Some people think compost is only for gardens, but compost can be beneficial for lawns as well. Beautiful landscaping should include composting to provide soil with the rich nutrients needed for healthy lawns.
Composting Benefits
- Microorganisms in compost help control plant pathogens and diseases in the soil.
- Compost attaches to contaminants in the soil to prevent plants from absorbing them and to keep them from polluting waterways.
- Composting helps prevent erosion by holding the soil and water together.
- Compost attracts earthworms along with other macro-organisms and their tunneling creates necessary space for air and water in the soil.
- Compost contains sulfur, potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen and microorganisms necessary for plant growth.
When lawn care in Austin incorporates composting, the results are gorgeous, vigorous lawns that enhance Austin’s landscaping.
Create Your Own Compost
You can make compost with kitchen scraps and yard waste. If you manage your compost bin well, the compost will be ready to apply in just a few months.
- Purchase or make a compost bin, unless you want to use a spot in your back yard for a compost pile.
- Gather vegetable and fruit scraps, yard trimmings, paper products and other biodegradable materials.
- Do not compost animal products, grains or pet waste because those items attract maggots, flies, and rodents that can carry pathogens.
- Scraps will decompose more quickly if you cut them into smaller pieces.
Composting Process
- Make a nitrogen-high, green layer with two to four inches of green plant waste and kitchen scraps in the bottom of your bin. Include helpful organisms by adding a small bucket of soil.
- Cover your green material with a somewhat-thicker, brown layer of high-carbon matter like woody trimmings and shredded paper. Dampen the brown layer slightly, but do not soak it.
- Keep adding alternate layers of green and brown material. Your compost should contain about twice as much brown material as the green material in it.
- Use a shovel or rake to mix the compost frequently, and keep it damp but not soggy. Decomposition should make the compost warm and reasonably odor-free.
- Do not add to the same pile after several months, but continue mixing and dampening the pile until it breaks down into finished compost.
If composting still seems like a daunting task, seek the help of an Austin lawn care professional at ABC Home & Commercial Services. Their services will help you maintain a healthy and beautiful landscape all year round.