Don’t bag those fall leaves – compost em’

While it may not feel like it, the fall leaf season is just around the corner. And while many in northeast Georgia look forward to the kaleidoscope of colors provided by our deciduous trees, I have yet to meet anyone who enjoys raking leaves. However, if you think about what those fall leaves can do for your garden, raking them might not seem so bad.

Instead of bagging or burning your fallen leaves this year, turn them into compost. Composting is a practical and convenient way of recycling leaves, lawn clippings and trimmings from the landscape and garden. It’s also an economical way of producing rich humus that can be added back to your soil.

Compost is a rich dark humus, an end product of the natural decomposition of plant and plant products under controlled conditions. Almost any organic plant material can be used for composting, including grass clippings, leaves, flowers, twigs, old vegetable plants, and sawdust. Avoid composting diseased plants or invasive weeds. Kitchen scraps and coffee grounds can also be composted, but avoid adding table scraps because they may attract animals.

Locate your new compost pile in an out-of-the-way place in the landscape, preferably in full sun and on a well-drained site. The compost pile should be a minimum of 3 ft. x 3 ft. x 3 ft. Large piles break down faster than smaller piles, but they are also more difficult to manage.

You can purchase a commercial compost bin or build a frame yourself.

Decomposition works best if some type of simple structure is used. Materials such as welded wire, fencing, pallets, or blocks are often used. Leave open spaces in the sides to allow good air circulation through the pile and the bottom open to the ground.

For best decomposition, it's best to mix a variety of materials. Most often piles are layered with whatever organic material is available at a given time. The smaller the pieces of organic matter, the fast it will decompose. Once a layer of organic matter is added, add a little garden soil or animal manure. This adds fungi, bacteria, insects and worms to the pile and helps speed up the decomposition process.

Keep the compost pile moist, but not too wet. To speed up the decomposition process and prevent odors, mix the pile once a month using a shovel or spading fork. If you turn the pile monthly, you can have usable compost in 3-4 months. If not, it will likely be a year before its ready.

Compost is ready when it looks like rich crumbly earth and you can no longer recognize the original plant material. Each time you mix the pile, some ready-to-use compost should be available.

Compost added to the soil before planting vegetables or trees, shrubs, or flowers will improve soil structure and will help hold nutrients and water for use by plants. It can also be used as mulch on the soil surface, or as a potting soil for container plants.

Billy Skaggs