Compost Problems
M. Giessler
built a chicken wire enclosure about 3ft by 3ft in size. I started with a
foot high layer of mulch, mixed with cut grass, some leaves, some bought
topsoil, and some compost starter and fertilizer. Since then I've been
adding detritus from the kitchen every so often, in particular cut citrus
peel in large quantities. I've watered it regularly and turned it a little
every time I added something to it (just enough to cover the new stuff).
In building the compost, I did not follow any particular recommendation,
but rather 'composted' the info from various sources (probably obvious).
Now, I know it's still very early to note any real problems, but here's
what concens me: so far, I have yet to to notice any heat production. I
can see some 'composting' taking place in that the heap is getting smaller
and the mass darker- but no heat. Is this normal? Will there ever be heat?
What might I be doing wrong? There's no foul odor emanating from the pile
as far as I can smell. The other thing that worries me are large quantiies
of what I believe to be fruit flies (tiny flies with narrow, translucent
wings and small, longish black bodies). There are neither horse flies nor
any other flies. Are they a problem? I don't mind some of them, but when
depositing new stuff I inevitanbly step in to a dark cloud of flies (or so
it seems). Anyway, if any astute composter notice serious flaws in the
above 'composition', I would be very thankful if you could flood me with
hints and observations.
TIA.
Matthias
David A. Verbil
I have composted here in the Valley for a number of years ---- most recently
the past 3+ years here in the Bethany Home & 16th St area ......
While I usually don't shred my citrus leavings (although every once in a while
it is fun to listen to fallen grapefruit go through the machine ..... ) I shred just
about everything else ---- do you?
I make my compost in a 4 x 4 bin (one of three - one is for finished stuff and the
other 2 alternately hold the stuff that is working - I turn it from one to the other)
and do make my layers prettily formally - a layer of chopped up stuff, a layer of
grass (I haven't _yet_ had problems from composting bermuda _clippings_), then
a layer (thin -- about half a bag) of manure. I water the manure into the upper layer
with a fierce spray to get it mixed and to thoroughly wet the new stuff. I don't add
fertilizer and when I have used compost starter, I noticed no difference from when
I didn't. I'm lazy, so I don't usually turn the pile until I've filled the 4 ft height of the
bin and let it cook a while .... I usually turn it much later than someone else might.
As wet as it has been lately, you shouldn't need to be watering it very often ...
if it is much wetter than a squeezed out sponge it will work slowly ....
You don't say how high your pile is ... the total bulk of the heap will, to a very large
extent, determine the temperature of the pile .... I've recently (Within the last 2 weeks)
started a new pile ... when it was less than a foot high, the warmest it got was about
80 degrees .... by the time it was 2 foot deep it warmed up to about 100 ... it is now
about 2 1/2 feet deep and the temp is 130 .... when the bin is full, I expect to see
temps of up to 160 or so .... yes, I monitor with a thermometer -- it allows me to know
what is going on and that I should have turned it last week (month, whatever) ....
High temperatures, though, are not necessary .... it just takes longer. I did not make
heaps that warmed as much before I got my chipper/shredder or before I made a
habit of adding manure. (I have noticed that the manure is alive ... when I pick up
a bag from the heap at Home Depot it is very often much warmer than ambient ...
and, perhaps, the microorganisms in it help a bunch).
As for the flies ---- I have them also, but they seem to stay around the working compost
and nowhere else. I figure that they, like the sow bugs, are helping to break down the
material. I don't worry about them, and, anyway, I like watching the hummingbirds come
and collect them on occasion
Hope this has been a help ...
DAVe.
Jen Mayer
MG> bought topsoil, and some compost starter and fertilizer. Since then
MG> I've been adding detritus from the kitchen every so often, in
MG> particular cut citrus peel in large quantities. I've watered it
MG> regularly and turned it a little
I noticed my compost heated up for the first time after a rain which
told me that it hadn't been wet enough. You can also have problems
if there isn't enough air, and 3' x 3' might be too deep one way or
another. You can put a stick or pole down the center of the pile and
remove it leaving an open channel for air to enter -- this might help.
Layers should be alternating soil, dry, green, soil, dry, green. Maybe
there is an over abundance of one type of material. I use straw at the
dry material in my compost which because of it's hollow structure,
permits air to be throughout the compost. I've introduced earthworms to
my compost as well, and last time I checked they were getting *really*
fat.
MG> of what I believe to be fruit flies (tiny flies with narrow,
MG> translucent wings and small, longish black bodies).
