhavenotalreadydoneso,
checktoseeifyourmunicipalitysponsors
anytypeofcompostbindistribution
program.AgrowingnumberofWisconsin
localgovernmentsaresubsidizingthe
costofcompostbinsfortheirresidents.
Next,makealistofstoresinyour
communitythatarelikelytosellcompost
bins.Manystoressellbinsonaseasonal
basisduringthespringandsummer
months.Tosavetime,youmaywantto
firstcontactthestoresbyphoneto
inquirewhethertheyselloneormore
typesofbins.Visitthestoresthatsell
compostingbins,andrecordinformation
suchasthebrand,typeofbin,sizeand
cost.Usethisinformationasahandy
referencewhendoingoutreachactivities.
Youmaywanttotypeuptheinformation
touseasahandout.
OtherResources
FactSheetsareavailableat:
http://learningstore.uwex.edu
• Compostbinplansfor:
o Barrelcomposter
o Cancomposter
o Concrete-blockcompost
bins(s)
o Wiremeshcompostbin
o Wood3-bincompostunit
o Woodandwirecompost
bin
• Makingandusingcompostinthe
garden
Lesson3
MaterialsandMethodsforComposting
Lesson3
Findingsupplementalmaterialslocally
Researchdifferentsourcesofcompostablematerialsavailableinyourcommunity.Consider
stores,ridingstables,farms,orchards,beautysalons,andsawmills,amongnumerousother
possibilities.
Compostablematerial
Source(s)
Quantity Cost
available
Availability
e.g.always,fall
C/N
content
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 31
Master Composter
MAKING AND MAINTAINING A COMPOST PILE
Lesson Four
What’sahead
Inlesson4ofthehomestudycourse,
you’lllearn:
§ howdifferentseasonsaffectcompost
pileconstructionandactivity;
§ whatfactorstoconsiderwhen
selectingacompostingsite;
§ fastandslowmethodsformaking
compost;
§ commoncompostingproblemsand
possiblesolutions;
§ whycompostpHchangesduring
decomposition;and
§ aboutsomehealthconsiderations
associatedwithhomecomposting.
Whentostartacompostpile
InWisconsin,compostpilescanbe
builtinspring,summerorfall.Springand
summeraregoodtimestostartmaking
compostinearnestbecauseof
thewideavailabilityofnitrogenrichmaterialssuchasweeds,
prunings,andgrassclippings.
Theycanbecombinedwith
shreddedleavesstoredfromthe
fallandotherorganicmaterials
fromspringyardclean-up.
Compostingactivitywillbeatits
heightduringsummermonths,
especiallyifcareistakentokeep
thepileaeratedandmoist.Dependingon
thecompostingmethodused,piles
startedinthespringandearlysummer
canyieldcompostbyfall.Fallisanideal
timeforusinglargeamountsofcompost.
32 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Compostpilescanalsobesuccessfully
startedinthefall.Thecomposting
processwilltakelongerduetocool
temperaturesandfinishedcompostisnot
likelytobereadyuntilthefollowing
springorsummer.Iflargequantitiesof
leavesareusedinconstructingthepile,
nitrogen-richmaterialsmustbeaddedto
“jumpstart”orbalancetheC:Nratio.
Additionaloptionstomanagelarge
volumesofleavesincludeusingthemas
mulcharoundtreesandshrubsorsheet
compostingthemingardenareas.Save
fallleavestocoverkitchenscrapsin
wintereachtimetheyareaddedtothe
pileandtohaveasacarbonsourcein
summer.It’shardtofindbrownleavesin
July.
Peopleoftenwonder
whathappensto
compostpilesinthe
winter.Decomposition
slowsdownandin
manypiles,itactually
stopsduringverycold
temperatures.Some
compostpiles,
particularlysmaller
ones,willfreeze.The
freeze/thawcyclehelpstobreakdown
thecellularstructureofmaterials.When
springcomes,bacteriawillhavemore
surfaceareatoworkon,andthepilewill
heatupagain,evenifithasbeen
Lesson4
MakingandMaintainingaCompostPile
completelyfrozenduringthewinter.If
desired,youcanprolongcomposting
activityduringcoolmonthsbyadding
nitrogen-richmaterialssuchasmanure
andbyplacinginsulatingmaterials
aroundthepile.Balesofstrawandhayor
layersofleavescanbeusedaroundthe
sidesofabin.Thetopcanbecovered
withadditionalstraw,leavesoraplastic
tarp.Don’taerateyourpileinthewinter
becauseturningorpokingairholesinthe
pilewillallowheattoescape.
Addingfoodtoacompostpileduring
thewintercanbetricky.Asmentioned
earlier,decompositionoccursatamuch
slowerrate,andthepilemayendup
partiallyortotallyfrozen.Ifvolumesof
foodscrapsarecontinuallyadded
throughoutthewinter,thepilecanturn
intoasoupymessbyspringtime.Toavoid
problemssuchasodorsandpests,food
scrapsshouldonlybeaddedtoacompost
pileduringthewinterifthepilemeetsthe
followingguidelines:
• Isatleastonecubicyardinsize
• Containsplentyofcarbon-rich
materialstobalancethefood
scrapsandtocoverthescraps
aftertheyareadded(maintain
C:N)
• Materialswillbeturnedandmixed
whenwarmerweatherarrives
Iffoodisadded,itshouldbeburiedinto
thepileatleast8inchesdeep.Itmayhelp
tohavecontainersofshreddedleaves
nearbytouseforcoveringfoodwaste
additionsduringthewinter.
Vermicomposting(wormcomposting)
providesanalternativemethodfor
handlingfoodscrapsinsideyourhome
duringthewinteroryearround.
Vermicompostingiscoveredinmore
detailinalaterlesson.
Wheretocompost
Awell-chosencompostingsitecan
helpspeedupthecompostingprocess,
makeiteasiertocareforthepile,and
perhapsevenmotivateneighborstostart
composting.Thereareseveralfactorsto
considerwhenselectingacompostingsite
includingaccesstomaterialsandwater,
sunlight,drainage,convenience,and
neighbors,amongothers.
Thefirststepinselectingasiteisto
findoutiftherearelocalregulations
pertainingtocomposting.Your
municipalitymayhaveasetback
ordinancerequiringcompostingbinsto
belocatedacertaindistancefromlot
lines.Next,youshouldconsiderthe
followingphysicalfactors:
• Gooddrainageinthesoilbelow
thepile
• Fairlylevelground–avoid
depressions
• Protectionfromstrongwinds
• Convenientaccesstoawater
sourcee.g.reachablewithagarden
hose
• Spacefortemporarystorageof
organicmaterials
• Adequateroominfrontofthepile
foreasyaccess–roomontwoor
moresidesisevenbetter
Compostpilescanbeputinsunnyor
shadyareas.Directsunlightinthe
summertendstodrypilesout,especially
inbinsmadeofwireand/orwood.
Duringwintermonths,however,pilesin
sunnylocationswillbenefitfromthe
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 33
sun’sheat.Althoughpilesintheshadedo
notbenefitfromthesun’srays,theywill
heatupjustfinewithawell-balancedmix
ofmaterials.Ifpossible,locatecompost
pilesindirectcontactwithbaregroundto
givemicroorganismsandearthworms
maximumopportunitytofindtheirway
intothecompost.Somepeopleliketoput
apalletthatactsasanaerationmatatthe
bottomoftheirpiletoprovidepassive
airflowfromunderneaththepile.For
betterresults,placethepalletormaton
bareground.Ifcompostingisdoneon
apartmentbalconiesorpatiose.g.in
tumblers,itmaybewisetoputplastic
sheetingunderneathtopreventcompost
fromstainingwoodorstone.Finished
compostorafewhandfulsofsoilcanbe
usedtoincreasethenumberof
microorganismsinthecompost.
Avoidputtingcompostpilesagainst
woodenbuildingortrees–woodin
contactwithcompostmaydecay.Other
thingstoavoidincludedrippingeavesor
downspoutswhichcandump
uncontrollableamountsofwater.Tryto
keepyourbinawayfromyourneighbor’s
outdoorentertainingareas.Ifyourun
intoaproblem(hopefullytemporary)
withodororflies,yourcompostpilewill
belessoffensivewhileyou’recorrecting
theproblem.
Peoplehavedifferentviewsaboutthe
visibilityofcompostpiles.Somefolks
believethatpilesshouldbe“hidden’in
out-of-the-wayplaces,whileothersdon’t
mindhavingthebininfullview.Give
somethoughttotheaestheticsofthe
compostingsystemyouselectandhow
yourneighborsmightviewit.Hopefully,
youwillsetagoodexamplesothatyou
caneducateothersaboutthebenefitsof
composting.
Makingacompostpile
Compostpilescanbeconstructedasmaterialsbecomeavailableorbyaddingstockpiled
materialinbatches.Manytimesaspiringcomposterswillaskforarecipe.Therearea
varietyofrecipesthatwillproduceexcellentcompost.Twobasiccompostingrecipesare
describedonthenexttwopages.Themajordifferencebetweentherecipesistheamountof
timeandattentionrequired.
34 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Lesson4
MakingandMaintainingaCompostPile
Hotandfastcompost
Thiscompostshouldbereadyinapproximatelysixtotwelveweeks.
Tools:
• Pitchforkorshovel
• Rake
• Equipmentforchoppingandshreddinge.g.handpruners,machete,loppers,rotarylawnmower,
chipper/shredder
• Waterhosewithsprayhead
• Tarpformixing(optional)
• Compostbinunitthatallowseasypileturning,ideally3’x3’x3’
• Scrapofblackplasticorcompostbinlidtohelpretainmoisture
• Compostpilethermometer(optional)
Ingredients:
Assembleenoughofthefollowingingredientstofillyourbin.
• 2-3partsofnitrogen-richmaterial(“greens”)
• 3-4partsofcarbon-richmaterial(“browns”)
• Water
• Compostactivator–nitrogensource,preferablyorganic,ifneeded
Instructions:
1. Choporshredcoarsematerialslargerthan1/2”indiameteror2inchesinsizetoincreasesurfaceareaand
speedupdecomposition.Leaveswillbreakdownmorequicklyifshredwitharotarylawnmowerorshredder.
2. Ifdesired,placeapalletoraerationmatonthebottomofthecompostingbintohelpaeratethepilefrom
underneath.Hardwareclothcanbenailedtothepallettokeepmaterialfromfallingthroughgapsbetweenthe
palletboards.
3. Laya4to6inchlayerofcarbon-richmaterialinthebinoronatarp.
4. Adda4to6inchlayerofnitrogen-richmaterial.
5. Mixlayerswithagardenforkorshovel.Considertheporosityandmoisturecontentofthepile.Ifdense
materialsareusedsuchasmanureorwetleaves,adddry,bulkyitemssuchasstraworchoppedcornstalks.
Addmorewaterifthepileisnotasdampasawrungoutsponge.Squeezingahandfulofthematerialshould
yieldoneortwodropsofwater.Ifyouareusingatarpformixinglayers,emptythematerialsintoyourbinafter
mixing.
6. Repeatsteps3-5untilthepileis3-4feethigh.Pileslargerthan5feettallandwidetendtocompactandneedto
beturnedtokeeptheircentersfromgoinganaerobic.Foodscrapsshouldbeaddedtothethirdorfourthlayers,
andshouldbeburiedatleast8-12inchesdownfromthetopofthepile.Sawdust,leaves,straw,orcompostcan
beplacedontopofthefoodsscrapstohelpadsorbodors.
7. Ifdesired,addasmallamount(upto1/2shovelful)offinishedcompostorsoiltothecompostpiletohelp
introducemicroorganismstothepile.
8. Withinafewdaysthepileshouldbegintoheatup.Monitorthetemperaturecarefully.Afterthepilehasheated
andstartstocool(aboutoneweek),turnit.Movematerialsfromtheedgeandtopofthepileintothemiddle.
Addwaterifneeded.Turnthepilesoonerifthetemperaturegoesabove140°Forifsomeoftheinnermaterial
lookswhitish.
9. Duringthefirstfewweeksofcomposting,thepiletemperatureshouldcontinuetobehot.Turnthepilewhen
thetemperaturesurpasses140°Finordertocoolitoff.Ifthepilegoesabovethattemperature,manybeneficial
microorganismswilldie.Morenitrogenorwatermaybeneededifthepiledoesnotreachatleast120°Fbythe
secondweek.Atthesecondturning(aboutoneweekafterthefirst),thematerialshouldstartturningcoffeebrownincolorandbeuniformlymoist.
