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May 29 is National Learn About Composting Day. In the spirit of the holiday, we’d like to teach you about composting’s prehistoric history, its benefits and uses, and how to start your very own composting journey!
Composting is the process of recycling organic materials into an amendment that can be used to enrich soil and plants. This process can be sped up by building an ideal environment for microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and worms. The microorganisms break down the organic matter in the presence of oxygen, heat, and moisture, producing compost. They use carbon and nitrogen to grow and reproduce, water to digest materials, and oxygen to breathe. Composting is nature’s way of recycling and is one of the most powerful actions we can take to reduce trash in landfills and build healthy soil.
Composting can be traced back to the Stone age when the Scots improved their farms by plowing their fields with decomposing organic material and planting within them. Archaeological records show us that they discovered this technique around 5000 BC. The first indigenous populations in the Americas developed composting methods around this time as well.
The first written record of composting was in Early Mesopotamia by the Akkadian Empire in 2350 BC. Their clay tablets documented the processing of making compost. While there were other written accounts around this time in Rome and the Middle East, much was lost to the Dark Ages. It wasn’t until the Renaissance did composting resurface as a popular farming method with references in works by famous authors like William Shakespeare. European settlers brought their knowledge of composting with them to the Americas, and were surprised to find that the Native Americans had already discovered it for themselves.
The Founding Fathers of the United States were also aware of the value of composting, with George Washington accredited to being the first American composter. He believed better farming started with better soil amendments, and published pieces about its worth. Many letters between him and Thomas Jefferson discussed similar farming techniques.
Composting is one of the most impactful ways we can reduce our trash, address climate change, and build healthy soil. By turning our food scraps and yard trim into compost, we turn our waste into an amendment that can be used to build and protect the environment. Here are a few ways composting can benefit you and your community:
The first step you need to take is to pick a compost method: open bin, pile, or tumbler. Consider the space you have available to you, how much time you have to tend to the process, and what sort of organic waste you produce. Then, choose a location that is accessible year-long with good drainage and air circulation. You’ll need green materials or nitrogen-rich, “wet” ingredients like food scraps and grass trimmings, and green leaves. These can be collected and stored ahead of time in a closed container on your kitchen counter, under your sink, or in your fridge or freezer. You’ll also need brown materials or carbon-rich, “dry” ingredients like dry leaves, wood chips, and cardboard. These can be collected in a pile outdoors until ready. Make sure your pieces are broken down into pieces to compost faster.
Start your pile with a four- to six-inch layer of sizable browns such as twigs and wood chips. This layer absorbs extra liquids, elevates your pile and allows air to circulate at the base of the pile. Then begin layering your greens and browns in an alternating pattern. Add at least two times the volume of browns to the volume of greens. The right proportions of ingredients in your compost pile will provide the composting microorganisms the carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and moisture they need to break down the materials.
Aeration helps speed up the composting process and reduce odors. Consider turning your pile once a week during summer and every three weeks in winter. Moisture is also essential for composting; your pile should always feel like a wrung-out sponge. A dry pile may cause the composting process to slow down, so add water. A wet pile may cause bad odors and also slow down decomposition, so add carbon-heavy browns.
Finished compost should be dark and crumbly, not resembling the original materials at all, with a pleasant, earthy smell. Using immature material can attract pests and can cause harm to young plants, so make sure your compost has fully decomposed before use.
Compost can be used as a soil amendment or as a mulch. As a soil amendment, mix in two to four inches of compost to the top six to nine inches of your soil. As a mulch, loosen the top two to three inches of soil and add a three-inch layer of compost on the surface, a few inches away from plant stems and tree trunks. You can use these two methods for the following: