ALL THINGS
By Kayla Perla
Composting is the aerobic decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms. It transforms raw materials—such as leaves, grass clippings, garden trimmings, food scraps, animal manure and agricultural residues— into compost, a valuable earthy-smelling soil conditioner, teeming with life.
Every year, U.S. landfills and trash incinerators receive 167 MILLION TONS OF GARBAGE. Benefits of Using Compost: • Provides nutrients back into the soil as well as to the plant. • Helps the soil hold water. • Feeds the microbes and soil life. When using compost, keep in mind that the nitrogen content goes down as the compost is composted. Therefore, it’s a good idea to add another nitrogen source later in the growing season. There are various ways to use compost.
You can sprinkle compost on top or mix it into your garden beds, gently rake compost into tree beds, blend it with potting soil to revitalize indoor plants or spread it on top of the soil on your lawn as a soil amendment. Homemade Compost: Making your own compost is a wonderful way to get rid of your food waste by recycling it. When making your own compost, consider the salt content of your food. You wouldn’t put salt water on your plants, so you want to be mindful of the amount of salt content food you add into your compost pile. Store Compost: If shopping at a box store for compost, two common types of compost found are cow manure and mushroom compost. Mushroom Compost: Mushroom compost has higher PH. Columbia County Horticulture Agent, Erin Harlow, recommends mixing mushroom compost with a bag of soil or native soil before adding it into the garden.
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Manure Compost: When using manure in the garden, avoid pig and domestic animal waste. Rabbit poop is the only manure that can go straight into the garden for Jay Capasso immediate use. All UF/IFAS Columbia County Row Crop Extension Agent other manure needs to sit for at least 180 days before it is safe to be added into the garden. In Florida, the soil tends to be very sandy, so adding compost to the native Florida soil encourages it to hold water. Compost contains lots of organic material which also tends to hold water more easily. Soil: Row Crop Extension Agent Jay Capasso at the UF/IFAS Extension Columbia County said, “You can get your soil tested at the extension lab at UF. I recommend doing this annually. Then, you can contact the extension office to get help interpreting the report. Fertilizing the soil is not a one size fits all type of thing. Therefore it is important to get an annual soil test.”
Stay connected with local North Florida gardeners in the Facebook group: Grow Gainesville. ■