10. Activityinthepilewillslowdownaftermicroorganismsutilizetheeasilydecomposablematerial.Lessheatwill
begeneratedandthepilewillbegincoolingoff.Turnthepileperiodicallytoensureadequateaeration(nomore
thanonceaweek).Asthecompostingprocesscontinues,thepilewilleventuallyreducetoabout1/3ofits
originalheight.Thefinishedcompostshouldlooklikedark,crumblysoilmixedwithsmallunrecognizable
piecesoforganicmaterial.Itshouldhaveasweet,earthysmell.Thepiletemperatureshouldbewithin10°Fof
ambientairtemperature.
11. Lettheunfinishedcompostcureforatleastthreeweeksbeforeusing,longerforseedlingsandtransplants.If
compostisnotcuredlongenough,itcanbetoxictoplants,especiallyyoungones.Unfinishedcompostwillalso
temporarilyrobsoilofitsnitrogenwhichcanharmplants
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 35
Coolandeasycompost
Thiscompostwillbereadyin6monthsto2years.
Tools:
•
•
•
•
•
Pitchforkorshovel
Equipmentforchoppingandshredding
Waterhosewithsprayhead
Compostbin(optional)
Scrapofblackplasticorcompostbinlidforcoveringpile(optional)
Ingredients:
• Mixedyardtrimmingsasavailable:leaves,gardendebris,weedswithoutseedsorspreadingroots,
grassclippings,smallpruning
• Vegetablescraps
• Otherhandycompostablematerialsthatareunlikelytoattractpests
• Nitrogensource,preferablyorganics,ifneeded
Instructions:
1. Locatecompostbinorheapinanareawhereitwillgetrainedon,preferablyoutofdirectsummer
sunlight.
2. Placeyardtrimmingsinthebinorpileascollectedinyardclean-upormowing.Moistendrymaterials
astheyareadded.Mixgrassclippings,pineneedles(upto10percent)andothersimilarmaterials
withleavesorcompostingmaterialsalreadyinthepile.
3. Choporshredanyyardtrimmingsover1/2inchindiameteror2inches,insize,especiallyifadding
largeamounts.
4. Buryvegetablescrapsunder8to12inchesofyardtrimmingsorfinishedcompost.
5. Ifthepilehastendencytodryout,coverthetopwithblackplasticoracompostbinlid.Addwateras
neededtokeeppileaboutasdampasawrungoutsponge.Waterwillinfiltratethepilebetterifitis
addedincombinationwithturning.
6. Periodicallycheckthecompostpiletomonitorthedecompositionprocess.Ifpossible,turnthepileat
leasttwoorthreetimesperseason.Materialatthebottomofthecompostpilewilllooklikedark,rich
soilinapproximatelysixmonthstotwoyears.Timetofinishedcompostdependsonthematerial
compostedandtheamountofpilemaintenancedone.Removaloffinishedcompostwillvary
dependingonthetypeofcompostunitused,ifany.Undecomposedmaterialsshouldbeaddedtoan
existingornewcompostpile.
36 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Lesson4
MakingandMaintainingaCompostPile
Troubleshooting:Problemsandsolutions
Mostcompostingproblemsarefairlyeasytofix.Theytendtofallintothreebroad
categories:slowdecompositionproblems,odorproblemsandpestproblems.Thetrickis
learninghowtoreadthesymptomsandexperimentingwithsolutions.Allproblemsare
relatedtocompostprocessfactorssuchasthesizeandtypesofmaterialsyouputinyour
pile,moisturelevelandaeration.Ifyouarehavingaproblem,itmeansthatoneormoreof
thesefactorsareoutofbalanceandneedstobeadjusted.Thefollowingtablesshow
symptoms,possiblecausesandpossiblesolutionoralternatives.
TABLE6
Problem:Slowcomposting
SymptomPossiblecausePossiblesolution/alternative
Compostpileisdampand
Thepilemaybetoosmall
Gatherenoughmaterialtoforma
warminthemiddle,but
pile3x3x3andcoverthetop
nowhereelse
Compostpileisnotheating
Ifthepileseemsdamp
Mixinfreshgrassclippings,
enough,itmaybealackof
up.
manure,bloodmealorother
nitrogen.
materialhighinnitrogen.Ifitis
difficulttoturnthepilecreate
holesinthepileandaddthe
nitrogen-richmaterial.
Notenoughoxygen
Turnorfluffthepile.
Coolweather
Increasepilesizeand/orinsulate
itwithstraworatarp.
Compostneedsmore
Mixinfinishedcompost(best)or
microorganisms
uptoahalfshovelfulofgarden
soil.
Compostmaybefinished
Ifitlooksdarkandcrumbly,
smellsearthy(notmoldyor
rotten),andfeelsfinished—itmay
bedone.Useit?
Compostpileisdry
Maybelackofwater
Turnthecompostandaddwater.
throughout
Moistennewmaterialsbefore
addingtothepile.Ifthepileisout
intheopen,consideringcovering
itwithatarporplasticcover.The
pileshouldbedampasawrung
outsponge.
Matted,undecomposedlayers Compaction,pooraeration
Breakuplayerswithapitchfork,
ofleavesorgrassclippings
orshredthemandrebuildthe
pile.Avoidaddingheavylayersof
leaves,grassclippings,hayor
paperunlessfirstshredded.
Large,undecomposeditems
Sizeandcompositionof
Screenoutundecomposeditems,
materials
reducesizeifnecessary,anduse
asstarterfornextpile.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 37
TABLE7
Problem:Odors
SymptomPossiblecausePossiblesolution/alternative
Compostpilehasabadodor
Notenoughoxygen—toowet
Turnthepileandaddcoarse
likeamixtureofrancidbutter,
drymaterialssuchasleaves,
vinegarandrotteneggs.
straw,orchoppedcornstalks
tosoakupexcessmoisture.
Protectthepilefromrain.
Compostpilehasabadodor
Pilemaycontaintoomuch
Addmaterialshighincarbon
suchasshreddedleaves,wood
likeammonia.
nitrogen.
chips,sawdust,orshredded
newspaperandaerate.
TABLE8
Problem:Pests
SymptomPossiblecausesPossiblesolution/alternative
Compostpileisattractingrats, Inappropriatefoodscrapsmay Avoidaddinginappropriate
materials.Burynon-fattyfood
raccoons,dogs,orotherpests. havebeenadded—meat,fat,
scraps8–12inchesdeepinthe
bones,orotheranimalwastes
pile.Coverwithsawdust,
leaves,orcomposttohelp
absorbodors.Ifproblems
persistwithanimals,usea
rodent-resistantbinwithatop,
bottom,andsides.Binsbuilt
withsideandcoveropenings
lessthan2incheswill
discourageraccoons,skunks
andotherlargeanimals.Where
ratsareaproblem,use
hardwareclothwithopenings
1/2inchorlesstoenclosethe
bin.
Compostpilecontainsflies
Pileiscompostingcorrectly.
Ifthereisanoverabundanceof
earwig,slug,and/orother
Insectsareagoodsignofa
flies,addathinlayerofsoil
insects.
productivecompostpile
overfoodscraps.Flieslove
damphayorstraw;turnand
mixhayorstrawwithother
materialsinthepile.Slugsand
earwigsarehappyincompost
piles.Ifthepileisnexttoa
garden,barrierscanbeplaced
betweenthepilewithtraps,
metalflashing,etc.
38 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Lesson4
MakingandMaintainingaCompostPile
CompostpilepH
Occasionally,composterswillbecome
concernedaboutthepHoftheircompost
pile,particularlyduringtheinitialstages
ofdecomposition.ThetermpH”describes
thealkalinityoracidityofsoil,compost,
andothersubstancesandisusually
expressedasanumber.ThepHscaleruns
from1,indicatingpureacidity,to14,
whichispurelyalkaline.Aneutral
substancehasapHof7,halfwaybetween
1and14.Theneutralzoneisdesirablefor
mostplants,exceptcertainacid-loving
onessuchasazaleasandblueberries.
ThepHofdecayingcompostchanges
duringdifferentstagesofcomposting.
Duringtheearlystages,organicacidsare
producedandthepHmaydropaslowas
4or5.Asdecompositioncontinues,the
pilewillneutralizeonitsown,aslongas
itisgettingenoughoxygen.Donotadd
limeorlimesubstitutestoadjustthepH
unlessyouhaveperformedapHtest.
AddingtoomuchlimecanraisethepHto
levelswherenitrogenwillbelostfrom
thepileintheformofammoniagas,thus
creatinganodorproblem.
IfyouwanttotestthepilepH,itis
bettertodosowhenthecompostis
finished.YoumayalsowanttotestthepH
ofthesoilwhereyouplantousethe
compost.ComparethepHfindingswith
theneedsoftheparticularplantsyou
intendtouse-andthenmake
adjustmentstothesoilwithlimeorpeat
moss,ifneeded.Mostcomposterscan
probablyignorecompostpilepHaslong
astheyuseagoodvarietyoforganic
materialwhenbuildingit.
Healthconsiderations
Healthconsiderationsrelatedto
compostingaredependentonthe
materialsbeingcompostedandindividual
sensitivitytoorganismsincompost.As
mentionedearlier,dog,cat,andtropical
birdwastescancontainharmful
pathogensandshouldbeavoided.For
mostindividuals,contactwith
compostingmaterialshouldnotcause
problemsifnormalsanitarymeasuresare
observed(e.g.washinghandsafter
workingwiththecompostpile).Gloves
arerecommendedforpilebuildingand
maintenance,especiallyifyouhaveany
cutsorblisters.Asensiblehealth
precautionistomakesureyourtetanus
boosterisup-to-date(recommendedfor
bothcompostingandgardening).
Afewindividualsmaybesensitiveto
someoftheorganismsincompostpiles.
Thehighpopulationsofmoldandfungi
cancauseallergicreactionsinsome
people.Oneofthesefungalspecies,
Aspergillusfumigatus,caninfectthe
respiratorysystemofasensitiveperson
whoisheavilyexposed.Aspergillus
commonlyoccursinnatureandisfound
inbasementsandmanyotherlocations.
Homecompostingpilesmaycontainsome
Aspergillusorganisms,butarenot
responsibleforsignificantelevationsof
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 39
backgroundlevels.Inotherwords,
Aspergillusorganismsinyourhome
compostspilewillnotaffectyour
neighbors.Peoplewhohaveconditions
thatpredisposethemtoinfectionor
allergicreactionsshouldavoidturning
compostpilesortakeprecautionsto
minimizeexposure.Commondustmasks
canbewornunderdryanddusty
conditions.
Homecompostingpilesaresometimes
blamedasasourceofBlastomycosis.
Blastomycosisisafungallungdisease
thathassymptomssimilartopneumonia.
ExpertsonBlastomycosisdonotbelieve
thatmyceliosporesarelikelytoformina
compostingpilebecauseofthehigh
temperaturesgeneratedbybacteria.(This
hasnotbeenprovenconclusivelybecause
theBlastomycosisfungusisverydifficult
toisolate.Conditionshavetobejustright
forittoform.)Themyciliophase
(problemphase)occursattemperatures
lessthanhumantemperature(98°F).
Blastomycosisistypicallyfoundaround
riverbanks,lakes,andstreamsandis
moreassociatedwithwaterdrawdown.
40 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Asaprecaution,peoplelivinginareas
wheretheincidenceofblastomycosisis
highcouldforegocompostingorganic
materialsuchasrottingwoodtakenfrom
banksofrivers,streams,andlakes.
Summary
Inthislesson,you’velearnedhow
weatheraffectscompostingactivity,
wherecompostpilesshouldbesited,and
tworecipesforproducingcompost.You
havealsolearnedaboutsomecommon
compostingproblemsandhowtosolve
them.Thelastsectionofthelesson
coveredcompostpilepHandhealth
considerations.Nowseehowwellyoucan
answerthestudyquestions.Tryatleast
oneofthestudyactivitiestoexpand
yourcompostingknowledge.Inthenext
lesson,Lesson5,youwilllearnaboutthe
manybenefitsoffinishedcompostand
howitcanbeused.
Studyquestions
Lesson4
1. Listtheguidelinesforcomposting
foodwasteduringwintermonths.
2. Namefivephysicalfactorsto
considerwhenlocatingacompost
pile.
3. Whatarethekeydifferences
betweenthe“HotandFast”and
“CoolandEasy”compostrecipes?
4. Whatarepossiblecausesofodors
inacompostpileandhowcanthey
beremedied?
