Fall is the best time to begin a compost heap
When you think of fall cleanup of your garden beds, grass, tree leaves, pruning material, weeds, etc., you have to ask, “Where does all the yard waste go when you put it out on the curb for trash pickup?”
If your town does not have a yard waste recycling program, all the waste goes in a landfill. Save your garden waste and money and make your own compost — or Black Gold!
Fall is the ideal time to start a compost heap because you have more material to put into it. You can start to collect your leaves, grass clippings, spent flowers, coffee grounds and peelings from fruits and vegetables. You need carbon (brown items) and nitrogen (green items) — the primary materials for your compost heap. The recommended ratio of carbon (brown) to nitrogen (green) is about 3 to 1.
If you don't have a compost bin, barrel or tumbler, you can make a three-sided bin using 4-by-4-foot wooden pallets or wire fencing to make a 3-foot diameter container.
It's ideal to place the heap close to the garden over well drained soil with access to water. Behind a garage in a partially shaded spot is fine, also. Start by adding a good layer of dropped leaves, straw, twigs (brown) followed by a layer of kitchen scraps and grass (green). Repeat the layers to make a 3-by-3-foot heap, which is ideal. Sprinkle a bit of water in between layers, making sure the heap is moist, which is very important to keep the heap cooking.
The ideal temperature for the middle of the heap should be 120 to 160 degrees.
The heat will kill off diseases, weed seeds and unwanted insects. A healthy compost should be moist and have a pleasant scent. Too much green (kitchen scraps or grass clippings) may cause too much moisture and an unpleasant odor. If so, add more brown (dried leaves, straw, sawdust or shredded black and white newspaper) to balance the heap.
It will take one to three months to reap compost. It all depends on how well you maintain the heap and your diligence in adding and turning over the material. When it gets cold the process will slow down.
In rainy weather, cover the heap with a tarp. When you notice the heap cooking, turn it over with a garden fork, turning the outside material to the center of the heap. Once you find the balance, you will be on your way to making your own organic dark humus, which is compost.
Good compost when held in your hand and squeezed will form a ball and hold. A dry compost will flake away and a very moist compost will gush water.
Things to remember: Do not add meats, oils, fish, dairy products and bones to the heap. They attract raccoons and rats. Do not throw in invasive weeds that have gone to seed and sprouted roots, nor herbicide treated grass clippings and no dog, cat or pig feces.
The smaller the material, the faster the decomposition. Shredding and clipping twigs, vines, weeds and stems into smaller particles will speed up the process.
You can create a three bin composter by adding on more pallets. When the material in the first bin starts to break down, move it to the second bin where it will break down and eventually be moved to the third bin to finalize composting. Add more layers of brown and green to the first bin and start the process again.
Seeing those bags of leaves on the curb is an incentive to start your autumn compost heap and start creating some of that great “Black Gold!”
— Joan Jeske
• Provided by Master Gardeners through the Master Gardener Answer Desk, Friendship Park Conservatory, Des Plaines, and University of Illinois Extension, North Cook Branch Office, Arlington Heights. Call (847) 298-3502 Monday, Wednesday and Saturday or (847) 201-4176, ext. 14, on Fridays.