In the News -
November 2007
Composting can provide rich soil amendment
MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. - The end of the growing season is close at hand, but
this is not the time to forget about gardening activities until next year. You
should carry out several good practices that keep a successful gardener busy
throughout the year, advises Mark Keaton, Baxter County staff chair for the
University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.
"As soon as any crop is harvested or killed by the first frost, the remaining
crop residue should be removed or tilled into the soil," Keaton says. "This not
only improves the garden’s appearance, but it reduces disease or insect problems
that may build up in the residue. Sanitation is the first defense against many
common pest headaches."
If a serious disease or insect problem was present through the season, remove
residue of the affected crop from the garden and destroy it. Other crop residue
can then be tilled directly into the soil, but many gardeners collect these
materials in a compost heap.
Keaton believes in gardeners creating a compost pile.
"Compost is a mixture of soil and decayed organic material or humus that is
used as a source of plant nutrients and as a soil conditioner," he says. "As the
organic materials are decomposed by various soil fungi and bacteria, plant
nutrients are released, and the humus provides porosity and tilth to garden
soils."
In most compost heaps, alternating layers or organic materials and soil (with
some garden fertilizer added) are piled together, allowed to stand for several
months, and used as needed as mulch or for tilling into the soil.
The soil and fertilizer serve as a source of inoculant of the various
bacteria and fungi and provide nutrients for their initial growth, according to
Keaton. Several activators available commercially provide the same function as
the soil and fertilizer.
Around the home, materials that can be used to make compost include grass
clippings, leaves, garden residues, weeds and table scraps. Straw, animal
manure, sawdust or other wastes are sometimes available free or at low cost.
"The importance of cleaning up at the end of the season often is overlooked
as an important step in successful garden management," says Keaton. "After
cleaning up your garden, don't forget to get a free soil test from the extension
service if you don't have a current soil test result."
For more information on gardening or composting, call your county extension
office or visit www.uaex.edu and select Home and Garden.
The Cooperative Extension Service is part of the U of A Division of Agriculture.
November 2, 2007
Media Contact: Lamar James
Extension Communications Specialist
U of A Division of Agriculture
Cooperative Extension Service
(501) 671-2187 or (501) 753-0207
ljames@uaex.edu
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