Soil and Compost

Colin and our sweet new composter!

Since the Staghorn team has gotten a new composter, I figured now is a good time to do a post about soil and compost. Composting is finally taking off and more and more people are doing it or at least have heard about it. NYC has been expanding their compost program with the brown bins for compost curbside pick up, which is super awesome. But right now it’s only happening in certain areas. There are other options for getting rid of your kitchen scraps. Most of the farmers markets have compost collections. If you are lucky enough to have some space for a bin then it’s good to know a little about composting so you can get it right.

If you have a garden, composting is the best thing you can do. It all starts with the soil. If the soil isn’t right, your garden is not going to do well. Feeding the soil will keep your plants happy and growing strong.

Let’s start with the basics..

What is soil?

Soil is the mixture of eroded rocks and minerals, organic matter, liquids, and myriad organisms that together support plant life.

Sand, silt and clay are the main non-living rock particles that soil is composed of.

Textures of soil are determined by the ratio of sand, silt and clay that they contain.

Different plants thrive in different types of soil. Think sandy beach plants (sandy soil) vs forest understory (high organic matter, more clay in soil). For a nice garden soil you wouldn’t want either extreme, sand or clay, but a good mix. Loam is a good mix of clay, sand and silt, which is best for garden soil.

The composition of the soil is important as well. You don’t want super compacted dry soil.

Ideal Soil Composition for Gardens:

• Air 25%
• Water 25%
• Organic matter 5%:
• Organisms 10%
• Roots 10%
• Humus(fully broken down organic matter) 80%

What is compost?

Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled to be used as a fertilizer and soil amendment. It is an organic way of turning your kitchen and yard waste into rich nutrients for your garden soil.

There are three main elements to creating successful compost. These include:

Air – Turning your compost helps give the microorganisms needed oxygen. This helps the decomposition occur faster and helps prevent unpleasant odors that may occur if the pile begins to compost anaerobically.

Moisture- The pile should be damp but not soggy. If it is too soggy, more browns should be added.

Temperature- Compost should be warm to the touch. The heat in the pile is caused by biological processes. Having the pile warm enough is important for killing pathogenic organisms and possible weed seeds.

Finished compost piles can take a few months to a year to fully break down.

The compost is ready to use when it is dark brown, smells like earth, and crumbles in your hand.

What should and shouldn’t go into your compost:

Good compost is a mix of 3 parts “browns” and 1 part “greens”. Here are some examples of each:

BROWNS, Carbon-rich

+Dry Leaves +Dead Plants

+Shredded Paper +Pine Needles

+Sawdust +Straw

GREENS, Nitrogen-rich

+Grass Clippings +Green Weeds

+Fruit & Veg Scraps +Garden Waste

+Eggshells +Coffee Grounds

DO NOT ADD TO COMPOST:

-Meats and bones -Fish -Dairy

-Nuts -Fats & Oils -Eggs -Pet Waste

If you are composting through the NYC compost program they say you can compost these things I have listed not to. This is because they have a system which is much stronger than any backyard bin you will have. A system must reach extremely high temperature to be able to process these things. Also, you really don’t want rotting meat in your backyard.