Garden Compost and Mulch

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Garden compost and mulch are two of a gardener's best friends. It is beneficial for strong and healthy plants, and will significantly increase the productivity of your garden. Their long lasting benefits save time and effort in all types of gardens. There are many forms of compost and mulch. Some are organic while others are artificial.

What's the Difference between Compost and Mulch? Compost is any kind decayed, organic plant or animal matter. In the home garden, we think of compost as organic plant matter. It's nutrient rich composition acts as a natural fertilizer for your plants. The act of "composting" is the process where organic plant and animal matter decays as a result of piling it up and allowing it to decay through the natural process of decomposition. This is accomplished over a period of time by means of natural bacteria and often aided by worms, heat ,and water.
Compost is literally any organic matter. It can include weeds, grass clippings, hay, seaweed, garden waste, kitchen scraps, tree leaves, or branches to name a few. It can also be animal matter. Animal matter is discouraged, as it has several dis-advantages, most notably attracting unwanted garden pests.
Mulch on the other hand, is any material placed around plants as a protective covering for the purpose of:

Reducing weeds around the plants
Increasing or decreasing soil temperature
Retaining moisture around the plant
Mulches can be organic such as compost, wood chips, grass clippings, or hay to name a few. Or, they could be inorganic such as black plastic newspaper, or even aluminum foil. The benefit of organic is that it also enriches the soil. In-organic mulches can be much more efficient in keeping out weeds. But they are of no benefit to the composition of your garden soil.

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How to Compost: There is not much you can do wrong long term to the compost pile. Pile up any organic matter and it will decompose over time. If you simply pile it on, it will decompose.....eventually. What most gardeners want however, is to speed up the composting process and avoid the pitfalls of bad odor and attracting unwanted pests.
A well maintained and active compost pile will convert organic material to compost in as little as thirty days. Left to nature, it could take several months or even a year. The byproduct of active decomposition is heat. Have you ever seen a large twenty foot pile of wood chips pile up at your local nursery in the middle of the winter? You may have observed it smoking. A pile can actually become so hot that it ignites. This is a not so rare an occurrence, most commonly occurring in large town or industrial composting.
The basics to good composting:

Select an area to create your pile.
Many people opt to close in their pile with fencing or acquire a home composter. Home composters are neat and more aesthetically pleasing than a pile of weeds in the middle of your yard.
Add any organic matter from your garden or yard.
Also include any vegetable waste from your kitchen, including egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags, etc.
If possible, alternate layers of green (new) and brown waste. This helps the mixing process, and aids in decomposition.
Keep the compost pile moist, but not wet.
Turn the pile over from time to time to maximize air circulation to the bacteria and microbes that "eat" and convert your pile into rich compost.
Use the compost after it has almost completely turned into soil. It will be rich in nutrients and minerals.
Use and enjoy!
Did you know? Along with heat, odor is another common by-product of your compost pile. You can keep odor to a minimum by turning the pile regularly. One of the most common culprits is grass clippings piled too thickly. Make sure to mix them in well.
Some Do's and Don'ts:

Do stir the pile to allow air penetration
Do not put animal remains or meat and fats from cooking in the pile. While they may be rich in nutrients, they attract unwanted little "critters"
Do keep the pile moist
Do not put grass clippings too thickly, or they will smell as they decay and decay slower.
Chip or shred larger items such a branches and plant stalks if possible. The more area bacteria has to work, the quicker the decomposition.
Do not put diseased plants of any kind into the compost pile. They can overwinter in the pile and re-infest your garden next year.
Speeding up the process:

Stirring the pile from time to time, speeds up the process.
Keep it loose to allow air flow
Red worms will speed up the composting process. Add them to your pile once and they should reproduce and you may not need to buy them again.