5. Trueorfalse,andwhy?
Compostersshouldaddlimeto
theircompostpileifthepHfalls
below6.0duringtheinitialstages
ofcomposting.
6. Describetwohealth
considerationsrelatedtobackyard
composting.
Lesson4
MakingandMaintainingaCompostPile
Answerscanbefoundinthebackofthe
studyguide.
Studyactivities
Lesson4
Surveyoffriendsandneighbors
Trytogetasenseofhowpeopleare
backyardcompostinginyourcommunity
andsomeofthecommonproblemsthey
experience.Developashortsurveythat
youcanuseinformallywithfriendsand
neighbors.Consideraskingyourfriends
whatrecipetheyusetocompost
includingmaterials,tools,typeofbin(if
any),andlengthoftimetofinished
compost.Findoutwhatproblemsthey
haveexperiencedwhilecompostingand
howtheysolvedthem.Iftheyhavenotyet
solvedtheircompostingproblems,you
couldoffersomepossiblesolutions.You
mayalsowanttoaskyouracquaintances
howtheyusetheirfinishedcompost.
Compostingproblemlab
Ifyouareadventurous,youcantry
simulatingcommoncomposting
problemssuchasodorsandslow
decompositioninplasticbagsorother
small,inexpensivecontainers.The
compostproblemsamplescouldbe
madeuppriortoaworkshopand
broughtforattendeestoexperiencefirst
hand.Givethecontainerstoworkshop
attendeesandhavethemdiscuss
possibleproblemsandsolutions.If
possible,bringsomeextramaterials
thattheycouldusetoaddtothe
containersto“solve”theproblems.You
maywanttofirstexperimentathomeon
reproducingcompostproblemsinsmall
containers.
Forexample,toproduceabadodor
likerancidbutter,vinegar,androtten
eggs,youcouldmixfresh,juicyfruitand
vegetablescraps,grassclippings,and
coffeegroundstogetherandplacethemin
anairtightbagorcontainer.Leavefor
severaldaysbeforeopening.Toproducea
badodorlikeammonia,youcouldmix
togetherfreshgrassclippingsandboneor
bloodmeal.Afteracoupleofdays,adda
smallamountoflime,thenleavefor
anotherdayortwobeforeopening.Slow
decompositioncouldbesimulatedby
mixingtogethertwoormorehighcarbon
materialssuchasleaves,sawdust,and
shreddedcardboard.Useyour
imagination.
Otherresources
Factsheetavailableat:
http://learningstore.uwex.edu
§ MakingandUsingCompostin
theGarden(LearningStore
itemA4021).
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 41
Master Composter
USING COMPOST
Lesson Five
What’sahead
inlesson5ofthehomestudycourse,
you’lllearn:
§ howcompostbenefitssoilsandplants;
§ characteristicsoffinishedcompost;
§ howtoapplycomposttoplantsin
youryard,gardenandhome.
Benefitsofcompost
Inexpensivetoproduceandeasyto
use,homemadecompostisanexcellent
sourceoforganicmatterforyoursoil.
Usingcompostimprovesthesoil’s
structureandtexture,enablingittobetter
retainnutrients,moistureandairforthe
supportofcrops.Thejoy
ofworkinginrich,
crumblysoilandtending
healthy,robustplants
shouldmorethan
compensatefortheeffort
expendedinmakingthe
compostanddistributing
it.
Whenorganicmatter
isworkedintosoil,by
peopleorbyearthworms,
itdramaticallyimproves
soilstructure.Soil
structurereferstohow
inorganicparticles(sand,siltandclay)
combinewithdecayedorganicmaterial
(alsocalledhumus).Soilwithagood
structurehasacrumblytexture,drains
well,retainssomemoisture,andiseasyto
42 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
turnover.Composthelpsimproveallsoil
types,especiallysandyorheavyclaysoils.
Sandysoilfeelsloose,andhascoarse,
lightparticlesthatwon’tholdtheirshape
whensqueezedinyourhand.The
loosenessoftheparticlescreatessomuch
airspacethatwaterandnutrientsdrain
throughquickly.
Whencompostismixedwithsandy
soil,ithelpstoretainmoistureand
micronutrients.Theadditionofcompost
alsoincreasesthesoil’sporositysothat
plantrootscanmoreeasilypenetrateit.
Claysoillooks
heavyanddense.It
containsfinesoil
particleswithvery
limitedporespace
forairorwater.It
getsverysticky
whenwetandwill
formalumpwhen
squeezedinyour
hand.When
compostismixed
withclaysoils,it
bindswiththeclay
particlestoform
largerparticles,allowingbettersurface
waterdrainage.Thecompostportion
holdsmoistureinsidetheparticlesfor
plantuptake.Theadditionofcompost
Lesson5
UsingCompost
alsohelpsclaysoilsresistsurfacecrusting
anderosion.
Compostistypicallyconsideredasoil
amendmentorconditioner,ratherthana
fertilizer.Itcontainssmallamountsof
nutrientsandtraceelementsthatarevery
beneficialforplants.Oneofthereasons
thatcompostissovaluableisbecauseitis
acompositeofdifferentingredients,some
ofwhichrotmorerapidlythanothers.As
aresult,nutrientsareslowlyreleased
overaperiodoftime.Thenutrient
contentofeachbatchofcompostis
impossibletopredict,becauseitdepends
onvariablessuchastherawmaterials,
thecarbontonitrogenratioofthepile,
andwhetheranyamendmentsareadded.
Thegreaterthevarietyofmaterialsused
inmakingit,thegreaterwillbethe
varietyofnutrientsintheendproduct–
includingminorelementssuchasiron,
cobalt,manganese,boron,zinc,and
copper.Afterithasbeenstoredfor
severalmonths,compostwilllosesome
nitrogenandpotassium,althoughitwill
stillretainmostoftheothernutrients.To
discouragenutrientleaching,youcan
coverthecompostwithplasticorsome
typeoftarp.Incontrasttocompost,some
chemicalfertilizersreleaseelementsso
quicklythatrainleachesthemaway
beforeplantscanutilizethem.
Compostattractsearthwormsand
othersoilorganismsasitprovidesthem
withfood.Thesesoilorganismscan
createtunnelsinthesoil,whichaerates
thesoil,improvesdrainage,andbringsup
mineralsfromthesubsoil,makingthem
availabletoplants.Addingcomposttothe
soilalsoincreasesmicrobialactivity.
Microorganismsremainincompost,even
afterdecompositionhassloweddown.
Thesemicroorganismscontinueto
decomposeorganicmatterinthesoil,
contributingtochemicalreactionsthat
benefitplants.Theyconvertnitrogen,
potassium,phosphorusandother
nutrientsinorganicmaterialsintoaform
thatplantscanabsorb.Sometypesof
microorganismsarenitrogen-fixing
bacteria,whichtakenitrogenfromtheair
andmakeitaccessibletoplants.Other
microbesproducechemicalsubstances
thathelpprotectplantsfromseveral
typesofdiseases.
Researchbyplantpathologists
indicatesthatsoilamendedwithcompost
tendstoproduceplantswithfewerinsect
anddiseaseproblems.Certaintypesof
compostwillsuppressseveralsoilborne
diseasesinornamentalandvegetable
crops.Whenusedasamulcharound
gardenplants,compostcanhelpcontrol
thespreadoffungaldiseasesbykeeping
waterfromsplashingdiseasesporesonto
plants.Forthisreasonandbecause
studiesshowthatcompost-richsoil
discouragesmanydiseases,youmaywant
tomixcompostintosoilaroundyour
plantstohelpprotectthem.Usingeither
leafmold,compostmadeexclusivelyfrom
driedleaves,canhelpsuppress
nematodes.Addingsomepineneedlesto
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 43
theleafmoldorleaf-basedcomposthas
beenfoundtobeparticularlypotent
againstnematodes.Researchontheuseof
composthasshownthatcomponentsof
compostsimprovetheabilityofplantsto
resistdiseasecausedbyrootandfoliar
pathogens.Studiescurrentlybeing
conductedwilllikelyshowadditional
benefits.
Anothervalueofcompostisthatit
improvessoilchemistry.Humushelps
plantsovercomesoilpHlevelsthatare
eithertoolow(acidic)ortoohigh
(alkaline).Itactsasabufferinthesoil
andhelpskeepextremepHfrommaking
nutrientsinsoluble.Organicmatterhasa
highcapacitytofixheavymetalsinsoils
andcanneutralizesoiltoxins.According
toDr.SelmanWaksmaninhisbook
Humus:Origin,ChemicalComposition,and
ImportanceinNature,highsalt
concentrationsarelessinjurious;and
aluminumsolubilityanditsspecific
injuriousactionaremarkedlydecreased.
Theuseofcompostaidsinmoderating
soiltemperatures.Soilamendedwith
composttypicallyhasadarkercolorthan
unamendedsoilbecausecompostisdark
brown.Darksoilabsorbsmoreheatand
willtendtoheatupfasterinthespring,
stimulatingplantstostartgrowingsooner.
Duringhotweather,soilcoveredwith1to
2inchesofcompostmulchtendsto
remaincoolerthansoilwithoutmulch.
Themulchservesasaninsulatingblanket,
helpingplantsperformbetterinthe
summerheat.
Benefitsofcomposttosoil
§ Improvessoiltexture
§ Improvessoil’swater-retention
capability
§ Improvessoil’saeration
§ Improvessoil’sresistancetoerosion
44 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
§
§
§
§
§
Addsandstoresnutrientsinthesoil
Discouragessometypesofplant
diseases
Improvessoil’sabilitytoabsorbrapid
changesinpH
Neutralizescertaintoxins
Helpskeepsoiltemperaturestable
Finishedcompost
Somenovicecompostersmaybe
unsureastowhentheircompostis
actuallyfinished.Finishedcompostwill
bedark,looseand“crumbly”.Itshould
smellsweetandearthy;nevermoldyand
rotten.Crumblycompostwillbesortof
fluffy–itdoesnotneedtobedecomposed
tothepointofbeingpowdery.Youmay
seelotsofmacroorganismscrawling
aroundsuchasearthwormsandsowbugs.
Mostoftheoriginalmaterialsshouldnot
berecognizable,althoughthingsthattake
alongtimetodecomposesuchastwigs,
nutshells,andstrawfiberswillstillbe
visible.Theseitemscanbescreenedout
andputbackintoacompostpile.The
temperatureofthefinishedcompost
shouldbethesameastheoutsideair
temperatureandshouldnotreheat.Ifitis
stillwarmerthanthesurroundingair,it
needsmoredecompositiontime.Oncethe
compostappearsfinished,cureitforat
leastthreeweekstomakesurethatthe
Lesson5
UsingCompost
decompositionprocesshasstabilized.
Unfinishedcomposthasbeenfoundto
retardgerminationandgrowthofsome
plants.Ifyouplantousecompostaspart
ofamixforseedlingsortransplants,you
maywanttodoasimpletesttoensure
thatthecompostisfullyaged.The
followinggerminationtestis
recommendedinTheRodaleBookof
Composting.
Soakafewsees,suchaslettuceorradish,
inateamadewithyourcompost,and
soakanequalnumberfromthesame
packetindistilledwater.Layeachbatch
onapapertowel,andkeepthemwarm
andmoistforafewdays,untiltheystart
tosprout.Ifthedistilled-watertreated
seedsgerminatebetter,youknowyou
mustletyourcompostagelonger.
Compostshouldbescreenedwhenit
isusedasatop-dressingforlawnsandas
acomponentofcontainermixes.Asimple
screencanbemadebyfastening1/2”
meshhardwareclothoverawooden
frame.Somepeopleprefertousea1/4”
meshforscreeningcompostthatwillbe
usedforstartingseeds.Placethescreen
overawheelbarroworboxandsiftthe
compostintothecollector.Largepieces
leftbehindonthescreencouldgointo
anothercompostpile.
Compostapplication
Finishedcompostcanbeappliedin
spring,summerandfall.Thebesttimeto
incorporatelargeamountsofcompost
intoagardenisinthefall.Thiscanbe
doneafterthefirstkillingfrostandbefore
thesoilbecomesfrozenhard.Compost
canbespreadandleftontopofthe
gardensoiloritcanbeturnedunderwith
aspadeorrototiller.Incorporating
compostintothesoilhelpskeepitfrom
dryingoutandretainssomenutrients
thatmightotherwiseescapeintothe
atmosphereasgas.Ifusedinthespring,
compostshouldbeincorporatedintothe
soilamonthorsobeforeplanting.During
thesummer,compostcanbeappliedas
eitheratop-dressingorside-dressingto
plants.
