With gardens bearing great armloads of produce and lawns needing mowing, and hedges needing trimming, summer is the perfect time to start composting. Let’s begin with the basics: a definition. Compost is the process by which organic matter (that would be anything that was once growing) is broken down by soil microorganisms and converted into humus, or decomposed organic matter used to provide nutrients to the soil. Humus is absolutely the very best thing you can possibly add to your soil, and it’s simple to make, saving you money, and saving our landfills from added waste, which ultimately contributes to the production of methane gas which can leach into the soil. A basic recipe for humus is equal weights of green (high nitrogen) and brown (high carbon) material. But first you need a place to store them: a simple shaded area behind the garage surrounded by chicken wire will do, or you can purchase a bin for a reasonable price from any garden supply store.  I prefer the bin because it’s covered and keeps animals at bay, but either will work. Now, instead of throwing away your kitchen scraps, put them in your bin. Add your spent flowers and veggies, coffee grinds, grass and garden clippings, and in the fall, your leaves and branches. The bin is almost like a bottomless pit – as the material decomposes, it shrinks in size, so there’s always more room, even though you pretty much filled it up last week.

According to the EPA, 24% of US local solid waste is made up of compostable materials. In some areas these figures grow to 40 and up to 75%.  Composting your leaves in the fall would cut curbside trash by half!  Additionally, buying commercial fertilizers raises world chemical use, and it’s expensive! Why put expensive chemical fertilizers on the tomatoes you plan to eat, when you could add your own humus for free? Most of us prefer to buy “organic” – we should grow “organic” as well.

Ok – let’s review: adding humus enriches the soil while promoting water retention – it protects plants’ roots from sun exposure, minimizes weed growth, and helps control soil erosion, thus keeping pollutants from getting into our water supplies.  Adding a layer of compost in the fall will protect your plants from harsh winter temperature fluctuations, and as it decomposes, it will provide those essential nutrients needed for early spring growth.  And compost can bind to heavy metals and prevent them from migrating to water sources! Altogether a win-win for all of us!!

Here are a few simple tips to help you “go greener” around the home and garden. We’ve had plenty of rain this spring, but that doesn’t mean we still won’t be dry in July and August. To conserve water, it’s easy to install water barrels to store rainwater for garden use. Be sure to water in the early morning to prevent evaporation, and water deeply but infrequently to encourage root growth.

Stop fertilizing your lawns!!!!! Americans use approximately 3 million tons of lawn fertilizer and 70 million pounds of lawn herbicides every year. EPA estimates that 65% of this filters into lakes, rivers and aquifers. 74 pesticides have been found in ground water in 38 states. In other words, YOU’RE DRINKING YOUR OWN PESTICIDES!!

The more chemicals are used on lawns, the more beneficial insects, micro-organisms and earthworms are killed, which just creates a cycle of chemical dependency. To alleviate this, cut your grass a little higher, and leave the cuttings to replace nitrogen and shade the soil. And don’t work toward a “perfect” lawn. Clover may be considered a weed, but it is highly drought resistant, stays green in winter and provides nitrogen for other plants. Your kids and dogs won’t care if they’re playing in grass mixed with clover and a few dandelions, and they’ll thank you when they don’t get cancer later in life from chemical exposure…

Next time, let’s talk about compost!!