October 6th, 2008 · No Comments

COMPOSTING, COMPACTLY

For a smaller backyard composting system, there are many options for neat and tidy composting. Smith & Hawken’s black Biostack Composter is a best seller, and provides 13 cubic feet of compost space.

Many other green online retailers sell smaller composters, such as these rotating models from Greenfeet, Gaiam (shown) and Clean Air Gardening’s modestly sized hoop composter.

In summary, there are four simple strategies to remember for managing leaves, as outlined by The Texas A&M System’s Department of Horticultural Sciences “Don’t Bag It – Leaf Management Plan“:

1. Mowing – A light covering of leaves can be mowed along with your lawn, simply leaving the shredded leaves in place afterward. This technique is effective when a mulching mower is used. But a basic lawnmower can also be used effectively.
   (For a mower that virtually has no emissions, check out the Black & Decker Electric Cordless Mulching Mower, a greener alternative to the regular lawn mower. Reel mowers also abound. But customers beware. Reel and electric mowers garner mixed reviews on customer feedback sites for their mowing abilities (never mind mulching), being hailed by some, dissed by others.)
2. Mulching – A lawn mower with a bagging attachment provides a fast and easy way to shred and collect the leaves, then the leaves that have been mowed or run through some other type of shredder can decompose in a compost or on a lawn, depending on how light or heavy the leaf production happens to be. If it’s light, it can be left on the lawn, otherwise, take it to the compost.
3. Soil Improvement – Leaves may be collected and worked directly into garden and flowerbed soils. A 6 to 8 inch layer of leaves tilled into a heavy clay soil will improve aeration and drainage. The same amount tilled into a light, sandy soil, will improve water and nutrient holding capacity. A recommended strategy for using leaves to improve soil in vegetable gardens and annual planting beds is to collect and work them into the soil during the fall. This allows sufficient time for the leaves to decompose prior to spring planting. Adding a little fertilizer to the soil after working in the leaves will speed up their decomposition.
4. Composting – Allowing the leaves to decay organically, in a bin or structure; it’s nature’s own way of recycling organic materials back into a rich soil known as compost. The leaves decompose taking anywhere from five months to two years to compost, but the result is a beneficial reuse of autumn’s foliage.

Smith & Hawken explains composting being as easy as 1-2-3:

First step? Select a compost bin, then place the bin in a sunny space for faster decomposition. (The hotter your pile gets, the quicker it decomposes.) Second, collect kitchen scraps and yard trimmings. Any organic material can be added to your compost pile. Keep a small bin in your kitchen to collect melon rinds, carrot peelings, tea bags, coffee grounds, apple cores, banana peels – and anything similar that cycles through your kitchen. Keep the lid on tight to discourage insects. Add these scraps to your compost pile once or twice a week. (These light kitchen scraps mix great with lawn leaves, providing lots of organic material for decomposition.) And third, add air and water. Rotate your pile as often as needed to encourage circulation. Water periodically so materials stay as damp as a well-wrung sponge.

For info on building larger composting structures, see this advice from the The University of Minnesota, with tips on using wire fencing, cement blocks or bricks or a 55 gallon drum to make a composter.

Borbas says that composting is so much more cost-effective than discarding a valuable resource. “When people bag their leaves and put them out on the street, it costs money per bag. In Fayetteville, it costs $1.50 per bag to throw away good nutrition. So compost it; kill the bags,” he said.

Ultimately, whether you choose to mulch or compost or both, you’re making a good economical and environmental decision. Not only will you feel better for choosing to recycle back to nature, but you’ll be saving yourself some money. And that just makes sense.

(Top photo, credit: Rick E. Rondeau; Second trees photo: archive, GreenRightNow.com)

Copyright © 2008 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

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