Mid-winter meeting to be held

Compost your leaves

Consider composting your leaves this fall. Composting breaks down organic materials, like leaves, to a product that is beneficial to the soil and growing plants. Composting speeds up the natural process of decomposition.

A compost pile requires green materials rich in nitrogen and brown materials that are a source of carbon. Green materials include grass clippings, lake plants, plant trimmings, and fruit and vegatable scraps. Brown materials include dried leaves and grasses, twigs, branches, and shredded paper. If you lack green material this fall you can use a 1/3 cup of a 27-0-3 lawn fertilizer per 25 square feet of surface area as a substitute. Do not use a fertilizer that contains herbicides or pesticides.

Pick an area well away from the lake and alternately layer the green and brown material into a pile. The pile should be between 3’ X 3’ and 5’ X 5’ and 3 to 5 feet high. The pile can be contained by a compost bin, fencing or piled loose if it is not in danger of being blown away. Add water to the pile as you go. It should be moist.

Once the pile is complete the real work begins as the bacteria arrive. The pile will become hot within a few days. Internal temperatures can reach 170 degrees F. The temperature peaks then drops off. When the temperature drops the pile can be turned and the temperature cycle will repeat. If the pile is turned in this fashion the composting process will be complete in a matter of weeks. If you are not in a hurry, leave the pile and let things happen at a slower rate. When the compost is finished it will be about half the original pile size and have an earthy smell. Outdoor compost piles prepared in late fall will generally not be ready for use in the spring. The pile will continue to decompose at a slower rate over the winter then pick up speed again in the spring as warm weather returns.

Sources for this article include the following web sites. Please visit them for complete information on composting.

www.moea.state.mn.us/campaign/compost/

www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/components/3296-01.html