Ifyouwanttostorefinishedcompost
forawhile,coveritwithaplasticor
canvastarptodiscouragenutrient
leaching.Don’tleaveapileoffinished
compostunusedformorethansixmonths.
Specificrecommendationsforapplying
compostarediscussedbelow.
Annualflowerandvegetablebeds
Inthespringandlatefall,1/2”–1”of
compostcanbeincorporatedintogarden
soiltoimproveandmaintainsoilquality.
Ifthegardenareaisnewandhasinferior
soil,youmayneedtoincorporate2”–3”of
compostintothetop6”ofearthtobolster
itsorganiccontent.Duringsummer
months,mulchwithscreenedcompostat
arateof1/2–1”aroundindividualplants
(side-dressing)orovertheentirebed.
Side-dressingisbestdoneinthespring
andearlysummersoplantscanderive
maximumbenefitfromthecompost.To
side-dressaplant,layacircleofcompost
onthesoilaroundtheplant.Startabout
aninchfromthestemandspreaditoutto
thedripline(imaginarycirclebeneaththe
outeredgeofthefoliage).
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 45
Fortransplants,putahandfulof
compostintoeachholebeforeplacingthe
plantinit.Compostwillprovide
nutritionalsupportthroughoutthe
seasonandimprovesoilstructurearound
theplants.
Perennials
Compostcanbeusedforalltypesof
perennials.Itisparticularlyvaluablefor
perennialfoodplants,suchasasparagus,
rhubarb,strawberries,andraspberries.
Beforeplanting,preparemultipleholesor
atrenchapproximately8”wideand18”
deep.Fillthemwithcompostbefore
addingtheperennials.Forperennialsthat
arealreadyplanted,mixcompostwith
topsoilandapply1/2”–1”ontopasa
mulch.Ifyoutrytoworkcompostintothe
soil,youmaydamageroots.
Treesandshrubs
Whenplantingnewtreesorshrubs,
donotusecompostintheplantinghole.
Compost-richsoilencouragesrootsto
remainintheplantinghole,ratherthan
growingoutintothesurroundingsoil.
Therootsmaygrowinacircleandwithin
afewyears,therootscanliterally
strangletheplants,causingittodie.
Mulchingisamuchbetterwaytouse
composttobenefittreesandshrubs.
Spreada1/2”–1”layeronbaresoilasfar
asthedriplineextends(outeredgeofthe
plant’sbranches).Withtrees,thisbandof
mulchshouldstartabouttwofeetfrom
thetrunk.Itmaybenecessarytoremove
thegrassmatfromthetreetrunkor
shrubbaseoutwardstothedripline.
Workcompostintothetop2inchesofsoil
orcoverwith2–3inchesofanothertype
ofmulche.g.choppedleavesorwood
chips.Thetoplayerofmulchwillhelp
keepthecompostinplaceandkeepit
fromdryingout.
46 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Lawns
Fornewlawns,spread2”ofscreened
compostontothesoil.Incorporatethe
compostintothetop6”–8”inchesofsoil.
Forestablishedlawns,compostcanbe
usedasatop-dressing.Useanaeratorto
punchholesinthesod.Thengrindor
screencompostuntilitisfineinorderto
avoidsmotheringthelawn.Ifascreenis
used,itshouldhave1/2”orsmallermesh.
Spreadorbroadcasta1/4”–1/2”covering
offinecompostovertheentirelawn.
Lightlyrakethecompostsothatitfalls
intotheholes.Torenovatepatchylawns,
workcompostintobarespotsabout2”
deep,soakwithwaterandplantgrass
seed.
Containerizedplants
Finelyscreenedcompostcanbeused
inpottingmixes.Nomorethan1/4–1/3,
byvolume,ofthepottingmixshould
consistofcompost—higherlevelscan
resultinexcessnutrients.Useonlywell
agedcompostasfreshcompostmay
containphytotoxinsthatcaninjurethe
plant.Onesuggestedmix:2partssoilless
mix(e.g.partmoss,perlite,and
vermiculite)and1partscreenedcompost.
Lesson5
UsingCompost
Forestablishedplants,useupto1”of
finecompostandapplyitasamulch.As
mentionedearlier,anotherexcellentway
toprovidenutrientstocontainerized
plantsistowaterthemwithcomposttea.
Composttea
Anotherwaytoapplycompostduring
growingmonthsisbybrewingandusing
composttea.Compostteaworks
especiallywellforprovidingnutrientsto
newtransplantsandyoungseedlings,
whicharesensitivetochemicals.Italsois
aconvenientwaytosupplynutrientsto
soilinplanters,whichsometimeslack
spacefortheadditionofasolidsoil
amendment.Tomakecomposttea,place
aburlaporclothbagfilledwithfinished
compostinawateringcan,tub,orbarrel
ofwater.Agitateitforacoupleofminutes
orletitsitforafewdays.Waterwillleach
nutrientsfromcompostanddilutethem
intoamildtonicthesamecolorastea.
Sprayorpourcompostteaonandaround
plantsatwateringtime.Thesamebagof
compostcanbeusedtoproduceseveral
batchesoftea.Afterwards,theremaining
compostcanbedugintothesoilorused
asamulch.Soilbacteriaandplantsroots
willcontinuetoextractvaluablenutrients
fromthecompost.
Summary
Inthislesson,youlearnedaboutthe
numerousbenefitsofcompost,howtotell
whenit’sfinished,andnumerous
applicationsforusingit.Nowtryto
answerthestudyquestionsanddoone
ormorestudyactivities.Inthenext
lesson,Lesson6,you’lllearnaboutother
methodsformanagingyardtrimmings
andfoodscraps.
Studyquestions
Lesson5
1. Listatleastfivebenefitsof
finishedcompost.
2. Whatarethecharacteristicsof
finishedcompost?
3. Describeasimpletestfor
determiningifcompostis
adequatelyaged.
4. Whatiscomposttea?
5. Namethetypesofcompost
applicationsthatfinelyscreened
compostisrecommendedfor.
Answerscanbefoundinthebackofthe
studyguide.
Studyactivities
Lesson5
Soiltesting
Ifyouhavenotalreadydoneso,
considerhavingyoursoiltestedbya
UniversityofWisconsinsoil-testing
laboratory.Testingsoilcangive
informationonthesoil’sabilitytosupply
nutrientsforplantgrowth,providinga
scientificbasisfordecidinghowmuch
nutrientsandlimeareneeded.Abasic
soiltestwillprovidedataonsoilpH,
organicmattercontent,lime
requirements,andphosphorusand
potassium.Thesoiltestcosts
approximately$7.00-$15.00.Ifyouwish
tohavetheuniversitytestyoursoil,you
canbringasampleintoyourcounty
Extensionofficeandpaythefeethere.
Thesample(nomorethan11/2cups)
shouldbeplacedinacleanplasticbagor
awax-linedsoilsamplebagfromyour
Extensionoffice.Testlawnandgarden
areasseparately.UW-ExtensionFact
SheetA2166,“SamplingLawnandGarden
SoilsforSoilTesting”explainshowtotake
agoodsoilsample.Homesoiltestkitscan
alsobepurchasedatgardenstoresor
throughmailordercatalogs.Testresults
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 47
fromthehomekitsmaynotbeasreliable
aslaboratorytestingresults.
Compostbenefits
Experimentwithafewplantsinyour
gardenorhometoseehowyourcompost
affectsgrowthoveraperiodoftime.Start
withatleastsixplantsofthesamespecies.
Usehalfoftheplantsasacontrolwithno
compostaddition.Usefinishedcompost
withtheotherplants.Ifyoudothis
experimentinthegarden,addahandful
ofcomposttotheholeswhile
transplantinghalfofthetestplants.Ifyou
decidetousecontainerizedplantsforthe
experiment,use1/4to1/3byvolumeof
compostintheplantingmixforhalfofthe
plants.Avariationoftheexperimentisto
usecomposttearatherthanfinished
compost.Monitorthegrowthofthetest
plantsnotingdifferencesinheight,color,
diseaseresistance,etc.
48 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Brewcomposttea
Whenyouhaveaccesstofinished
compost,trybrewingupabatchof
composttea.Useitforcontainerplantsin
yourhomeandyard.Makenoteof
changesyouseeinyourplantsandifit
seemstoaffectsometypesofplantsmore
thanothers.
Master Composter
OTHER OPTIONS FOR MANAGING YARD TRIMMINGS & FOOD SCRAPS
Lesson Six
What’sahead
inlesson6ofthehomestudycourse,
you’lllearn:
§ aboutvermicompostingandhowto
setupahomesystem;
§ aboutthebenefitsofgrasscyclingand
howitcanbedonetoachievean
attractive,healthylawn;
§ whymulchescanimproveyouryard;
§ howtomodifyorcreatealandscape
designforyourlotthatreducesthe
amountofyardtrimmingsgenerated.
dinnerguestsandhasservedasagreat
scienceprojectformanyschoolchildren.
Thecontainer(wormbox)
Wormcompostingcantakeplacein
severaltypesofcontainers.Oldwashtubs,
plasticutilitytubs,dresserdrawersor
usedshippingcratescanbeadaptedfor
wormcomposting.Containerscanalsobe
purchasedatlocalstores,through
internetsourcesorbuiltathome.
Vermicomposting
Wormcompostingprovidesa
convenientmethodforrecyclingkitchen
scrapsintovaluableresources.Itisthe
processofusingredwormsand
microorganisms(bacteria,protozoaand
fungi)toconvertorganicwasteinto
vermicompost–anexcellentsoil
amendment.
Wormcompostingcanproduce
compostforplants,wormsforfishingor
both.Thesamebasicdesignworksfor
producingwormsorcompost,butthe
managementstrategiesdifferslightly.In
anycase,kitchenscrapsarerecycledinto
anutrientrichproduct.Worm
composting,properlymanaged,hasvery
littlesmell,andcanactuallyreducethe
undesirablesmellsassociatedwith
kitchenscrapsmixedinwithgarbage.
Vermicompostingalsoprovidesan
interestingtopicofconversationfor
Twoimportantfeaturesofthe
containeraresizeandconstruction.Ifyou
havealargehouseholdorgeneratealot
offoodscraps,considerusingmorethan
onecontainer.Largercontainerscanbe
heavytomoveandhardtocleanwhenthe
wormcastingsarereadytoharvest.
Sizingthecontainer–Therearetwo
methodsforselectingwormbox
dimensions—calculationorestimation.
Eithermethodisusedfordeterminingthe
lengthandwidthofthecontainer.Since
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 49
wormsaresurfacefeeders,an8”–16”
depthwillallowadequatespacetobury
scrapsregardlessofhorizontal
dimensions.Foroccasionallargevolumes
ofscraps,considercompostingthese
materialsoutside.
Calculation–Spaceneededforeach
poundofscraps–Getoutascaleand
weighkitchenscrapseachweekfor
severalweeks.Trytoselectatimewhen
usageisata“normal”level.Thenusea
ratiooftenusedinsizingwormboxes:
allowonesquarefootofsurfaceforeach
poundofscrapsperweek.
Estimation–Ontheaverage,studies
suggesttwosquarefeetofsurfacearea
perperson.For1–2people,abox4
squarefeetor2feetoneachsideshould
do.For3–6people,try2x3feet.Modify
dimensionsbaseduponhowoftenthe
contributorstothewormboxeatout,do
largeamountsofcanningorfreezing,or
discardleftoversandrottenflood.
Location
Containersshouldbeplacedina
convenientlocationwherethewormswill
notbesubjectedtotemperatureextremes.
Wormsdotheirbestworkat
temperaturesrangingbetween55–77°F.
Manypeoplestoretheirwormcontainers
inthebasementtokeepthemoutofthe
way.Othercommonlocationsinclude
kitchensorheatedgaragesand
breezeways.
Containerscanbeplacedoutside
duringthesummer.Oncethedaily
temperaturefallsbelow50degrees,the
wormbinmustbebroughtindoors.
(Wormbinsleftoutsideduringwarm
monthsruntheriskofbringingunwanted
insectsintothehouse.)Thedesignofthe
wormbinshouldmatchitsintended
50 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
location.Ifitwillbeinahighlyvisiblesite,
putmoreeffortintoconstruction
aesthetics.
Constructingacontainer
Wormboxescanbemadeoutof
plasticorwood.Ifrecycledmaterialsare
used,becertaintoavoidcontainerswith
possiblechemicalresiduessuchas
pesticidesorpreservatives.Newplastic
containersshouldbescrubbedwith
strongdetergentandrinsedwithhot
water.
