Composting: a rind is a terrible thing to waste!

Since summer came so late, it’s going to hang around late. If we wait ’til the middle of September, we will struggle less with planting more delicate varieties of plants. Water, weed, mulch, harvest, party and enjoy the kids in school.

Why make compost? We are slowly being forced to deal creatively with our own yard waste. Cities all over this country are refusing to haul off our leaves and grass clippings. One-third of all landfills is taken up with organic waste. Landfills are brimming and new sites are not likely to be easily found.

Compost is one of nature’s best mulches and soil amendments. It is inexpensive to produce, improves soil structure, texture, aeration and water-holding capacity. Compost loosens clay soils and enriches sandy soils. It improves soil fertility and stimulates roots. Compost is a perfect food for soil microorganisms, which in turn produce natural nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Don’t throw away materials that will improve your lawn and garden; start composting.

The easiest way to make compost is to create a three-sided cage three to four feet wide by three feet deep, about three to four feet tall. This can be made of stakes and chicken wire, or field fencing, pallets or whatever is handy. If you’re skilled it can be made to have a nice look about it. If not, let a vine like passion fruit grow on it. It is not only pretty but great fruit.

The open end is the one you feed the materials into. I usually put a three-inch layer of straw, then the organic waste, then a little old or store-bought compost, then a little sprinkle of compost starter and then straw. This keeps it more sanitary and neat. Compost starter is available at farm supply stores.

Don’t let the layers of compost get too wet or too dry. As you are making it, it’s okay to have a hose nearby and give it a little shot. The materials and the water heat it up and help to cook the straw and kill bad bugs. It’s the beneficial bacteria, fungus and the like that break the material down to humus, the foundation of rich soil. You do not have to turn this compost. If you have two bins, one will be working while the other is done and being used.

You can make compost out of pine needles, grass clippings, kitchen refuse (keep animal products out), spoiled hay, leaves, garden trimmings, manure (small quantities per layer) or seaweed that has the salt washed off. Do not put any of these on more than three to four inches thick per layer.

Sheet composting is another way, but it requires a fair amount of land and is more work. This is where the compost materials are dug into the soil with a shovel or roto-tiller. Visit the Mission Resource Conservation District in Fallbrook about brochures on all the different compost methods.

With either method, let it breakdown naturally, from three to six months. It will be dark, rich and have a sweet smell like a forest floor.

There are no plants that compost mulch (cover mulch with straw) won’t benefit. It enlivens your soil while resisting disease and insects naturally. It will become a permanent part of a good soil-building program, helping to feed future plantings for years to come.