Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915
10/24/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Linda Naeve, Reiman Gardens, (515) 294-2710, lnaeve@iastate.edu
Jean McGuire, Continuing Education and Communication Services, (515) 294-7033,
jmcguire@iastate.edu
Compost Bin - A Necessary Garden Feature
By Linda Naeve
Extension Coordinator
Reiman Gardens
This week's Reiman's Pick is not a colorful annual flower or beautiful shrub. It is a necessary garden feature: a compost bin. Although the concept of composting isn't new to gardeners, it is more important today than it was 15 to 20 years ago, because Iowa law no longer allows us to dispose of grass clippings, tree and shrub prunings, and old plants in sanitary landfills. Many communities have also banned leaf burning. These changes in regulations leave gardeners with few options for disposing of their yard and garden wastes. One option includes taking the time to purchase yard waste bags, stuffing them full of old plants and clippings, and dragging them to the curb to be hauled to a community composting facility. Another option is to purchase a shredder and chop the pruned tree branches and fallen leaves into useful mulch. Both of these options can be quite costly.
An efficient and cost-effective way to dispose of the leaves that accumulate this time of year is to compost them. A compost bin, such as a three-bin turning unit, enables gardeners to dispose of large quantities of leaves and clippings. Compost bins or structures can be placed in an out-of-sight location in your yard or garden, so they become a functional element in your garden plan that may hardly be noticed.
There are many types of composting units on the market, as well as many creative homemade designs. A three-bin turning unit is probably one of the best home composting structures. It can be easily built, and it processes yard waste efficiently into a valuable garden product. It looks tidy in the garden because the composting materials are contained in slatted woodbins. The three-bin unit makes the turning process easier and results in more rapid decomposition. If done properly, a three-bin turning unit can convert non-woody yard wastes into compost in two months or less.
A key to rapid composting is making the compost in large batches at a time and using both green and dried materials, such as grass clippings and dried leaves. Fill one bin with six to eight inches of plant materials, followed by an inch of soil or previously made compost. Add a handful of complete analysis fertilizer to increase the rate of decomposition, and balance the nutrient level in the finished compost. Continue alternating the layers of plant materials, soil and fertilizer until the bin is nearly full. Don't continually add small batches of yard waste to the bin because it will not decompose very rapidly. Once the bin is nearly full, add water to moisten the material.
Another key to rapid composting is turning and mixing the material on a regular basis. Frequent turning speeds the decomposition process by providing aerobic bacteria with the oxygen they need to break down the materials. A three-bin unit with removable front slats makes turning easier. After a week to 10 days, turn the materials from the first bin to the second. Turn the materials in the second bin once a week for a few weeks. When the material is partially decomposed, move it to the third bin where decomposition continues. The compost can be stored in the third bin until you are ready to use it. Then, fill the first bin again and start the process over.
Three-bin compost units are used at Reiman Gardens in the Town and Country Garden and Patty Jischke Children's Garden. For more information on composting and construction plans for a three-bin compost unit, get a copy of PM 683, Composting Yard Waste, for free through the ISU Extension office in your county or on the Web at: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM683.pdf.
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