Ifyouselectaplasticcontainer,drill
14–20holes(3/16”–1/4”)inthebottom
foraerationanddrainage.Raisethebin
onbricksorwoodenblocksforair
circulation.Placeatryunderneathto
catchexcessliquid.
Ifyouplanonusingahome-built
container,select5/8”exteriorgrade
plywood,withthe“exterior”sideinside.
Otherwoodenboardsorscraplumber
maybesubstituted.Useeithernailswith
aspiralshape,orscrewstoincrease
holdingpowerunderalternatingwetand
dryconditions.Avoidusingwoodtreated
withpreservativesthatcouldleachunder
acidiccompostingconditions.
Lesson6
OtherOptionsforManagingYardTrimmings&FoodScraps
Dimensionsforwormbox
Container
size
Sides
A2-person
box(2’x2’x
10”)-upto4
lbs.
scraps/week
3-6person
box(2’x3’x
12”)–upto6
lb.
scraps/week
23-3/8”x 23-3/8”
10”each x10”
side
eachend
24”x24”
35-5/8”x 23-3/8”
12”each x12”
side
eachend
24”x36”
•
•
•
•
•
Ends
Bottom
andtop
Additionalmaterialsandtools:
2”x2”boardsforsupportinthe
cornersandalongthebottomedges
(optional).
Foursmallpiecesofwoodtoputon
thebottomtoallowventilationunder
thebin.
1-1/2–2”nailsorwoodscrews
4”gatehingesforthetop
Tools–asaw,hammerandadrillwith
a1/4”bitforventilationholes.
Assembly–Nailorscrewthesides
together.Squareandsecuretothebottom
with5-7nailsforscrewsperside.Drill912drainageholesspacedevenly
throughoutthebottomsurface.Add2”x
2”stothecornersandthebottomedges
forsupport.Nailthewoodenblockstothe
bottomcorners,orplacetheboxon
boardsorcastersforaerationand
drainage.Keepaplasticsheetortray
underneathtocaptureexcessmoisture,
beddingorwormcastings.
Youmaybeabletoextendthelifeof
yourboxifyoufinishitwithawaterproof
sealandallowittodrythoroughlyafter
harvestingabatchofwormcomposting–
priortoputtinginfreshbedding.A
continuouslywetuntreatedboxmayonly
last2-3years.
Beddingmaterials
Beddingfunctionsasahomeforthe
wormsandkitchenscraps,andhelpsto
retainmoisture.Sincewormswillbe
livingtheirentirelivesinthebedding,be
certainitisfreefromfireretardants,
pesticides,etc.Somesuggestionsfor
materials:
Machine-shreddednewsprintor
computerpaperisoneofthemost
effectivebeddingmaterials.Itcanbe
foundatrecyclingcentersoravailableat
offices.Avoidglossypapers.
Hand-shreddednewsprintis
preparedbytearingnewsprintintostrips.
Whilemostreadilyavailable,itcanmat
downinlayers,makingitdifficulttobury
kitchenscraps,andlargerstripsmaydry
outfasterthanmachine-shredded
newsprint.Avoidglossypapers.
Shreddedcardboard,where
available,isverydesirableandhasahigh
moisture-holdingcapacity.Itcandryout
onthetopsandsides.Avoidfireretardantsusedininsulations.
Leavesarenaturalhabitatforworms,
butmaycontainotheranimalssuchas
centipedesthatcaneatworms.Leaves
canmattogether,makingitdifficultto
burykitchenscraps.Avoidleavesfrom
heavy-trafficareasbecauseofthepotential
forheavymetalsfrommotorvehicle
emissions.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 51
Additives–Thesematerialscanbe
mixedinwithotherbedding,butarenot
alwaysnecessary:
o Peatmosswilllightenotherbeddings,
break up compaction and absorb
excessmoisture.Mixinapproximately
one-third peat moss (by volume) in a
container.
o Soil or sand will add nutrients, and
additionalgrit,andaidindigestionfor
worms. Use no more than handful or
twowheninitiallypreparingbedding.
o Pulverized egg shells or ground
limestone will add grit and calcium.
Addsmallamountsperiodically.
Worms
Whatkindofworms?–Thereare
severalkindsofearthworms.Thebest
typeforwormcompostingareredworms
(EiseniafoetidaorLumbricusrubellus).
Alsoknownasredwigglersandmanure
worms,theyconsumelargeamountsof
organicmaterialintheir
naturalhabitatsofmanure
anddecayingleaves.
Nightcrawlersandother
gardenwormsaregreatfor
thegardensoil,butwilldie
intheconfinedconditions
necessaryforworm
composting.
Howmanyworms?–
Wormscanreproduce
rapidly,soregardlessofthe
startingnumbers,wormpopulationswill
eventuallystabilizebasedontheamount
offoodscrapsadded.Tohaveallgarbage
consumedfromthestartingset-uptime,
someestimationof“averagefoodadded”
willbenecessary.
52 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Thiscalculationissimilartothatused
insizingthecontainer,butherethe
calculationisbaseduponaveragepounds
ofscrapsperday.Wormsuppliers
typicallymeasureredwormsbythe
poundbecausevermicompostersusually
want1000-2000wormstostartwith.The
numberofwormsperpoundvaries
dependingonthematurityoftheworms,
but1poundconsistsofroughly1000
worms.(Imaginecountingoutthatmany
wormsatatimeforeachcustomer.)
Ingeneral,add2poundsofwormsper
1poundofdailyscraps,ora2:1ratio.The
2’x3’x1’binisdesignedforapproximately
7poundsofkitchenscrapsperweek,ora
poundperday–soplanon2poundsof
worms.Forthe2’x2’bin,tryabout1
poundofworms.Ifyouareunabletostart
withthismanyworms,reducethe
amountoffoodwasteputintothebin
untilthepopulationincreases.Redworms
maturein60-90daysandproduce
cocoonsthattake21daystohatch.Once
wormsstart
breeding,they
canlaytwoto
threecocoons
perweekwith
eachcocoon
hatchingtwoto
threeworms.
Worm
populations
usuallydonot
exceedthesize
ofthecontainer
becausetheyarelimitedbythe
availabilityoffoodandroomtomoveand
breed.
Wheretogetworms?–Ifyou’re
fortunate,youmaybeabletogetsome
wormsfromafriendwhodoes
vermicomposting.Adventuresome
Lesson6
OtherOptionsforManagingYardTrimmings&FoodScraps
composterscanfindtheminanoldleafor
manurepile.Wormgrowersarealsoan
excellentsourceandcanbefoundselling
wormsontheinternet.Redwormsare
alsoavailablethroughbaitdealers,
thoughoftenatamuchhigherpricethan
purchasingfromgrowers.
Thecareandfeedingofredworms
fillingthecontainer–Aftersettingup
thewormboxandfindingasourcefor
redworms,it’stimetopreparetheirhome.
Planonabout5-8poundsofdrybedding
fora2’x2’x1’box;and9-13poundsofdry
beddingforthe3’x2’x1’box.Mix3
poundsofwaterperpoundofdry
bedding–a3:1ratio.Remember,one
gallonofwaterweights8pounds.
Thebeddingthroughoutthecontainer
shouldbedamp.Add1-2handfulsofsoil
orsandandmix.Liftandfluffthebedding
gentlytocreateairspaces.Leavespaceon
topforapieceofblackplasticor2-3
newspapersasacovertoretainmoisture
andkeepoutlight.Ifyouuseaplastic
containerwithalid,youmaywantto
leavethelidajartokeepthecontainer
fromgettingtoowetinside.Sprinkle
redwormsoverthesurface,breakingup
anyclumps.Placeunderabrightlightand
thewormswillburrowintothebedding.
Puttingfoodscrapsintothewormbox
–Thereareanumberofalternatives,but
thegeneralideaistoburyfoodscraps
underafewinchesofbedding,then
replacethecover.Ifdoneonarotational
basisdiggingintounfinishedmaterialis
avoided.Dividethebinintofourormore
imaginarysectionsandburysuccessive
loadsindifferentlocationsinthebin.
Itcanbehelpfultohaveatemporary
container(e.g.,andicecreambucket)for
foodscraps,toperiodicallyemptyintoa
partofthewormbin.Keepingarecordof
yourcontributionscanbeafuntaskfora
curiousadultoraninterestedchild.
Howmuchistoomuch?–Agiven
quantityofwormscanonlyeatsomuch.
When“overloaded”,thesystemmaygo
anaerobicandstarttosmell.During
canningorholidaytimes,whenthe
volumeofscrapsexceedswormbox
capacity,planonsettingupaninterimbin
orfindinganothermethodtohandlethe
material.
Howlittleisnotenough?–While
relativelyeasytocarefor,wormswill
expireifneglectedtoolong.Skippingone
ortwoweeksispossiblewithoutany
problems,butifyouplantobegonefora
monthormore,youmaywanttofinda
friendtofeedandlookafteryourworms.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 53
Guideforaddingkitchenscrapsandothermaterialstoyourwormbin
Examplesandsuggestions
Typesoffoodtoadd
Cautionfooditems
Donotaddthese
materials
Vegetableandfruitscrapsgeneratedduringfoodpreparation;coffee
grounds;spoiledfoodfromfridgee.g.bakedbeans,leftover
casserole;platescrapingse.g.pasta,vegetables,gravy;cheese;
deviledeggs;crushedeggshells(donotbreakdownduring
composting,butprovidecalciumforworms)
Largeamountsofbones,fatorothermaterialmayputrefy.Ifsmall
amountsoftheseitemsareadded,grindorchopfirstsowormscan
recycleitmoreeasily.Considermixingthistypeoffoodwith
sawdusttoreducepotentialforodors.
Catlitter;plasticbags;metalcaps;orothernon-organicmaterials.
Keepingredwormshappy–Preventivemeasurescanmostreadilybetakenbycareful
observationeachtimematerialisaddedtothewormbox.Somethingstowatchfor:
Strongsmell–Iftoomuchmaterialisaddedoverashorttimespan,anaerobic
conditionscandevelop.Ifso,recoverthewormboxandallowthewormstoworkon
thecontentsuntilfurtherbrokendown.
Wormsclimbingupsidesofcontainer,orthepopulationisdeclining–Mayindicate
dyingworms,checkthefollowingandcorrect:
Toohot–shadetheboxormovetoacoolerlocation
Toowet–addfreshbeddingandventilationholes
Tooacidorsalty–addfreshbeddingandventilationholes.
Deadwormsquicklydecomposeandarecleanedupbyother
organismsinthebox.Youmaynotbeabletorecognizeany
deadworms.
Fruitflies–Tryoneormoreofthefollowingsolutionsto
controlfruitflypopulations:
o Cover:besureyouaremaintaininga2-3inchlayerofbeddingmaterialover
foodscraps
§ Removebananapeelsandcitrusmaterialsfromthebin(untilfruitfly
populationsdeclines)
o Changebeddingmaterial
o Buildatrapusingasmalljar,plasticbag,beerandarubberband.Pourbeer
intothejar.Makeasmallholeinthecorneroftheplasticbagandinsertthe
bagintothejar.Fastenthebagtothejarwiththerubberband.Fruitflieswill
beattractedtothebeerandwillnotbeabletofindtheirwayout.
o Placeapieceofremayorinterfacingfabriconthetopofthebedding
material
54 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Lesson6
OtherOptionsforManagingYardTrimmings&FoodScraps
Harvestingwormsandcompost
Howoftenyouharvestwormcastings
willdependonyourgoalsfor
vermicomposting-whetheryouaremore
interestedinworms,thewormcastings,
orhavingacontinuoussystem.Generally,
ifyourmaingoalistousewormsfor
fishing,youmaywanttoharvestthebin
every2-3monthsandtransfertheworms
tofreshbedding.Theamountoffinished
compostwillbeless.Ifyourgoalisto
producewormcastingsforplants,bury
foodscrapsfor4months,thenleavethe
boxalonefor2-3months.Theresultwill
beaboxofrich,black
homogeneous
castings.Consider
usingasecondboxfor
vermicomposting
duringthistime
period.)Ifyouwant
continuousworms
andcompost,harvest
compostandprepare
freshbeddingevery
3-4months.
Harvestingalternatives
Wormsmoveawayfromlight,and
fromtemperatureandmoistureextremes.
