The Fundamentals of Compost & Mulch

By Ryan R. Ennis

The Fundamentals of Compost & Mulch

IN THE YARD, YOU NATURALLY GROW THE PLANTS UNDER WHAT YOU BELIEVE ARE THE BEST CONDITIONS TO HELP THEM THRIVE.

During early spring, you amend your gardening beds with compost, then blanket them with mulch to finish the project. Unfortunately, as summer approaches, the healthy flowers and vegetables you had hoped for are withering, turning brown, or failing to rise up through the soil.

What went wrong? To find out, it’s important to have a good understanding of how compost and mulch work and what the differences are between them.

The Natural Resources Defense Counsil (NRDC) describes composting “as the natural process of recycling organic matter into a valuable fertilizer that can enrich soil and plants.” The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) classifies mulch as any “protective layer of material spread on the top of the soil.”

With these definitions in mind, you can form some solutions to your plant problems. Perhaps one answer as to why the vegetation didn’t flourish is that the compost you purchased was poorly labeled and lacked the necessary decomposed organic matter to feed the soil. Another detriment might have been the layer of thick mulch in the gardening beds. For vegetable and flower seeds to germinate, they need unobstructed sunlight.

By following recommendations from trusted sources on landscaping and horticulture, you can ensure that your plants will prosper and that your home’s curb appeal will soar.

ACCORDING TO THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA), more than 28 percent of the food and garden scraps in this country end up in landfills. Handling this waste increases the billions of dollars already being spent each year on garbage disposal and management. At the waste management facilities, the scraps often become buried under tons of other trash, which prevents air from reaching the decomposers who rely on oxygen to help with breaking down the plant and food remnants. By composting your own waste, you can help the environment.

To begin the composting journey, you may follow the NRDC’s instructions: The ratio for a compost pile should be roughly “25 to 30 parts carbon for every one part nitrogen.” If your mixture has too much nitrogen-based materials, then the compost pile will turn slimy and smelly. When too much carbon-based materials are present in the mix, the compost pile will dry out quickly and take a long time to transform into usable earth.

What to include in the compost pile? The NRDC highlights the importance of adding nitrogen-based items referred to as the “greens” in the heap. The “greens” enable decomposers to grow and reproduce. Some examples of the “greens” are grass clippings, coffee grounds, and food scraps. The NRDC also emphasizes incorporating carbon-rich items called the “browns” in the collection. They provide food sources for the decomposers and give the energy to break down the waste. Some examples of the “browns” are paper, dead leaves, branches, and twigs.

WHENEVER YOU ARE UNSURE ABOUT THE APPROPRIATENESS OF A MATERIAL for your bin, simply ask yourself this question: Did it sprout from the ground or was made from something that did? If your answer is yes, then feel free to drop it in. The following are suggestions of other compostable materials: uncoated cardboard, fireplace ashes, houseplants, teabags, nutshells, newspapers, etc. If you are still unsure, another question to ask is: Will it attract insects and rodents as it decomposes? If the answer is yes to that one, then you know not to include it. Some examples of materials not to compost are: meat scraps, diseased plants, grease, charcoal ash, pet waste, and kitty litter.

After you gather acceptable trash for composting, your next task is to determine the location of your compost pile. A reasonably dry and shady spot in your yard is preferred. The perfect size for composting bin or container is a 3-foot cube. Regarding the size of the food scraps to be added, the NRDC suggests “not to include anything thicker than a finger” and that “the height of the compost pile should not exceed 3 feet.”

The organization also suggests the following household items serve well as composting containers: wine crates, plastic storage chests, old wooden dresser drawers, garbage cans, and wire mesh. To optimize the decompo-sition process, you should turn the heap with a pitchfork or rake about once a week and avoid oversaturation with rainwater.

HOW TO TELL WHEN THE COMPOST IS FULLY DECOMPOSED? The NRDC says it “should look dark and rich and have a smooth texture,” with no remaining scraps in it. Its aroma should give off an earthy smell, “like a forest on a misty day.”

Once it is ready, how should you use it? To enliven your plants and soil, mix it in with the existing dirt in your gardening beds, add it to the dirt and grass around your trees, feed it to your potted plants, and spread it across your lawns. You don’t have to use all the compost right away — it will not go bad. Don’t wait too long, however, because its fertility will diminish over time.

Mulching Basics & Applications

AS STRESSED BY THE USDA, THERE ARE MANY ADVANTAGES to laying down mulch in your garden each year. The main benefit is that it helps the soil retain moisture. It also protects your plants’ root systems (which are susceptible to temperature extremes) and deters some pests from digging them out and consuming them. Furthermore, it stops weeds from growing and can make your yard look more attractive.

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), a gardening charity organization in the U.K., states that mulches fall into two categories: biodegradable or nonbiodegradable. A biodegradable mulch decomposes slowly as it releases vital nutrients into the soil, which improves its stability. Materials serving as good biodegradable mulches are garden compost, wood chippings, processed conifer bark, straw, and seaweed. While a nonbiodegradable mulch does not fertilize the soil, it still blocks weeds from sprouting and conserves moisture. Examples of materials that work as nonbiodegradable mulches are pebbles, seashells, gravel, and stone chippings.

According to the RHS, you should be aware of some additional facts before buying any mulch: Because biodegradable mulches degrade, you will need to lay new mulch around your landscaping each year. If you decide to go with nonbiodegradable materials — perhaps because they look more decorative than natural ones — you should know that darker objects will cause the soil to absorb heat, whereas lights ones will reflect the sunlight and make the ground cooler. Too much sunlight can damage the root systems of fragile plants, so it might be best to work with materials lighter in color.

Once you’ve determined which mulch to use, how should you apply it? The following are RHS’s application guidelines: The best time of the year to lay it down is mid- to late spring, after you have removed any sprouting weeds. The layer of mulch should measure 2 to 3 inches in overall height and thickness. As you mulch the landscaping beds, scatter it sparingly near your low-growing plants and the stems of woody plants. If you stack it up around these types of vegetation, you might inadvertently smother the low-growing plants and cause the stems of the woody plants to rot.

Compost vs Mulch: Summary

SOME FLEDGLING GARDENERS MAY BE INCLINED TO THINK OF COMPOST AND MULCH as interchangeable. It depends on the situation. If your goals are to fertilize the plants and enhance the soil’s texture, then spread fully decomposed compost or biodegradable mulch across your landscaping and gardening beds. On the other hand, if your intentions are to prevent weeds from growing and to retain moisture in the ground, then cover your beds with mulch.

Most likely, you will want to use both: compost to cut down on garden and kitchen waste, and mulch to save on water.

For more information on compost and mulch, visit the RHS website at https://www.rhs.org.uk. You can also check out https://geckogreen.com/difference-between-compost-mulch. To estimate how much soil and mulch you will need for your gardening projects, use Lowe’s Home Improvement’s online calculator: www.lowes.com/n/calculators/mulch-and-soil-calculator.