14^—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 6, 1974
ORGANIC LIVING
Robert Rodale
COMPOST: THE MOST UNDERRATED PRODUCT
Compost has always been highly prized by people inside
the organic movement. But the general public has found it
difficult to get excited about the humus-rich, earthy soil
enricher that’s just a few short steps removed from ordinary
garbage. Some communities that tried large-scale com
posting found they couldn’t even give away the finished
product.
Shortages of nonrenewable resources are changing all
that. Just as scrap metal dealers are finally seeing profit in
long-abandoned auto hulks, farmers and municipal officials
are beginning to see new value in compost. With prices of
nitrogen fertilizers such as anhydrous ammonia rising
sharply in past months, it’s suddenly easier to appreciate a
“dirt cheap” substance like compost, that can do the same
job of replenishing nutrients in farmers’ fields.
Thousands of American gardeners have been building and
tending small compost piles in their backyards for years.
They know the value of homemade compost in increasing
vegetable yields. By feeding plant and animal wastes,
garbage scraps and other organic matter into their heaps,
they are completing an important natural cycle. Once the
teemmg microorganisms of decomposition have done their
job and the compost is thoroughly rotted, it is ready to enrich
their gardens.
You can build a frame for your compost pile with whatever
natenals are handy. Concrete blocks, bricks, snow fencing,
Arire mesh, or stones are all fine. A garbage can with holes
ounched in the sides and lid is probably the simplest ap
proach of all.
Where you locate the pile depends on a number of factors.
Many folks prefer an inconspicuous heap, nestled close to
hedges or a wall. It’s always a good idea to build your pile
close to the garden so you won’t have far to haul the finished
compost when it’s ready to be worked into the soil. Ideally,
such a spot will also be close enough to your driveway or an
alley that it’s accessible to a small truck or station wagon.
That way you can dump newly-acquired hay, manure and
other bulky wastes right where they’re needed.
Build the heap in layers to as high as five feet, alternating
about six inches of plant material with two inches of nitrogen
nch material such as manure. A sprinkling of rock powder
and a quarter inch or so of soil between layers will complete
the “sandwich.”
It’s important to keep the pile moist (but not wet) and well
ventilated. The heap should be turned periodically, so all the
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material is thoroughly broken down by the chemical action
taking place inside. Expect garden-ready compost in two or
three months, or in as little as 14 days if you use a shredder
and follow certain techniques.
What should you put into your compost pile? Any organic
material is a logical ingredient, so let your imagination run
free. Many otherwise-troublesome wastes make convenient
compost ingredients, as the following examples indicate;
LEAVES. Pound for pound, the leaves of most trees
contain twice as many minerals as manure. Grind or shred
your leaves first to guarantee success.
HAY. If you can get hay such as alfalfa or clover during
its first year’s growth, it will break down faster in the heap.
Shred it first with a rotary lawn mower if you can.
SAWDUST. Often available at giveaway prices from
local lumber mills, sawdust has excellent soil-building
properties.
MANURE. High in nitrogen, manure from cattle,
horses, goats or poultry is usually the mainstay of a good
compost pile. Manure provides necessary bacteria that Help
break down the other materials quickly. If you can’t find a
fresh supply, bagged, dried manure is available from lawn
and garden centers.
—GRASS CLIPPINGS AND WEEDS. What could be easier
to obtain? Any weed seeds will be killed by the high tem
peratures inside the pile (as high as 150 degrees).
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L
’ ,
DRIED BLOOD. Collected from slaughterhouses, this
ingredient has a high nitrogen content (12 percent or more).
BONE MEAL. This is a very good source of phosphorus
for the garden.
GARBAGE. Relatively high in nitrogen, kitchen scraps
decay quickly when added to the green matter in a compost
heap.
What gardeners are doing on a small scale, communities
could be doing on a large scale. “Compost may be the most
misunderstood product in America,” says recycling
authority Dr. Clark Gregory of Georgia Institute of
Technology. Municipal composting plants are operating
successfully throughout Europe, Gregory reported after a
recent four-month tour.
Someday soon, many American communities are going to
discover composting as the solution to their sewage and other
solid waste disposal problems. We may even see barren
strip-mined areas reclaimed with material produced in such
plants. The 1974 Composting Conference, scheduled for May 2
and 3 in El Paso, Texas, is expected to draw hundreds of city,
state and federal government officials, businessmen,
researchers and students. For details, write: Composting
Conference, Compost Science Magazine, Emmaus, Penn
sylvania 18049*
“Make Compost in 14 Days” is a 48-page illustrated booklet
that contains all the information you need to make high
quality compost quickly and easily. Get your copy by sending
50 cents to Robert Rodale, Organic Living, in care of this
newspaper. Ask for the booklet by name and please allow
four weeks.for delivery.
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