Fruit flies will go away if you always cover the fruit/food scraps you
put in the pile. I like to cover all new additions with straw.
* RM 1.3 01256 * SouthWest BBS* Wildcat! v.4.10 * Pasadena, CA *818-285-8684
Edward Gilbert
Article
Mulches
R. R. Rothenberger
Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture
Mulches provide many benefits to plants. Benefits vary with the
material used, the type of soil, the kind of plant and the
cultural practices used.
Mulches also may be used to make landscapes more attractive
and usable and to reduce the amount of maintenance work.
Why mulch?
* Surface insulation
a. to conserve moisture
b. to modify extremes in temperature
c. to control weeds
* Soil amendment
a. to improve soil aggregation and granulation
b. to increase water absorption and retention
c. to prevent soil compaction and improve aeration
* Beautification
a. to make surface areas more attractive
b. to make surface areas more usable for paths, play
and sitting areas
c. to make areas easier to maintain
Types of mulch
Many types of material, organic and inorganic, may be used as
mulch. Organic mulches may break down in one season or less or
persist for more than one season. The first type is used
primarily in vegetable and flower gardens or around newly planted
trees and shrubs. They are usually decomposed enough by the end
of the growing season that they can be spaded or plowed under to
improve soil structure. Some common mulches of this type are
listed in Table 1.
Organic mulches that persist for more than one growing
season are more useful around permanent plants. These are
summarized in Table 2.
A thick mulch provides excellent growing conditions for
rhododendrons as well as many other plants in the home landscape.
(photograph)
Inorganic mulches may be gravel, crushed stone or some
manufactured product. Most of these materials are not so
beneficial to plants as the organic mulches. Some commonly used
inorganic mulches are summarized in Table 3.
Though not generally considered mulches, some low-growing
ground cover plants produce many of the same benefits as mulch.
They shade the soil surface, keeping it cool in summer and at the
same time prevent evaporation. For more information on ground
covers, see Guide 6835, "Selected Ground Covers for Missouri."
Using mulches
On the whole, mulches should not be considered a fertilizer. Most
of them release some nutrients as they decompose, but the
fertilizer value is very small compared with the physical
effects. Where mulches are needed, use them for the mulch value
and add fertility as a supplement.
The effectiveness of a mulch depends on the density and
texture of the material used and the depth of the layer applied.
A 4- to 6-inch layer of most products is needed to effectively
insulate the soil and prevent weed growth.
In permanent locations a layer of black plastic film can be
used under the mulch to prevent weed growth and make the mulch
more effective. When black plastic is used, the mulch layer needs
to be only about half as thick as in areas without it. If areas
larger than 3 feet wide are covered with black plastic, holes
should be punched in it every 15-18 inches to allow good
distribution of water and air.
Mulching around ornamental plants makes mowing easier and reduces
chance of mower damage to plants. (photograph)
Table 1. Relative value of mulches that break down in one season
or less.
Mulching suggestions
Considering the growth requirements of the multitude of garden
and landscape plants, obviously there is no one mulch that will
be superior in all cases. The following general suggestions
should help in selecting the right mulch.
Bulbs. Among garden bulbs, lilies benefit more from mulching than
any other group. Two to 3 inches of wood shavings, straw, chopped
hay or other lightweight material serve to lower the summer soil
temperature, conserve moisture and give winter protection to the
more tender species.
Most other bulbs are sufficiently winter hardy but benefit
from mulching for other reasons. Small, shallow-planted bulbs can
be heaved out of the soil by alternate freezing and thawing. This
can be largely prevented by light mulching. Mulches generally
improve the appearance of flowering bulbs growing in a bed of
otherwise barren soil. They offer a background for viewing the
new spring growth and also reduce the spattering of plants with
mud during rainstorms.
Table 2. Relative value of some persistent mulches.
Evergreens. Plants that most need mulching are evergreen shrubs
and young evergreen trees, especially the broad-leaved types.
Mulches help prevent winter drying of these plants. Winter drying
causes foliage to become scorched and discolored over winter and
may cause the plant to die. Drying develops when foliage loses
moisture faster than it can be taken up by the roots from a dry
or frozen soil.
Plants which should be mulched in practically every case are
azalea, boxwood, Chinese and Japanese hollies, Japanese andromeda
and rhododendron. Exotic evergreens and those planted north of
their best zone of adaptation should also be kept well mulched
the year around.
