Compost heaps tend to be situated out of the way in the
landscape. As a result, they often get forgotten and neglected, leading to dry,
moldy and just plain old material. Can you revitalize old compost? Much like a
yeast dough, compost is alive with organisms, and old compost has lost much of
that life. However, you can add certain components to help “juice” it
back up for use in the garden.
Can Compost Get Old?
Composting
is easy, but it does require a certain adherence to a 60/40 formula of green
and brown material. Neglected compost can fail to break down, lose
nutrients and even get moldy. Reviving old compost takes a bit of effort but
can result in fairly good material for use in the garden.
As the cold days of winter come to a close, you may wonder,
“is my compost dead.” Compost can certainly get old. You can
recognize old compost by its appearance. It will be dry, grayish and devoid of
organisms that you can see, like earthworms
and pillbugs.
Can You Revitalize Old Compost?
There are ways of reviving old compost, but it may still not
be rich enough for seed starting or propagation due to the possible presence of
insect pests or pathogens. But with careful management, it can still be an excellent
additive to garden beds. Even if the compost has become inert, it is still an
organic entity that will help aerate and add texture to heavy soils.
If your compost has been sitting without attention for
several months, it can still be brought back to life. Here are a few tips on
revitalizing compost and capturing that vital resource for your plants:
Mix in nitrogen sources, such as grass
clippings, to jump start the cycle along with a slightly smaller amount of
carbon rich organics, like dried leaf litter. Turn the pile 2 to 3 times per
week and keep it moderately moist but not soggy.
In a very short time, you should start seeing the visible
organisms that help break down the material. In a sunny location, such a
“recharged” pile will again be teeming with life and materials will
be breaking down. For even faster composting, dig in your garden and harvest
worms. Adding plenty of worms to the pile will cause the materials to break
down even faster.
Using “Dead” Compost
If you don’t want to go to a lot of trouble and still want
to use neglected compost, you can still do so provided it isn’t moldy. If it is
moldy, spread it out in the sun for a week to kill mold spores and let it dry.
Compost that is not moldy can be energized by the addition
of some fertilizer. Use a time release formula and mix in gritty material if it
is heavy and clumpy. You may have to manually break down any larger chunks.
Alternatively, if you have the space, dig trenches in the
garden soil and bury the compost. Over time, earthworms and other organisms in
soil will break down the spent compost. It may not add a lot of nutrients, but
it will certainly help with soil composition and make itself useful in that
manner.
Compost heaps tend to be situated out of the way in the
landscape. As a result, they often get forgotten and neglected, leading to dry,
moldy and just plain old material. Can you revitalize old compost? Much like a
yeast dough, compost is alive with organisms, and old compost has lost much of
that life. However, you can add certain components to help “juice” it
back up for use in the garden.
Can Compost Get Old?
Composting
is easy, but it does require a certain adherence to a 60/40 formula of green
and brown material. Neglected compost can fail to break down, lose
nutrients and even get moldy. Reviving old compost takes a bit of effort but
can result in fairly good material for use in the garden.
As the cold days of winter come to a close, you may wonder,
“is my compost dead.” Compost can certainly get old. You can
recognize old compost by its appearance. It will be dry, grayish and devoid of
organisms that you can see, like earthworms
and pillbugs.
Can You Revitalize Old Compost?
There are ways of reviving old compost, but it may still not
be rich enough for seed starting or propagation due to the possible presence of
insect pests or pathogens. But with careful management, it can still be an excellent
additive to garden beds. Even if the compost has become inert, it is still an
organic entity that will help aerate and add texture to heavy soils.
If your compost has been sitting without attention for
several months, it can still be brought back to life. Here are a few tips on
revitalizing compost and capturing that vital resource for your plants:
Mix in nitrogen sources, such as grass
clippings, to jump start the cycle along with a slightly smaller amount of
carbon rich organics, like dried leaf litter. Turn the pile 2 to 3 times per
week and keep it moderately moist but not soggy.
In a very short time, you should start seeing the visible
organisms that help break down the material. In a sunny location, such a
“recharged” pile will again be teeming with life and materials will
be breaking down. For even faster composting, dig in your garden and harvest
worms. Adding plenty of worms to the pile will cause the materials to break
down even faster.
Using “Dead” Compost
If you don’t want to go to a lot of trouble and still want
to use neglected compost, you can still do so provided it isn’t moldy. If it is
moldy, spread it out in the sun for a week to kill mold spores and let it dry.
Compost that is not moldy can be energized by the addition
of some fertilizer. Use a time release formula and mix in gritty material if it
is heavy and clumpy. You may have to manually break down any larger chunks.
Alternatively, if you have the space, dig trenches in the
garden soil and bury the compost. Over time, earthworms and other organisms in
soil will break down the spent compost. It may not add a lot of nutrients, but
it will certainly help with soil composition and make itself useful in that
manner.