Black Gold

There's Gold in Those Suburbs...

Defy authority! Don't perch those bags of yard waste on the curb. Why, with a little backyard alchemy, you can turn that stuff into gold. Black-gold, known as compost.

Have you got what it takes to compost? Sun, air, water, a containment system and basic knowledge. Start with that last thing and everything else will fall into place. The raw materials are either nitrogen-rich green (grass clippings, weeds, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds) or carbon-rich brown (autumn leaves, dry stalks and straw). You need layers of both, since each offers varying amounts of moisture and air space.

Don't let me blind you with science, but the beneficial microorganisms, or microbes, that actually break down the raw materials are aerobic (require air) or anaerobic (require water). So, a successful compost pile must provide both elements.

Location is everything. To work efficiently, your compost pile should receive full sun. It's not terribly decorative, so you may want to tuck it beyond the vegetable bed or rose garden - accessible, but not a landscape focal point.

Containment? Plastic compost bins are tidy and readily available. Wooden pallets on edge, fence-like, are another option. Want simple and inexpensive? Form wire garden fencing into circular bins (choose 3-4' high stock), about 4-6' in diameter. Cover the sides with heavy black plastic for enhanced solar heating.

Water? Open compost piles, left with a depression to catch rain, are given supplemental waterings, during dry spells. Covered bins should be watered with 1-2 gallons, weekly. Add a liquid fish/seaweed fertilizer, as a compost activator.

Air? Plunge a garden fork into the heart of the pile, giving it a vigorous turn, about once a week. Alternatively, install several perforated lengths of PVC pipe across the center of the pile, for continual aeration. A sour-smelling pile indicates too much moisture/not enough air.

Tips: Do not compost diseased vegetation, weed seeds, meat scraps or pet waste. Cut or shred all raw materials, to facilitate breakdown. The pile center should run about 110-160º - less heat slows the process, more kills off the microbes. Invest in a compost thermometer.

Your finished compost is rich with earthworms and microbes, ready to nourish and improve any garden soil. It holds more moisture than peat, but is equally valuable at improving the texture of clay or sandy soil. As a mulch or soil amendment, compost is black-gold. Here's to backyard alchemy!


NOTE: Above we see two compost bins - one static/one rotating... two views of a compost turning tool... lastly, the dial of a compost thermometer. Photos: ©2007 CBI

©Deb Lambert 2007

Grounds for Optimism

Long before I was old enough to taste that adult morning beverage, coffee, I became a nitrogen delivery system. In other words, I was elected to sprinkle the sediment from the percolator basket around the hosta plants. Recycling before it was fashionable. Unfazed by the caffeine, their huge foliage, continued to expand to gargantuan proportions. The greens were greener, the blues bluer and the variegations more pronounced. We had extreme hosta, years before "extreme" became a buzzword.

Years later, a flowering quince was planted adjacent to the hosta bed and it too, seemed to develop an affinity for coffee grounds. Strong leaf color, steady growth and bountiful blooms (and bumper crops of quince fruits) must be directly attributed to continued applications of that morning sediment - especially since no nutrients, in any other form, were ever offered.

Fast-forward more years than I care to admit, to discover that naturally acidic coffee grounds may have been lowering our already acidic New England soil. And, be advised that hosta, or plantain lily, fed an overabundance of nitrogen, will start to rot. And, consider that the quince was not receiving phosphorus, to boost blossom production. As for the acidity factor, the quince prefers a somewhat acid soil (pH of 3.7 - 6.5), while the hosta requires a sweeter soil, with a pH range of 6.5 -7.5. Still, these plants continued to thrive with their morning coffee.

If you're about to research this topic, brew up an extra pot of coffee. You'll need it. Much of the "evidence" is anecdotal, as is mine. Resources offering scientific results present wildly divergent opinions on the properties and benefits of coffee grounds in the garden. When you "boil down" the available information, you're left with the following salient points and procedures.

Coffee grounds are an organic source of nitrogen, with varying degrees of acidity, according to which expert you believe. Acidifying the soil is a good thing, in areas of high soil alkalinity. Adding a little garden lime or wood ash will neutralize this effect in areas of naturally acidic soil. Augmenting these grounds with rock phosphate and/or colloidal phosphate (more of the necessary calcium) should fulfill the basic needs of most plants.

Enterprising gardeners, carting home huge bags of grounds from the neighborhood coffee shop, are better off adding such large quantities to well-regulated compost piles. And, yes, the filter paper decomposes. Grounds are classified as wet, green, nitrogen-rich material. A balanced pile has alternating layers of green and brown (dry, carbon-rich material, like autumn leaves) materials. Provided with moisture and ventilation, such a pile will quickly yield valuable compost.

When we consider the fact that more gardeners than ever are recycling yard waste into compost, there is cause for rejoicing. With the addition of coffee grounds, our "black-gold" becomes a more valuable commodity, as a soil amendment or as a mulch. In a throw-away society, this is one garden writer who believes we have grounds for optimism!


©Deb Lambert 2007
Photo: Courtesy of Free Images

'Shademaster' Honeylocust

This is a fine example of the thornless 'Shademaster' Honeylocust (Gleditsia triacanthos inermis 'Shademaster') in fall color. Somewhat vase-shaped, with a pleasing rounded outline, this tree offers a light, filtered shade. The dark green compound leaflets turn golden each autumn and because of their small size (about 1/2" long), fall clean up is easy - the leaflets often "melt away" into the soil, before one has a chance to rake. 'Shademaster' is basically podless, further proof of its cleanliness and good manners.

Growing at the rate of approximately 1 1/2' per year, this tree is also valued for its fast growth. Trees mature at around 50-60' high by 30-40' wide, so they definitely need their space. As with any plant, especially large-scale trees and evergreens, you must take into account the mature sizes of proposed specimens. Overcrowding is a major factor in plant decline and outright failure.

When considering a new addition to your landscape, also research any known issues, such as insect, disease or environmental stresses. There are few plants without at least a couple of such problems and, unfortunately, the honeylocust is no exception. Do your research, before you invest. Often, the risk of encountering various known issues is worth it to the homeowner who is willing to take preventative measures and/or maintain a certain level of vigilance.

One of the best preventative steps you can take, is to plant only one honeylocust. On its own, without other nearby specimens (look around the neighborhood), it's quite likely that yours will remain a sturdy, healthy tree. 'Shademaster' is one of the strongest growing of the honeylocusts and can be just the right accent where filtered shade is the goal. I know... I had one for years and still miss it! Oh, and did I mention that they're spectacular in autumn?


©Deb Lambert 2007

Photos: ©2007 Corliss Bros. Garden Center