How to Make Great Compost in the Southern Plains

Our region’s weather, climate, and plant life influence this rewarding process

One of the secrets to a successful , generative garden is compost . Although you’re able to buy commercial-grade compost in bag or in bulk from garden stores , it ’s loose and enjoyable to make your own for gratuitous . Here are a few tips for take a shit compost in the Southern Plains .

Compost ingredients

Any organic thing can be turned into compost over prison term . What sort of constituent matter you have available depends on where you survive and therefore what plants are retrieve in your area . Fallen leaf , grass clippings , kitchen scraps , garden plant junk , wood chips , sawdust , and old mulch , hay , or straw are all uncouth additions to the compost galvanic pile . In Central Texas where I live , my compost pile admit a luck of leaves from live oak tree ( Quercus virginiana , Zones 8–10 ) and hackberry trees ( Celtis occidentalis , Zones 2–9 ) because those are the most common deciduous Tree in my expanse . Our other most common Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , ashe juniper bush ( Juniperus ashei , Zones 6–9 ) , is a coniferous tree and therefore does n’t mislay its leaf every winter . However , old juniper needles do accumulate under the tree over sentence , creating a okay layer of juniper duff that is great to throw in a compost peck . In East Texas and other areas where pine ( Pinusspp . and cvs . , Zones 2–9 ) predominate , pine needle can be tally to compost pile ( or used as mulch ) .

There are entire books write about how to make compost , include detailed information about the proportion of dry , carbon - rich “ brown ” materials to wet , nitrogen - full-bodied “ green ” material in your pile , which is unremarkably given as 2:1 . These detail are utile if you are trying to make compost as quickly as possible or on a prominent scale . I use a much less scientific approach in my place compost pile , adding all the organic stuff I can get my hands on and knowing that it will all decompose nicely if I call back a few key guidelines .

Pile placement

Many gardening books advocate point your compost megabucks in a sunny location . In the Southern Plains , we have such hot , dry summers that compost piles in sunny locations dry out far too quickly . In our climate , it ’s a better thought to post compost scores in the tincture ; there they can remain moist , which accelerates the composting procedure . An idealistic location would provide shade but not prevent the pile from receive rainfall , which take me to my next point .

Watering your pile

An active compost pile must be dampish like a wrung - out sponge . The organisms that separate down the constituent matter simply ca n’t survive in a dry peck , so if the pile does n’t get enough rainwater , then it help to water it by hand . During our extended juiceless period , it is a good thought to put a sprinkler or soaker hose on your compost pile every now and then to get it thoroughly moist ( but not so wet that it ’s drench and draining water ) . It should be systematically dampish . As far as how often to water your pile , that look on a number of factors . Just retrieve this : If you stick to your mitt down in the mass and it ’s dry , then it ’s time to water . Keeping the lot damp will keep it dynamic , which will break it down more cursorily .

Turning your pile

No matter what area you go in , it ’s important to turn your compost flock regularly . The more you plow your pile , the faster it will die down . Turning the pile frivolity and fuse the element and causes them to decompose more quickly and more uniformly . A frequently turned peck leaves you with a amercement , even - textured product at the end of the operation . The most important fourth dimension to turn your compost pile is when it ’s most active , which in our neighborhood is spring , other summer , and fall . Summer is too hot and dry for maximum microbic activity , and wintertime is too coolheaded . If you’re able to ferment your lot frequently all yr round , great . If you ca n’t , focus on turning it during those more dynamic seasons . If you are n’t in a precipitation at all , you’re able to turn your raft once or twice a year . If you require to cannonball along it up , you could turn it as much as weekly .

These simple magic will aid you have a successful compost pile in our mood . I ’ve had compost piles of all sizes , from tiny bins in an flat to huge garden dust piles that I turned with a skid steer . No matter what your scale , the tricks are the same : Add all the constituent materials you ’ve got , keep it dampish , wrench it on a regular basis , and love check it breach down !

For more information on compost , read along here .

— Karen Beaty is a forestry specialiser in the Wildland Conservation Division of Austin , Texas .

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half rotted compost

This compost is only about half rotten and still has some decomposing to do. You can tell by its texture that it is consistently moist, which aids in decomposition.Photo: Karen Beaty

live oak litter