Coarse mulches should be used: wood chips, bark products,
shavings, chopped corn cobs, pine needles, hedge trimmings or
partially finished coarse compost. Mulches should be renewed in
early winter. A layer 2 to 4 inches deep is adequate in most
cases but can be more or less, depending upon site, soil,
climatic zone and the plant itself. The mulched area should be at
least as broad as the plant itself and preferably broader since
most woody plants have root systems which reach beyond the spread
of the branches.
Fruits. To keep young fruit trees growing well, maintain a
mulched area 3 to 4 feet in radius around the base. Coarse
materials such as hay, straw, wood or bark products are most
useful. The mulch should be removed and piled several feet from
the tree in early November to reduce the chances of mouse injury
in the tree roots. The mulch can be replaced in late March or
early April before new weed growth appears. Grapes and berry
bushes may be kept permanently mulched.
Strawberries should be mulched preferably with clean straw
or with prairie hay about mid-December. Use enough mulch, loosely
scattered, to barely hide the foliage. In spring when new leaves
begin to grow, remove enough of the mulch to allow the plants to
emerge.
Table 3 Inorganic mulching materials.
Mulching materials may be mounded up for winter protection of
roses.
Perennials. Most garden perennials benefit from summer mulches
for preserving soil moisture and for reducing soil temperature.
Some of those which most often need winter protection in Missouri
are baby's breath, bellflower, chrysanthemums, delphinium, hardy
gloxinia, hypericum, linum, lupine, oriental poppy, Stoke's
aster, thrift and thyme.
Some perennials which are normally cold hardy are often
damaged by alternate freezing and thawing of the soil which may
loosen or heave the plants and expose them to drying. Among these
are aconite, coral bells and newly planted peony and plantain
lily.
A few plants are extremely sensitive to damage by high
summer soil temperatures or drought. Delphinium, lupine, primrose
and Siberian iris are among the most troublesome in this respect.
Two to 3 inches of straw, hay, wood shavings or partially
composted leaves would be an appropriate mulch for most
perennials. Pine needles or evergreen boughs are also effective.
When using a heavy layer of mulch on perennials, gradually remove
it during the onset of warmer weather in late winter. Heavy mulch
left too long may cause early emergence of weak, tender growth.
Such growth may be killed or permanently marked by freezing.
Roses. Experienced rose growers recognize the improvement in
vigor and appearance of roses as a result of summer mulching. The
mulch layer should be about 2 inches deep and of fairly coarse
material such as unfinished compost, aged sawdust, bark, milled
wood fiber or tobacco stems.
By mid-November, provide adequate winter protection with a
mound of finished compost, garden soil or coarse peat. The mound
should be about 8 inches deep across the center of the plant.
Mounds should be removed in early spring when overnight
temperatures below about 28 degrees F are no longer expected. If
later, unseasonably cold weather threatens and new, tender shoots
have begun to grow, hasty covering may be needed.
Trees and shrubs. Trees and shrubs that gain most from mulching
are ones with shallow roots, ones which suffer from extended
drought or are otherwise damaged by high soil temperatures.
Flowering dogwood and sugar maple are examples of plants whose
leaves scorch easily in dry weather. Some leaves of birches,
willow and tulip trees often yellow and drop during extended
drought.
All trees and shrubs should be mulched at planting time to
aid them in becoming established. A mulched area around the base
of trees and shrubs makes mowing easier and helps prevent mower
damage to the plant.
The material used for mulching is perhaps less important
than the simple fact that the plants are mulched. Most coarse
materials are satisfactory. Avoid materials which form a tight
flake and those too unsightly in the landscape.
Vegetables and annual flower gardens. The primary reason for
mulching vegetable and flower gardens is to conserve soil
moisture. Crops most practical to mulch are beans, peppers, sweet
corn, tomatoes, vine crops and other long-term summer crops with
large amounts of foliage. Long-term crops started in the cool
season, including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and potatoes,
will also yield better when they are mulched. Asparagus and
rhubarb should be kept constantly mulched to conserve soil
moisture and reduce weed problems.
Some of the best mulches for annual vegetable crops are
composts, straw, hay or other materials which will be largely
decomposed at the end of the season.
Two to 3 inches of straw, hay, wood shavings or partially
composted leaves would be an appropriate mulch for most
perennials. Pine needles or evergreen boughs are also effective.
When using a heavy layer of mulch on perennials, gradually remove
it during the onset of warmer weather in late winter. Heavy mulch
left too long may cause early emergence of weak, tender growth.
Such growth may be killed or permanently marked by freezing.
--
Ed Gilbert
Tyrants have always some slight shade of virtue; they support the laws before destroying them.
--Voltaire