Theywillalsomovetowardasourceof
freshfood.Combinethesefactorswith
personalstyle,time,andproduct
prioritiesfromabove,toselecta
preferredharvestingmethod.Some
options:
Dumpandhandsort–Dumpthe
entirecontentsoffinishedvermicompost
ontoalargesheetofplastic.Sortthe
materialintocone-shapedmounds.Usea
brightlightabovethemoundstodrivethe
wormstowardtheinteriorandbottomof
eachmound.Wait5-10minutesandthen
gentlyscrapeofflayersofvermicompost
untilallyouhaveleftisamassofworms.
Placethewormsintoatemporarystorage
containerorawormboxwithfresh
bedding.Watchoutfortiny,lemonshapedwormcocoonsthatcontainbaby
worms.Youmaywanttothrowthemin
withyourfreshbedding.Toprolongthe
lifeofawoodenwormbox,rinseitoutand
setitasidetodryduringthesorting
process.
Divideandharvest-Moveallthe
materialtoonesideofthebox,adding
freshbeddingtotheotherside.Addfresh
scrapstothenew
beddingforseveral
weeks,coveringonly
thenewsidetoallow
theothertodryout.
Soon,mostall
wormswillhave
migratedtothenew
side,andtheold
compostcanbe
harvested.Savethe
finished
vermicompostfor
gardenandhouseplants.
Puttingwormcomposttouse
Wormsareveryeffectiveatturning
kitchenscrapsintomaterialhighin
availableplantnutrients.Placeit
sparinglywhereplantscanusethe
nutrientsrightaway.
Wheretousewormcompost
Seedbeds–Sprinklealayerdowna
rowwhereseedsaretobeplanted.
Transplants–Whenstartingplants
inthegardenfrompottedplantsorflats,
workahandfulormoreofwormcompost
intotheholebeforeplanting.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 55
Topdressing–Forhouseorgarden
plants,putathinlayerofwormcompost
aroundtheplants.Thenutrientswill
workdownfortherootswithnextrains
orwatering.Avoidplacingagainstplant
stems.
Pottingsoil–Afinemixforpotting
soilwouldbeabout1/4wormcompost,
andtheother3/4afavoritepottingmix.
Equalamountsofpeatmoss,perliteand
sandorgardensoilworkwell.
Broadcasting–Simplyscatteritover
thegardenandincorporateitintothesoil.
Howmuchtouse?
Ingeneral,wormcompostis
preferablymixedwithgardenorpotting
soilmixes.100%wormcompostmay
containsaltconcentrations,whichinhibit
plantgrowth.
Grasscycling
Grasscyclingreferstothenatural
recyclingofgrassclippingsbyleaving
themonthelawnaftermowing.When
grassclippingsareallowedtodecompose
onthelawn,theyreleasevaluableplant
nutrientssuchasnitrogen,phosphorus
andpotassium.Clippingsalsohelpshade
thesoilsurfaceandreducemoistureloss
duetoevaporation.Residentswho
grasscycleenjoygreener,healthierlawns.
Inaddition,grasscyclingsavestime,work
andmoney.Astudywasconductedin
FortWorth,Texaswith147homeowners
whoquitbaggingtheirclippings.The
homeownersmowedtheirlawns5.4
timespermonthversus4.1timesby
homeownerswhobaggedtheirgrass.
However,thegrasscyclersspentan
averageofsevenhourslessduringthe
grasscuttingseasononyardwork
becausetheydidnothavetospendtime
56 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
bagginggrassfordisposal.1Savingsin
moneycanberealizedfromreduced
fertilizationrequirementsreducedneed
fortrashbagsandlesswearandtearon
mowersbynothavingabagattachment
fullofheavyclippings.
Contrarytowhatsomefolksbelieve,
grassclippingswillnotdamagelawns.As
longasthelawnismowedregularlyand
themowerheightissetcorrectly,lawns
areimprovedbygrasscycling.Inthe
1960s,itwascommonlybelievedthat
grassclippingswereamajorcomponent
ofthatchandthatremovingclippings
woulddramaticallyslowthatch
development.Althoughthickamountsof
thatch(over1/2”)candamagelawnsby
hamperingairandwaterfromreaching
grassroots,smallamountsofthatchare
actuallybeneficialtoalawn.Asmall
amountofthatchprovidesinsulationto
rootsandservesasamulchtoprevent
excessivewaterevaporationandsoil
compaction.An11-yearstudyatthe
USDAresearchstationinBeltsville,
Maryland,foundthatonanannualbasis,
grasscyclingcontributesonly.03inches
tothethatchlayer.
Grasscyclingdoesnotspreadlawn
disease.Diseasesporesarepresent
whetherclippingsaregrasscycledor
disposedof.Turfgrassdiseaseoccurs
whendisease-causingsporescontact
susceptiblegrassesundercertain
environmentalconditions.
1Knoop,Bill.“Don’tBagIt:AnUrban
EducationalProgram”,TexasA&M
UniversitySystem.
Lesson6
OtherOptionsforManagingYardTrimmings&FoodScraps
Mowing
Mostalllawnmowerscangrasscycle.
Nospecialequipmentisnecessaryto
grasscycle.Ownersofolderrearorside
dischargemowerscanremovethe
catchingbagandcoverthedischarge
chutewithaplate/coverthatcanbe
purchasedatalocalhardwarestore.
Manymanufacturersalsohave
attachmentsthataresupposedto
improvethemower’sgrasscycling
performance.Mostnewmowersare
designedforimprovedgrasscyclingwith
decksthatareshapedtocutclippingsinto
smallerpiecessotheywillfallbelowthe
topsofthegrassblades–helpingto
preventclumping.Propermowingwill
increaselawnquality.Forthebestresults,
observethefollowingpractices:
• Setyourlawnmowertocutatthe
properheight.Raisethemowing
heightofthelawnmowerduringthe
springandsummer.Thehigher
mowingheightencouragesdeeper
rootgrowthduringthespringand
reducesheatstressinthesummer.
Seethemowingchartfor
recommendedheights.
•
•
•
•
Keepyourmowerbladesharp.Adull
mowerbladetearsgrass,which
increasesthechanceofdisease
infestations.
Cutyourlawnwhenthegrassisdry.
Wetgrassisdifficulttocutevenly,
dullsbladesandtendstoformclumps.
Mowoftenenoughsothatnomore
than1/3ofthelawnheightor1”iscut
atonetime.
Cleanthemowerdeckperiodically.
Wetclippingscanbecomemattedon
theundersideofthemowerdeck,
resultinginclumpingofclippingsor
mechanicalfailures.
Recommendedmowingheights
Grass
Letlawn
growto:
Bentgrass
Fescue
Chewing
Fine
Tall
Kentucky
blue-grass
Ryegrass
2”
3”
3”
4”
3½”
Recommended
heightofmowed
lawn
1.5”
2”
2”
3”
2½”
3½”
2½”
Grasscyclingisnotappropriateinevery
situation.Prolongedwetweather,
mechanicalbreakdownofmowers,or
infrequentmowingaresituationswhere
clippingsshouldbebaggedorcollected.
Theclippingscanbeusedinbackyard
compostpile.Theycanalsobeusedasa
mulchtoprovideweedcontroland
preventmoisturelossaroundflowerbeds,
treesandshrubs.Mulchingwithclippings
shouldbeavoidedifherbicideshavebeen
appliedtothelawnwithintheprevious
threeweeks.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 57
Watering
Inadditiontoreceivingnatural
rainfall,establishedlawnsneed
irrigations.Inhotweather,lawnsmay
needasmuchasoneinchofwaterevery
seventotendays.Avoiddailywatering,as
lawnswateredtoofrequentlytendto
developshallowrootsystemsthatmake
themmoresusceptibletostressand
disease.Deep,infrequentwatering
producesdeeper,extensiverootsystems
thatenableturftoresistdiseaseand
stress.Thebesttimetowaterisearly
morning,aslesswaterislostdueto
evaporation.Trytoavoidwateringinthe
eveningsbecauseitmaypromotethe
developmentofdisease.
Thereareseveraltechniquesyoucan
usetoidentifywhetheryourlawnneeds
watering:
• Footprinting-Walkacrossthelawn
andexaminethelawnbehindyouto
seeifyourstepsleftanyfootprints.If
thelawnhaslowlevelsofwater,then
footprintswillappearonthelawn.
• ScrewdriverTest—Pressa
screwdriverintothelawn.Ifitis
difficulttopushthescrewdriverinto
theground,thenthesoilisverydry
andneedstobewatered.
• Evapotranspiration–Somewater
utilitiesprovidecustomerswithdaily
orweeklyestimatesoflawnwatering
requirementsbasedonweather
conditions.
• ConsultCountyExtensionAgentsor
MasterGardenersforadviceon
appropriatelawnwateringinyour
area.
58 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Anexceptiontotheruleofheavyand
infrequentwateringappliestonewly
seeded,pluggedorsoddedlawns.These
lawnsneedtobewatereddailyforabout
tendays.
Todeterminehowmuchwateris
beingappliedfromyoursprinklerduring
agiventimeframe,setastraight-sided
canoutonyourlawnunderneaththepath
ofthesprinkler.Afteronehour,measure
theamountofwaterinthecanwitha
rulerortapemeasure.Forexample,one
inchofwaterinacanmeansthatone-inch
ofwaterhasfallenonyourlawn.
Fertilizing
Properfertilizationshouldbedonein
conjunctionwithgrasscycling.Inorderto
becomedenseandgreen,lawnsneed
properlytimedfertilizerapplications.
Overfertilizationweakenslawnsand
causesexcessiveandsucculenttop
growth.Fallisthebesttimetoapply
fertilizerstocool-seasongrassessuchas
Lesson6
OtherOptionsforManagingYardTrimmings&FoodScraps
KentuckyBluegrass,andtallfescues.
Applicationoffertilizerinthefallwill
improvelawnquality,andmaximizeroot
growthandthestorageoffoodreserves.
Applyingfertilizertocool-seasongrasses
inthespringcan:
• Encouragethegrowthofsummer
annualweedsandcrab-grassplants.
• Stimulatetopgrowthwhichdepletes
foodreservesandslowsrootgrowth
ingrass.
• Makeslawnsmoresusceptibleto
diseases,insectinfestations,and
injurywhenstressedduringdryer
summermonths.
• Increasethefrequencyofmowingfor
afastgrowinglawn.
Soilsamplesshouldbetaken
periodicallytodeterminetheamountand
typesofnutrientsinthesoil.(County
Extensionofficeswilltestsoilsfora
minimalfee.)Byleavinggrassclippings
onthelawn,nitrogenisaddedtothesoil,
reducingtheamountoffertilizerneeded.
Formoderateevengrowth,andtoreduce
leachingofnitrogenintotheground
water,avoidtheusesoflargequantitiesof
fastactingfertilizers(ammoniumnitrate,
ammoniumsulfate,orurea).Fertilizers
shouldincludeslowreleasenitrogen
sourcessuchassulfur-coatedurea,urea
formaldehyde,IBDUororganicfertilizers.
Mulching
Usingorganicmulchisasimplewayto
recycleyardtrimmingsandimprove
gardensandplantingbeds.Common
organicmulchesincludematerialssuchas
woodchips,leaves,grassclippingsor
compost.Mulcheshavenumerous
benefitsandareusedforavarietyof
reasons.
• Mulchreducesevaporationfromthe
soilsurface.
• Mulchkeepsweedseedsfrom
germinating.
• Mulchinsulatestherootsofplants
fromtemperatureextremesandhelps
protectplantcrownsfromwintercold.
• Mulchdecreasessoilerosion,
particularlyonslopedareas.
• Mulchhelpseasesoilcompaction
whenamulchedareaishitwithheavy
rains.
• Mulchesprovideidealenvironmental
conditionsforearthwormsandother
soilorganismsthatarenecessaryfora
healthysoil.
• Asmulchesbreakdownonthesurface,
theyaddvaluablenutrients.
• Aproperlymulchedbedaroundthe
baseofatreecanprotectthetrunk
frombeingdamagedbyalawnmower.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 59
Mulchingguidelines
Largeleavesandsmalltwigsshould
beshreddedbeforetheyareusedasa
mulch.Asimplewaytoaccomplishthisit
toplacetheminsmallpiles,sixtoeight
incheshighandtwofeetwide,onthe
lawn.Then,withalawnmowersetforthe
highestcuttingheight,runovertherow
onceortwice.Agrasscatcherattachedto
themowerishandyforcatchingleaves.
