Organic Composting for Flowers

Organic compost improves nutrient levels and enhances the texture of garden soil.

Organic compost is the result of decomposed garbage. Not just any garbage can be used to make compost, however. Some garbage will add toxins to the pile that are harmful to plants and animals or will not break down into compost. A compost pile must be maintained properly to produce good organic compost that you can use on your flower garden.

What to Add

Wood chips and wood-based fireplace ashes may be added to the pile.

Animal manure from cows, horses, chickens and rabbits can be added to the compost pile along with hay, straw and sawdust. Hair and fur can go into the compost pile as well as dryer and vacuum cleaner lint. Paper products such as cardboard toilet paper or paper towel rolls, coffee filters, clean paper and shredded newspapers can be added, as can coffee grounds, eggshells, nut shells, fruits, vegetables and teabags (minus the staple). Houseplants and yard waste such as grass clippings, leaves, small twigs and branches can go into the pile. Cotton and wool rags can go into the pile as long as they do not have toxic chemicals on them.

What Should Not be Added

Oils should not be added to the compost pile.

Do not put leaves or twigs from black walnut trees into the pile as they contain toxins that are harmful to some plants. Charcoal ashes should not be added, as they may contain toxins. Dairy products, eggs, meat or fish bones and scraps, fat, grease and lard will cause unpleasant odors and attract flies and rodents. Do not add metals such as cans or aluminum foil. Yard waste that has been treated with chemical pesticides should not be added; the pesticides may kill beneficial organism within the pile. Diseased and insect-infested plants and trimmings should be kept out of the pile to avoid reinfection and reinfestation. Dog or cat feces and cat litter should not be added; they may contain harmful parasites, viruses and bacteria.

Containers

There are bins available that will turn and aerate the compost.

The ideal size for a working compost pile is 3 feet wide, 3 feet long and 3 feet deep. These dimensions make the pile easy to maintain and provide enough mass to keep the working organisms within the pile comfortable. Bins designed specifically for composting are available, and some municipalities will provide them at little or no charge. Chicken wire, snow fence, hardware cloth or scrap wood may be used to construct a basic structure for containment, or the compost pile can just be a pile without any container at all. When adding kitchen waste, however, a good solid bin should be used to keep rodents out.

Getting Started

Cut twigs and branches up before adding them to the compost pile.

Add "brown" materials such as paper, cardboard and dry yard waste and "green" materials such as grass clippings, fresh leaves, green twigs and kitchen waste to the pile in layers. Brown materials provide carbon, and green materials provide nitrogen. Tear up large paper or cardboard waste so it will break down more quickly. Ideally, browns and greens should be layered at a ratio of three parts browns to one part greens. Turn the pile with a pitchfork each time new material is added to provide oxygen. Fruit and vegetable waste should be buried within the pile at a depth of 10 inches.

The Finished Product

Compost may be mixed into the soil before planting or added atop the soil around established plants.

When the compost turns a dark rich color and no longer resembles the material put into the pile, it is ready to use. Separate out large pieces of material that have not yet broken down and add them to a new compost pile.

References

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Wastes, Resource Conservation; Reduce, Reuse, Recycle; Composting: Basic Information
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; GreenScapes; Backyard Composting

Resources

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; GreenScapes; Backyard Composting