Composting - From Garden Waste to Garden Gold

With the Fall upon us the leaves have are turning colors and have begun to drop. Soon we will be raking, trimming trees and bushes to prepare for the winter. But what to do with all those leaves, twigs, and garden waste. Why not compost it!

Composting is a fabulous way to turn your garden waste into garden gold. By taking your dry waste and combining it with your green waste, you can transform it into a rich, usable material to enhance your soil. You can also use it as a mulch around plant beds to reduce weeds and fill your containers and pots without the cost of store-bought soils.

Not only is composting good for your garden, but it is also good for the environment. By composting your garden (and some kitchen) wastes you are conserving precious landfill space, reducing the need for commercial soil conditioners and fertilizers, as well as adding beneficial microbes and nutrients back into the soil. Compost, either added to the soil or used as a mulch, saves on water usage as well.

One of the first statements I hear when I talk about composting is that “It's too difficult.” or “Composting takes too much time.” On the contrary, composting is rather easy and takes little time. As long as you don't try to make a huge pile – keep it to about a 3' to 4' square pile or in a small commercial or hand-made bin – your pile will then be easy to manage. Chop your materials into ½ inch to 1 ½ inch pieces (think of the great exercise you'll get chopping those twigs and branches) before you add them to your bin or pile.  Mix together 50% “brown” material – those twigs, branches, and dried leaves – and 50% “green” material – grass clippings, wilted flowers, fruit, and veggie waste – and you've got your compost started!

Turn your compost every day or two (for rapid composting), or once per week. Check to make sure it isn't too wet or too dry (it should feel about as moist as a wrung out sponge) and protect it from the weather (a tarp or covering to keep out intense heat or rain) and in no time you'll have rich, usable compost.

Composting is a science but still, things can go wrong. The number one complaint I've heard from friends is, “My compost always turns out stinky and I give up.” Stinky compost is a sign of an imbalance in your pile.  A healthy compost pile should smell earthy and not look wet and slimy. Trust me, stinky compost is a real turn-off. I should know – it's happened to me on occasion. Checking your moisture levels, adding in additional brown materials if needed, and making sure to turn your pile will help with this issue.

Don't let composting scare you. It can be a fun and rewarding way to give back to the environment, save money and water, and enhance your landscape. With a little bit of work, a pile of waste becomes the garden gold we all desire. Still have questions about composting? 

Sign up for our Composting Basics class!

When: November 24, 2020 6-7:30 p.m. PST.
Where: on Zoom.
How: http://ucanr.edu/compost/2020 sign up by Nov 24 at 4 p.m. to receive a link sent the morning of the class.
Instructors: Master Gardeners Terry Pellegrini and Heidi Aufdermaur.

And remember, all classes are recorded so you can always watch it again later.

Hope to see you there!