Agrinder,shredderorchipperis
necessaryforlargebranchesandlimbs.A
fewavidgardenersownthistypeof
equipmentandmaybewillingtoprovide
assistancetoneighbors.Manyrental
companieshavethisequipmentforrent
onanhourlyordailybasis.
Afewguidelinesformulchingare
listedbelow:
• Mulchesshouldbeappliedafter
annualsandperennialsarewell
established(fourtosixinchestall).
• Annualsandperennials(bothflowers
andvegetables)shouldbemulched
withamaterialthatbreaksdownina
relativelyshorttime,suchasgrass
clippingsorpartiallycomposted
leaves.Grassclippingscanbespread
inthinlayersovervegetableand
flowerbeds,ormixedwithpartially
compostedleavesandspreadina
thickerlayer.Asmentionedinthe
previoussection,donotmulchwith
grassclippingsthathavebeentreated
withanherbicideforatleastthree
weeks.Duringthegrowingseason,it
isbettertomulchwithfinished
compost,grassclippingsormaterials
ofalowercarboncontent.
• Spreadhealthyleaves,grassclippings
orshreddedgardentrimmingson
60 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
•
•
•
winter-fallowgardenstoprotectthe
soil.Heavylayersofmulchonflower
andvegetablegardensshouldbe
removedinthespringaboutthree
weeksbeforethelastspringfrostis
expected.Thiswillexposethesoilto
thesunsobedswillwarmupproperly
forspringplanting–otherwise,the
soilmaystaycoldlongerinthespring.
Lightlayersofmulchcanbeturned
intothesoilonannualbedsinthe
spring.
Careneedstobeexercisedwhenusing
wholeleavesforinsulatinghardy
plantsduringnorthernwinters
becausetheytendtoformicesheets
andmatdown,butwellshredded
leavescanbeusedformulching
floweringperennials,raspberriesand
grapes.Leafmulchisbestapplied
afterthegroundisfrozen.Ifdone
earlier,rodentsmayburrowinleaves
anddamagegrowingplants.
Certaintypesofleavescontain
substancesthatcanbeharmfulto
plants.Thesetypesincluderhubarb,
redcedar,walnutandbutternut.Fresh
walnutorbutternutleavesshouldnot
beusedasamulchingmaterialin
gardensorleftonthelawnbecause
theycontainjuglone,achemicaltoxic
toseveralplantspecies.Allofthe
aboveleavescanbesafetycomposted.
Thecompostingprocessbreaksdown
theharmfulchemicals.
Pineneedleshavetheadvantageof
decayingslowing.Theytendtoacidify
thesoil,makingthemidealasamulch
foracidlovingplantssuchasazalea,
rhododendron,holly,viburnum,
blueberry,andstrawberry.Donotuse
theminareasoftheyardorgarden
•
•
•
Lesson6
OtherOptionsforManagingYardTrimmings&FoodScraps
whereneutraloralkalinesoilsare
desired.
alongfencerowsandonthesurfaceof
containerizedornamentalplants.
Woodyplantsshouldbemulchedwith
atwotothreeinchlayerofshredded
orchippedwood.Donotmakethe
layertoothickasasettledmulchmore
than4inchesthickrestrictstheaccess
ofoxygentothesoiland
toplantroots.Allow
freshlychippedwoodto
dryoutbeforeapplying.
Onnewlyplanted
ornamentaltreesand
shrubs,extendthe
mulchedareaatleastsix
inchesbeyondthecanopy
spread.Thengradually
expandthemulchedarea
astheplantgrows.Once
inplace,pullbackthe
mulchawayfromthe
maintrunk(twotothree
inches)toavoidpossible
wooddecayanddeter
rodentsfromgnawingon
thebark.
Resourcesavinglandscape
design
Pathscanalsobecoveredwith
shreddedorchippedwood,makingit
asthickaspracticaltowearlonger
andtokeepdownweeds.
Weedtheareatobemulchedpriorto
applyingthemulch.Thesoilshouldbe
moistbeforeapplyingmulchsince
mulchslowsrainwaterinfiltration.
Themulchcanalsobemoistenedafter
applicationtohelpsettleitand
preventitfromflyingaway.
Becreativewhenusingmulches.In
additiontotheabovesuggestions,
considerusingmulchesinanimalpens,
Thekeytoestablishinganattractive,
lowmaintenance,resourcesavingyardis
planning.Homeownerscaneasilyachieve
thistypeofyardiftheyarewilling
toinvestasmallamounttimein
developinganoverallplan.
Thefirststepistoconducta
surveyoftheyardandexisting
planting(ifany).Whileyoucan
takementalnotes,itmaybemore
helpfultoprepareasimple
diagramoftheyardshowingthe
locationofthehouseandexisting
plants.Graphpaperisreadily
availableinstorestationary
departmentsandcanbeusedto
developascaledrawing.Consider
makingnotesaboutthefollowing
topics:
• Takeintoconsiderationthe
surroundingarea.Planviews,
visualizeitandscreenoutwhatmight
beconsideredundesirableviews.At
thesametime,thinkaboutareasof
thehomeandyardthatcouldbe
emphasizedandenhancedwithplants
suchasentrywaysandback
patio/deckareas.
• Considertheformationofthelandand
itscombinationofshadyareas,sunny
areas,lowareas,dampareas,slopes,
etc.Also,checksoilsindifferent
locationoftheyardtodeterminesoil
typeandpresenceofplantnutrients.
CountyExtensionofficesoffersoil
testsforaminimalfee.This
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 61
•
•
•
informationwillusefulwhenselecting
properplantvarietiesforeacharea.
Lookforareaswheregrassdoesnot
(orwillnot)growwell.Low
maintenancegroundcovers,shrubs
andtreeswillprobablydobetterin
theseareas.Perennials,shrubsand
treesgeneratefewertrimmingsand
requirelessfertilizer,water,laborand
otherresourcesthanturf.
Considerifthereareareasundertrees
thatcouldbeallowedtonaturalize.
Thiswouldmeanthatnocultivated
plants,withthepossibleexceptionof
springfloweringbulbsornative
shrubs,wouldbeplantedandtheleaf
coverwouldbeallowedtoremain.
Lookatpossibilitiesforcreating
mulchedbedsaroundexistingtrees
andshrubs.Mulchedbedswillsave
timemowinggrassandhelptheplants.
Lawnareascompetewithtreesand
shrubsforwater.Usingmulchto
separateplantingareasfromlawnis
betterforbothgrassandornamental
plants.Considerplantingbedsthat
connectexistingtreesorshrubs
isolatedinlawns.
62 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Lookforturfareasthatarewornby
heavyfoottrafficandconsider
whethertheymightbereplacedby
tough,lowmaintenancesurfaces.
Examplesofsurfacesincludewood
chippaths,lowwooddecks,gravel,or
concreteorbrickpavers.
Thenextstepistoconsultwithcounty
Extensionagents,Extensionmaster
gardeners,landscapedesignersand/or
gardenstoresaboutdesirableplantsfor
yourlocation.Inaddition,therearea
numberofgardenreferencesand
CooperativeExtensionpublicationswith
plantlistings.Afteridentifyingpossible
plantsforyouryard,reviewtheir
environmentalrequirements(e.g.sunor
shade,moistordrysoil)andwhattheir
maturesizeis.Youmayalsowantto
checkondiseaseresistanceandother
characteristicssuchattractivenessto
wildlifetypeofflowers,andwinter
hardiness.Makeamasterlistofplants
thatappealtoyouandaresuitablefor
youryard.Usethismasterlistwhen
workingonadiagramplanforyouryard.
Thefollowingisalistofsuggestionsto
considerwhencreatingormodifyingyour
landscapedesign.
• Wheneverpossible,usenativeplants.
Plantsthathaveadaptedtolocal
climatesandsoilswillthrivemuch
betterthansomeoftheimported
species.Plantslowergrowing
varietiesratherthanthefastgrowinghybridsthatwillrequiremuchmore
pruning.
• Workwiththedirectionallayoutof
thelandscape.Plantsthatdowellin
thesunshouldbeplacedinanarea
thatwillnotbeshadedoverinafew
years.Wind-tenderplantsshouldnot
beplacedinanunprotectedarea
•
•
•
•
Lesson6
OtherOptionsforManagingYardTrimmings&FoodScraps
wheretheycouldbedamagedwith
coldwinds.Healthyplantsusually
requirelessmaintenancethan
unhealthyplants.Theydonotloseas
muchfoliage,twigs,branches,etc.In
addition,theyrequirelesspruning.
Naturalizeasmuchofthelandscapeas
possible.Itisn’tnecessarytorakeup
allleaves—onlythoseonturfgrass,
groundcoversandgardens.Ifthereis
onlyathinlayerofleaves,itcanbe
mulcheddownbelowthetopofthe
grasswithamulchinglawnmower.
Manyareasdoverywellwiththe
naturalleavesleftbytheshrubsand
trees.Naturalizedareashavealess
manicuredlook,butcanbejustas
aestheticallypleasing.More
importantly,thispracticerequiresless
maintenanceandreducesyardwaste.
Plantforthefuture.Thinkhowthe
yardwilllookin10to15yearsand
spaceplantsaccordingly.Instant
landscapeswillbejunglesinashort
time.
•
Ifyouhavelargerlawnareas,youmay
wanttoinvestigatewildflowermixes
thatcancreate“attractive”meadows
requiringlittlewater.Thesemeadows
typicallyonlyneedtobemowedonce
ortwiceeachsummerafterplanting.
Anotherwaytoreducegenerationof
yardtrimmingsistothinkaboutyour
currentshrubandtreemaintenance
practices.
• Doesyourlandscapehavemany
shrubsthatareshearedfortight
hedgesorroundedglobes?Ifso,
considerationshouldbegivento
changingthislooktoamorenatural
•
•
free-formappearanceinorderto
reducetheamountofpruning.Some
typesofhedgescanbeleftunsheared
toassumeanattractivenaturalform.
Shearinghedgesgenerateslarge
amountsofwoodyorevergreen
trimmingsthataredifficultto
compostathomeoruseasmulch
unlessshredded.Somehedgeplants
produceattractiveflowersorfruit
thatattractbirdsiftheyareleft
unsheared.
Arethetreesandshrubsonanannual
fertilizingschedule?Mosttreesand
shrubsreceivenutrientsfromthe
surroundinglawnarea.Iftrees
andshrubsareshowing
reasonablegrowthandappear
healthy,fertilizerisnot
necessary.Fertilizingpromotes
growthandadditionalgrowth
willproducemoreleavesinthe
fallandmayrequiremore
pruning.
Aretreesandshrubsshowing
signsofstress,disease,insect
damageorpoorgrowth?As
mentionedearlier,havethesoil
testedbythelocalCooperative
ExtensionServicetodetermine
whatnutrientsarenecessaryfor
thehealthoftheplant.
Aretreesbeingtoppedwhen
theyarepruned?Thispracticeinjures
thetreeandleadstoexcessivegrowth.
Selectiveremovalofbranchesisbetter
forthetreeandproduceslesswaste.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 63
Summary
Inthislesson,you’velearnedabout
threeadditionalmethodsforreducing
andrecyclingyardtrimmings.
Grasscyclingproducesahealthierlawn
whilesavingtimeandmoney.Mulching
withorganicmaterialsisawaytoreuse
yardtrimmingsandimprovegardensand
plantingbeds.Withasmallinvestmentin
planning,resourcesavinglandscape
designhelpscreateanattractiveyardthat
generatesfewertrimmings.
Youhavealsolearnedhow
vermicompostingcanbeusedtomanage
foodscrapsandproducevaluable
productssuchasfertilewormcastingfor
plantsandwormsforfishing.Nowsee
howwellyoucananswerthestudy
questionsandconsidertryingoneor
moreofthestudyactivities.
Studyquestions
Lesson6
1. Listfivebenefitsofgrasscycling.
2. Trueorfalse?Leavingclippingson
thelawncontributestothebuildupofthatch.
3. Explainfivebenefitsofmulching
withorganicmaterials.
4. Describehowtodevelopa
resourcesavinglandscapedesign.
5. Trueorfalse?Anytypeof
earthwormcanbeusedfor
vermicomposting.
6. Describetwowaystoharvestthe
wormcastings.
Answerscanbefoundinthebackofthe
studyguide.
