By Robert “Skip” Richter County Extension Agent .

by Robert “Skip” RichterCounty Extension Agent – HorticultureHarris CountyTexas AgriLife Extension Service

Composting is fun!It's also easy.Let's learn abouthow we makecompost and howwe use it to growbeautiful gardens.

TheForestFloorNature recycles leavesand plants.In a forest, leaves fallforming mulch thatprotects the soil.Over time theydecompose intonutrients that feedforest plants.

Making Compostin a BinYou can recycle leaves and otherplant materials at home by settingup a compost bin.

Set Upthe BinFirst select a spot to set up your bin. It shouldbe out of the way but convenient to reach withplenty of room to work around. Some goodplaces would be near your garden or in a backcorner of the yard. It is also a good idea tochoose a location close to a source of water.

Compost RecipeNow for the recipe for compost. Themicro-organisms that recycle leaves andother plant parts need an even mix ofbrown stuff and green stuff to munch on.They also need air and water to live andwork. Put all this together and in timeyou will have compost!

Recipe Ingredients

FiveContainers ofIngredientsBrown stuff is dead, dried plant parts likeleaves and pine needles. Brown stuff is high inthe element carbon. Green stuff is fresh, livingparts like grass clippings, kitchen vegetablescraps, weeds and other plants. Green stuff ishigh in the element nitrogen.

Don't Use Meat Fat Pet droppings Bones Cheese Milk Oils Diseased plantsDon't use meat, milk products because petsand other animals may try to dig them up out ofyour compost bin. Also don't use diseasedgarden plants. They can spread disease backinto the garden later when you use thecompost.

AddLeavesIt is easiest to build our compost bin in layersof ingredients. Start with the brown stuff byspreading a layer of leaves or pine needlesabout 6 inches thick.

Carbon SourcesHere are some sources of carbon along withtheir carbon-nitrogen ratio. You can use thesenumbers to better determine how much brownand green stuff you should use to make thebest mix for composting. Some things, such assawdust, are very high in carbon compared totheir nitrogen content, while others, such asleaves, are not so high.

Carbon Sources Dried leaves Pine needles Newspaper Sawdust60:190:1125:1625:1

AddGrassClippingsNext, for the green stuff, add a layer of grassclippings a few inches thick. It is helpful to mixthe layers up a little as you make them.

Nitrogen SourcesHere are some sources of nitrogen along withtheir carbon-nitrogen ratio. Once again, youcan see that the ratio varies a lot between thedifferent ingredients.

Nitrogen Sources Food Scraps Grass clippings Coffee grounds Horse manure15:118:120:125:1

ShoveltheSoilThen sprinkle a shovelful of soil or compost toadd microorganisms to the bin.

WateringEach layer gets a good sprinkling of water towet the ingredients. It is important to wet eachlayer as you build it. Repeat each of the layersuntil the bin is full and then.

FinishedBin!.TAH DAHHHHH! the microorganisms will goto work breaking down the ingredients intohumus. If you want faster compost, you can mixthe ingredients every few weeks but this isn'tnecessary.

Compost “Critters”Now tiny microorganisms (that you cannot seewithout a microscope) go to work breakingdown the organic matter into compost. Later, asthe compost cools down, you may see largerorganisms such as millipedes, sowbugs,earthworms and others. Compost is teemingwith living things!

HandfulofCompostThis is compost, the dark, earthy-smelling stuffis rich in nutrients. Plants love it! Let's talkabout how to use compost to help plants grow.

UseCompostas MulchYou can use compost as a mulch aroundgarden plants, like this rose bush. Mulchprotects the soil and shades out weed seeds.Nutrients are washed out into the soil with eachrain to feed the roots of plants.

Mix IntoPlantingHoleCompost is great for mixing into the soil whenyou are planting a new plant like this flower! Ithelps a sandy soil hold moisture and nutrientsbetter and improves clay soils too.

UseCompostin PottingSoilCompost mixed with some sand makes a superpotting soil for growing plants in containers.

Trench CompostingAnother way to compost in the garden is bytrench composting.

DumpingLeavesIn TrenchStart by placingleaves in the trenchesbetween raised beds,or in the pathwaysthrough your garden.

ShovelingCompostfrom TrenchBy the end of thegardening season theseleaves will be mostlydecomposed and can bescooped up and placedaround garden plants asan excellent mulch. Or,you can mix them into theplanting beds to improvethe soil.

Compost “Pockets”Another way to compost in the garden is bymaking compost pockets. They are easy andfun.

Start by digging a holeabout 18" deep. Placefruit, vegetable scrapsand coffee groundsfrom the kitchen in thehole. Don't use meat,fat, milk or eggsbecause pets or wildcritters will try to digthem up for lunch!

CoveringWith SoilNext, cover the scrapswith soil to bury themand fill the hole. Nowyou can make morecompost pockets inother locations!

After about a month or two you can plant aflower or maybe a tomato plant on the spotwhere you make the compost pocket. Thenstand back and watch it grow!

The Endby Robert “Skip” RichterCounty Extension Director - Travis CountyTexas AgriLife Extension Service.

gardening season these leaves will be mostly decomposed and can be scooped up and placed around garden plants as an excellent mulch. Or, you can mix them into the planting beds to improve the soil. Shoveling Compost from Trench . Another way to compost in the garden is by making compost pockets. They are easy and