Compost is black gold to gardeners and Texas soils need it. Whether a garden’s soil is black gumbo in the prairie or sand in west Texas, compost will improve it. Texas does not have one kind of soil. There are clays, silts, sands, and the highly desirable sandy-loam. Texas soils vary widely in pH—that is soil acidity—ranging from 4.5 to 8.5 according to The Texas Gardener. The one constant across this variability is that in order to have productive gardens and flowering landscapes a gardener needs composted organic matter worked into the soil.
What is Compost
Compost is made up of “decomposed organic material that is produced when bacteria in soil break down garbage and biodegradable trash, making organic fertilizer” according to the glossary of terms from the National Safety Council. Compost improves soil structure. The presence of compost attracts earthworms to encourage aeration of the soil. Nutrients in compost feed plants slowly throughout the growing season.
Composting requires organic materials, air and water to become the kind of material that enhances Texas soils. Organic matter that can be used to create compost includes: plant leaves, mulches, organic kitchen wastes, manure from cows, horses, sheep and other animals, and grass clippings.
The other key ingredient in making compost is time. The raw organic materials need time to decompose. Although decomposition can proceed without intervention, the process goes more quickly if a gardener adds moisture and turns the composting materials regularly.
Care should be used in selecting manures and grass clippings for composting that do not have weed seeds or harmful herbicides.
The end result of the composting process is a dark, crumbly soil that should be mixed into the garden soil down several inches.
How to Make Compost
Compost is made by mixing brown and green organic materials and allowing time to for these to decompose into soil additives. Compost can be made by creating a fenced-off area into which raw, organic materials are added. The area should receive sun, be well drained, and be turned periodically to mix new materials into those that are already decomposing.
For faster processing, a gardener can make or purchase a bin designed for composting. Using a bin is an especially good idea if food materials are added to the pile since rotting food can attract undesirable animals. Some plastic bins are free-standing while others are raised on a stand. Raised composters are easier to turn and mix than free-standing ones.
It can take a few months to a couple years to turn organic matter into compost. The difference in time is a function of heat. A hot compost pile, one with lots of organic matter, moisture, and frequent turning will create compost much more quickly than a cool compost pile. Hot composting has another advantage over cool composting. The heat kills many of the weeds and plant diseases that may be in the pile. There are also commercially available activators that can speed the production of compost.
Sources of Materials for Composting
- Save kitchen scraps including vegetable skins, fruit, and egg shells
- Collect clean bags of leaves and grass clippings
- Garden debris
- Purchase straw or hay
- Peanut shells
- Pet hair
- Manure from local farms
- Coffee grounds and tea bags (check out the local coffee shops, many including Starbucks, save used coffee grounds just for gardeners.
Making compost may seem like a lot of extra work for a vegetable or landscape gardener. However, the rewards in production and beauty from healthy, nutrient rich soil, make it worth it.