64 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
Studyactivities
Lesson6
Grasscyclingdemonstration
Conductagrasscyclingdemonstrationin
yourfrontyardsoyouandyour
neighborscanobservefirst-handany
differencesbetweenareasoflawnwhere
clippingsarecollectedandwheretheyare
leftonthelawn.Ifpossibledivideyour
frontlawnareainhalfperpendicularto
thestreetsothatpedestriansand
motoristspassingbycanalsobenefit
fromyourdemonstration.Forbestresults,
trythedemonstrationforaminimumof
2-3months.Considerplacingoneortwo
signsinyourfrontyardtoinform
passersbyofyourexperiment.
Thedemonstrationwillbeeasiestto
doifyouownaconvertiblemowerwitha
removablebaggingattachment.Ifyou
ownamulchingmowerthatdoesnot
allowbagging,youmayneedtorakethe
clippingsinone-halfofthefrontyard,and
thebagthem.Analternativewouldbeto
tradelawnmowerswithaneighboror
friendforafewmonthsiftheyowna
mowerwithabaggingattachment.
Thegrasscyclingdemonstrationwill
bemostsuccessfulifyoufollowthe
guidelinesforcutting,wateringand
fertilizingyourlawnoutlinedinthis
lesson.
Vermicompostingbin
Teachingaboutaparticularsubjectis
alwayseasierwhenyouhavefirst-hand
knowledgeaboutthetopic.Ifyoudonot
alreadyhaveavermicompostingbin,
considerstartingoneusingthe
informationprovidedinthislesson.A10gallonRubbermaidtypebinwithholes
drilledinfordrainageisanicesizeifyou
thinkyoumightuseitfordemonstrations.
Itmaynotbelargeenoughtohandleallof
Lesson6
OtherOptionsforManagingYardTrimmings&FoodScraps
yourfoodscrapsinwhichcase,youmight
wanttoutilizetwo10-gallonbins.
Otherresources
Applehof,Mary,1998.WormsEatMyGarbage,FlowerPress,KalamazooMI49002,
www.wormwoman.com
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 65
Master Composter
Appendix–StudyQuestionAnswers
Studyquestionanswers
Lesson1
1. Reasonsformanagingorganicmaterialsathomeincludeproducingavaluablesoil
amendment,reducingtheneedforwaterandcommercialfertilizers,savingmoney
oncollectingandmanagingorganicmaterialsoff-site,andsavinglandfillspace(food
scrapsandothernon-recyclableorganics).
2. Youcanreduceyardtrimmingsbyleavinggrassclippingsonthelawn,reducing
yourlawnarea,anddevelopinghomelandscapesthatmimicnaturalsystems.You
canreuseorganicmaterialsbymulchingwithitemssuchasshreddedleaves,grass
clippingsandwoodchips.Organicrecyclingcanbeaccomplishedusingbackyard
compostingand/orvermicomposting
3. Approximately24percentoftheresidentialwastestreaminWisconsinismadeup
ofyardtrimmingsandfoodscraps.Paststudiesofbackyardcompostinghasshown
theaveragecomposterwillcompost550to750poundsofmaterialperyear.
4. Itemsnotincludedinthelegaldefinitionofyardwasteincludestumps,roots,shrubs
withintactrootballs,Christmastrees,wreathsorgarlands,andfloralarrangements.
5. Threebyproductsfromtheopenburningofleavesincludeparticulatematter,
carbondioxideandhydrocarbons.
Studyquestionanswers
Lesson2
1. Compostingisthebiologicaldecompositionoforganicmaterialinthepresenceof
oxygenintoahumus-likesubstancecalledcompost.Thenaturaldecomposition
processisacceleratedandimprovedbycontrollingenvironmentalfactors.
2. Famousindividualthatmadementionoforusedcompostduringthelastfive
hundredyearsincludeWilliamShakespeare,SirFrancisBacon,SirWalterRaleigh,
StephenHoyt,GeorgeWashington,ThomasJefferson,JamesMadison,Dr.George
WashingtonCarver,SirAlbertHoward,andJ.I.Rodale.
3. Aerobicbacteriaareconsideredthemostimportantdecomposerbecausetheyare
veryabundant,andprovidethemostrapidandeffectivecomposting.
4. Earthwormsingestorganicmaterialandleavebehinddarkfertilecastings.The
castingsarerichinnutrientsthatcanbereadilyusedbyplants.
5. Sixkeyfactorsthataffectthecompostingprocessincludefood(carbonandnitrogen
sources),air,moisture,temperature,particlesizeandvolume.
66 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
StudyQuestionAnswers
Studyquestionanswers
Lesson3
1. Varietyincreasesthetypesofmicroorganismsatworkinyourpileandyourchances
ofobtainingnutrientrichcompost.
2. Fresh,juicymaterialsandmaterialsofanimalorigin(e.g.feathers,hair,manure,
bloodmeal)aretypicallyhigherinnitrogen.Drier,older,orwoodyvegetableand
planttissuesareusuallyhigherincarbon.
3. Diseasedplants,grassclippingstreatedwithpesticides,lime,perniciousweedsand
woodashes.
4. Catlitterandpetwastesmaycontainpathogenicbacteria,virusesandparasitesthat
requireprolongedhightemperaturestobedestroyed.Avoiddroppingsfrom
tropicalbirdsastheytoomaycontainharmfulpathogens.Beddingfromgerbils,
hamsters,rabbitsandotherherbivorouspetsisO.K.toaddtoacompostpile
becausetheirdigestivesystemsdonotcontainenzymeslikelytobeharmfulto
humans.
5. Holdingunits,turningunits,heaps,sheetcomposting,andsoilincorporation.
6. Turningunits.
Studyquestionanswers
Lesson4
1. Foodscrapsshouldbeburiedatleast8inchesdeepinahighcarbonmaterialsuch
asleaves.Onlyaddfoodscrapstoacompostpileduringthewinterifitcontains
plentyofcarbon-richmaterialandisatleastonecubicyardinsize.Inaddition,the
pileshouldbeturnedinthespringassoonasitthawsout.
2. Physicalfactorstoconsiderwhenchoosingacompostingsiteincludegooddrainage,
fairlylevelground,protectionfromstrongwinds,convenientaccesstowater,
temporarystoragespaceandadequateroominfrontofthepileforeasyaccess.
Avoidputtingacompostpileagainstbuildingsorunderneathdrippingeavesand
downspouts.
3. Thefollowingareuniquetothe“Hotandfast”compostrecipe:useofacompostbin
thatfacilitatesturning,collectingmaterialstofillthebinbeforestartingthepile,
mixinglayersofcarbon-andnitrogen-richmaterials,closemonitoringof
temperatures,andregularturning.
4. Acompostpileodorthatsmellslikeamixtureofrancidbutter,vinegar,androtten
eggsisprobablycausedbythepilebeingtoowetwithnotenoughoxygen.This
problemcanberemediedbyturningthepileandaddingdrycoarsematerialssuch
asshreddedleaves,straworchoppedcornstalks.Acompostpileodorthatsmells
likeammoniamaybecausedbytoomuchnitrogen.Thesolutiontothisproblemis
toaddmaterialshighincarbonsuchasshreddedleaves,woodchips,orshredded
newspaper.Inaddition,thepileshouldbeaerated.
5. False,duringtheinitialstagesofcomposting,thepHofthepileislikelytobeslightly
acidic.Thepilewillneutralizeonitsownaslongasitgetsenoughoxygen.Itis
bettertoleavelimeoutofcompostpilesandaddittosoil,ifneeded.
6. Healthconsiderationsrelatedtobackyardcompostingincludedpossiblepathogens
generatedbypetwastes(avoidputtingdog,cat,andpetbird,wastesintoapile).
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 67
IndividualswhoareallergictoAspergillusfumigatusandothermoldsandfungal
organismsshouldtakeprotectivemeasurestominimizeexposure.
Studyquestionanswers
Lesson5
1. Compostgreatlyimprovesoiltexturewhilealsoimprovingsoil’swater-retention
capability,soilaeration,andresistancetoerosion.Otherbenefitsofcompostinclude
addingandstoringnutrientsinthesoil,improvingsoil’sabilitytobufferrapid
changesinpH,andneutralizecertaintoxins.Compostcanalsohelpkeepsoil
temperaturesstable.
2. Finishedcompostisdark,looseandcrumbly.Ithasasweetandearthysmell.Most
oftheoriginalmaterialswillnotberecognizable.Thetemperatureoffinished
compostwillbeapproximatelythesameastheoutsideairtemperatureandit
shouldnotreheat.Youmayalsofindlotsofmacroorganismsinitsuchas
earthwormsandsowbugs.
3. Agerminationtestcanbeconductedwithafewlettuceorradishseeds.Theseeds
shouldbesoakedinateamadewithcompost.Anequalnumberofthesametypeof
seedssoakedindistilledwater.Thebatchesofseedsshouldbelaidonapapertowel
andkeptwarmandmoistforafewdays,untiltheygerminate.Ifthedistilled-watertreatedseedsgerminatebetter,thecompostneedstobeagedlonger.
4. Compostteaismadefromabagofcompostsoakedinwater.Nutrientsfromthe
compostleachintothewater,producingamildtonicthesamecolorastea.Thetea
isanexcellentwaytoprovidenutrientstoplantsandcanbeappliedatwatering
time.
5. Finelyscreenedcompostisrecommendedfortop-dressinglawnsandwhenmaking
containerplantingmixes.
Studyquestionanswers
Lesson6
1. Grassclippingsreleasevaluableplantnutrientssuchasnitrogen,phosphorus,and
potassium.Theyalsohelpreducemoisturelossduetoevaporation.Inaddition,
grasscyclingsavestime,workandmoney.
2. False.Grassclippingsarenotamajorcomponentofthatch.Asmallamountof
thatch—lessthan1/2inch—providesinsulationtotherootsandservesasmulchto
preventexcessivewaterevaporation.
3. Mulchreducesevaporationfromthesoilsurface,keepsweedsdownbysuppressing
thegerminationofseeds,anditinsulatestherootsofplantsfromtemperature
extremes.Otherbenefitsofmulchesincludedecreasingsoilerosion,easingsoil
compaction,andtheadditionofvaluablesoilnutrientsasdecompositionoccurs.
Mulchescanalsohelpprotecttreetrunksfrombeingdamagedbylawnmowers.
4. Thefirststepfordevelopingaresourcesavinglandscapedesignistosurveythe
yardandexistingplantings.Lookatsurroundingviews,sunlightpatterns,slopes,
soils,areasofheavyfoottrafficandhowwellexistingturfandplantsgrow.Next,
consultpublicationsand/orexpertssuchasExtensionagents,MasterGardeners,
landscapedesigners,andgardenstorepersonneltoresearchlocallyavailableplants
68 UNIVERSITYOFWISCONSIN–EXTENSION
StudyQuestionAnswers
forthedesiredlocation.Considerusingnativeplantsandplacingthemin
naturalizedareasandmulchedbeds.Selectappropriateplantsfordifferent
locationsonthepropertyusinginformationobtainedduringthesitesurvey.
5. False.Thebesttypeofwormstouseforcompostingareredworms(Eiseniafoetida
orLumbricusrubellus).Nightcrawlersandothergardenwormswilldieinthe
confinedconditionsnecessaryforwormcomposting.
6. Twomethodsforharvestingwormcompostincludethedumpandhandsort
methodandthedivideandharvestmethod.Thefirstmethodinvolvesdumpingthe
contentsofawormbinontotoplastic,formingthematerialintomounds,and
scrapingoffthevermicompostuntilamassofwormsisleft.Thewormsarethen
placedintothebinwithfreshbeddingandthevermicompostcanbeusedforplants.
Withthedivideandharvestmethod,thefinishedvermicompostismovedtoone
sideofthewormbin.Freshbeddingisaddedtotheotherside.Foodscrapsshould
beaddedtothenewbeddingandwithinthreetofourweeks,thewormsshould
migratetothefreshbedding.
MASTERCOMPOSTERHOMESTUDYCOURSE 69
Copyright©2015bytheBoardofRegentsoftheUniversityofWisconsinSystemdoingbusinessasthedivisionof
CooperativeExtensionoftheUniversityofWisconsin–Extension.Allrightsreserved.
Authors:HollyJohnsonShiralipourisadistrictconservationistwiththeUSDANaturalResourcesConservation
Service.CooperativeExtensionpublicationsaresubjecttopeerreview.
Reviewers:JoeVanRossumisarecyclingspecialistandnaturalresourceseducatorwiththeEnvironmental
ResourcesCenter,UniversityofWisconsin–Extension,CooperativeExtension.KathyPowellisaformereducationand
programspecialistwiththeRecyclingConnectionsCorporation.
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MasterComposterHomeStudyCourse(G4107)
I-11-2015