How does compost affect the acidity (pH) of soils?

How does compost affect the acidity (pH) of soils?
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1 Answer

Answer :

Finished yard waste compost is neutral, and helps to improve our naturally acid Northwest soils.
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Related questions

How do I use my compost as mulch around my trees and flowers?

Description : How do I use my compost as mulch around my trees and flowers?

Last Answer : Spread a layer one to three inches deep around the plant, out as far as the leaves or branches reach. Keep the compost mulch at least one inch away from plant stems and tree trunks, because it can hold too much moisture against the bark. Replenish your mulch layer once a year.

Is it okay to garden in pure compost? In compost mixed with fill soil?

Description : Is it okay to garden in pure compost? In compost mixed with fill soil?

Last Answer : It's best to mix compost with mineral soils (clay, sand or loam) for gardening. Combining mineral soils and compost creates ideal texture and provides anchorage for plant roots. To start gardening, mix 1/3 ... about one inch of compost to the garden, and dig it into the soil in spring or fall.

Do I need to add fertilizer to my garden if I use compost?

Description : Do I need to add fertilizer to my garden if I use compost?

Last Answer : Yes, but less than you would need otherwise. Compost is a soil conditioner, but releases major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) very slowly. Compost improves nutrient availability, stores ... for gradual use by plants, neutralizes acid soils, and adds minerals needed for plant growth.

How can I store kitchen scraps so they don’t smell bad until I compost them?

Description : How can I store kitchen scraps so they don’t smell bad until I compost them?

Last Answer :  Empty your kitchen scrap container daily, into a bucket with tight-fitting lid on back porch.  Put your kitchen scrap container in the freezer if you can’t empty it for a few days.  Put some sawdust or shredded paper in the bottom of containers, to absorb excess moisture.

Do compost piles attract slugs?

Description : Do compost piles attract slugs?

Last Answer : Compost piles can provide daytime hiding places for slugs who may graze in gardens at night, and their eggs may be spread with finished compost. To avoid this, remove the slugs and slug eggs ( ... vegetable gardens or create barriers (traps, copper flashing, etc.) around the pile to contain slugs.

How can I stop flies and other insects from becoming pests around the compost pile?

Description : How can I stop flies and other insects from becoming pests around the compost pile?

Last Answer : Don’t put food scraps in the pile. Bury excess garden produce or fallen fruit.

Are rats attracted to compost? How can I get rid of them?

Description : Are rats attracted to compost? How can I get rid of them?

Last Answer : Two things attract rats: 1) Food scraps - especially meat and dairy products. Never put food in your yard waste compost pile or bin - rats will chew right in. Instead use the more rodent-resistant worm ... to a fence or building. Keep you pile moist enough to compost, and it won't attract them.

What can be done about a smelly compost pile?

Description : What can be done about a smelly compost pile?

Last Answer : Smelly piles are caused by too much water, no air, or the addition of meat or other animal products. Fix these problems by:  Mixing fresh grass clippings with stalks or brown leaves to help air ... Keeping food waste out of yard waste piles, and animal products out of worm bins or food digesters.

Can pet wastes be added to home compost?

Description : Can pet wastes be added to home compost?

Last Answer : No, because you handle compost with bare hands and may use it on your food garden. Instead bag it and put in the trash. Don’t leave pet waste on top of the ground – it just washes off into our streams.

Can fireplace and barbecue ash be used in the compost?

Description : Can fireplace and barbecue ash be used in the compost?

Last Answer : Wood ash is an excellent source of potassium, a major nutrient required for healthy plant growth. However it is very alkaline, and should only be used in small amounts (a handful in a bucketful of compost.) ... , so it's best not to use that ash on food gardens - scatter it under shrubs instead.

Can yard trimmings treated with pesticides and herbicides like “Weed & Feed” be put in the compost? What happens to them in the compost pile?

Description : Can yard trimmings treated with pesticides and herbicides like “Weed & Feed” be put in the compost? What happens to them in the compost pile?

