composting

The Pros of composting Versus the Cons

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There are obviously downsides to composting or everyone would be utilizing this resource instead of buying commercial fertilizers and other lawn care additives. The downside is the time it takes to upkeep, the space to house a composting bin and the amount of time before your first mature compost will be ready.

The benefits of composting far outweigh the downside. For the time you invest, the space you give up in your yard and some patience you and your yard will get:

  • A lesser need for commercial fertilizer or eliminate it altogether (saves money)
  • Increased water retention in your soil. If there is a dry spell your garden and lawn that has been treated with compost will fair better than those that have used commercial products.
  • Improved plant growth. You will also find an increased amount of fruit or vegetables that your plants produce when using mature compost.
  • Protection for your plants from diseases or pests that can destroy your vegetation.

 

The environment also benefits from the time you invest into composting. In addition to eliminating the amount of waste that goes to the city dump. In some cases organic material makes up to 45% of the garbage that ends up in a dump – this can be greatly reduced by composting.

  • If there is an area of contaminated soil, you can add compost to assist in the “cleaning” process
  • Compost can help prevent and stop erosion
  • Eliminates the need for adding chemical pesticides to your garden or lawn
  • Decreases the amount of methane gas that is produced at the dump (by reducing the amount of organic matter that is thrown away)

 

Like any new project or habit, composting will take some time to get used to. Once you have completed the initial start-up process the time and energy you need to maintain the pile is not a lot.

If Your Compost Pile Won’t Heat Up

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Most of the concerns or problems that you will encounter with your compost pile are minor and relatively easy to rectify. They involve rotating the pile more; adjusting the material you are putting in; and layering enough brown food for the top layer. The issue of your pile not heating up will require more investigation.

The first thing to consider when your pile won’t heat up (when you are using the hot or active compost method) is if you have enough green and brown food added. If your pile is new this will take time. But if you have an established pile that won’t heat up, either your pile is too large or you are not adding enough to start the decomposing process.

Another reason your compost pile may not be heating up is the presence of too much brown food. If you have added a lot of leaves or other brown matter (high in carbon), put in more green food that is high in nitrogen. The presence of carbon and nitrogen is necessary in the correct ratio (2:1).

If your pile is too dry this will prevent it from getting hot too. The microbes need a moist environment to do their work. Add just enough water to make the pile damp or add moist green food such as vegetable or fruit waste and grass clippings.

When you are using the hot composting method, remember to keep all matter smaller than three inches. This will speed up the process and ensure all matter is broken up evenly. If the mixture has large pieces it can delay the heating up process.

Weather is a factor too. If you are concerned that your compost is not heating up and it is fall or winter – most likely it is too cold for the process to start. You can try insulating your compost pile or wait for the spring.

Composting Problems

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There are five problems that can arise when you are composting. All of the issues are relatively easy to troubleshoot and fix. During your routine monitoring of the pile keep a look out for signs of a problem and try some of the suggested solutions listed below.

If you see a swarm of flies around your compost bin chances are you have not put enough brown food (leaves, twigs, hay) on top of your kitchen scraps. The kitchen scraps are very inviting to fruit and house flies, make sure you don’t leave them exposed.

Your compost bin has a bad smell. The most likely cause is not enough air is getting through to all parts of the compost. Give the compost a good turning and add a bulky substance such as woodchips or sawdust. They are bulky and created pockets where the air can move freely.

If you find that your pile is very dry, add some moisture in the form of water. You should not soak the pile, just enough to get it wet. If the pile is continually drying out look at other factors such as location and what you are adding – you may have to move the bin to a less sunny location or add more wet scraps (fruit and vegetable waste).

Your compost pile seems to be working (it is moist and warm) but only in spots. Either your pile is not large enough or you are not rotating it enough. Make sure you are regularly adding new scraps and are rotating the pile every second day.

Like the problem of flies, if you have pests visiting your pile you need to make sure you are covering all kitchen scraps thoroughly. Moreover, do not add any animal products such as meat or bones.

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