Last Answer : Most of these chemicals break down fairly well when fully composted (one year). But to be safe, don’t use the finished compost on food crops. The best plan is to avoid using these toxic products in the first place.

Can weeds be composted? How do you stop them from spreading in compost?

Description : Can weeds be composted? How do you stop them from spreading in compost?

Last Answer :  The leaves and roots of most weeds can be composted, except:  Don't compost weed seed heads, since many seeds will survive temperatures up to 140° F.  Don't compost roots or runners of weeds ... a black plastic bag until they're dead (then compost them) or put them in the yard waste collection.

Can I compost all my yard trimmings?

Description : Can I compost all my yard trimmings?

Last Answer : Compost everything except diseased plants, invasive weeds (like morning glory, “bind weed”, and quack grass), weeds with seed heads, and waxy evergreen prunings like laurel or cedar (they’re very slow to break down unless shredded).

Can I compost if I just have kitchen scraps?

Description : Can I compost if I just have kitchen scraps?

Last Answer : Vegetable kitchen scraps (without meat, fish, dairy products or oily foods) can be buried at least 8" deep in the garden, or composted in worm bins, Green Cones, or home-made foodwaste digesters (made from a metal garbage can).

Do compost "tumblers" work?

Description : Do compost "tumblers" work?

Last Answer : Compost tumblers or "barrel turning units" can work efficiently if materials are chopped, moistened and contain adequate nitrogen, but they’re more work and materials often dry out too quickly. They’re best for mixed food and yard waste composting.

Do I need to use a shredder to make good compost?

Description : Do I need to use a shredder to make good compost?

Last Answer : Only if you want to compost sticks over ½" diameter, waxy evergreen leaves, or large volumes of shrub prunings.

Should limestone be added to compost?

Description : Should limestone be added to compost?

Last Answer : No, it slows the process. Add lime directly to your soil, if a soil test indicates acid soil or low calcium.

How can unfinished compost be reheated?

Description : How can unfinished compost be reheated?

Last Answer : Relatively fresh materials will heat up if turned, bruised or shredded, and given adequate moisture. Reheat older "brown" materials by mixing in an organic high nitrogen fertilizer, green grass clippings or fresh manure, plus water.

Should I add compost "starters", soil, or fertilizer, to speed up the composting process?

Description : Should I add compost "starters", soil, or fertilizer, to speed up the composting process?

Last Answer :  Starters are just dry bacteria and fertilizers - they're not needed and expensive.  Soil is handy to cover - it adds some good bacteria and holds moisture, but it's not essential. ... materials like leaves and stalks, and you want to speed up the composting process by adding more nitrogen.

Do I need to water my yard waste compost pile?

Description : Do I need to water my yard waste compost pile?

Last Answer : Yes! Add water when you add materials or turn the pile, to keep it as moist as a wrung-out sponge. (If you squeeze it, a few drops of water should run out.) The most common cause of slow ... pile in a shady location, and cover with a lid or a scrap of carpet in the summer to hold moisture.

Does compost need to be turned?

Description : Does compost need to be turned?

Last Answer : No, but it speeds up the process.

How long does it take to get finished compost?

Description : How long does it take to get finished compost?

Last Answer : Most yard trimmings will decompose in 6 to 12 months if the pile is kept moist through the summer. You can speed up the process by:  Chopping up sticks and stalks,  Mixing green materials like grass ... two, and  Keeping the pile as moist as a wrung-out sponge. (Dry piles will stop composting).

How will I know when my compost is finished?

Description : How will I know when my compost is finished?

Last Answer : Finished compost is dark colored, sweet smelling and crumbly. It's ready when most of the original materials are no longer recognizable (some tough woody materials may still be present – which can be sifted out and returned to the pile).

How large an area do I need to compost?

Description : How large an area do I need to compost?

Last Answer : That depends on how much yard waste or food waste you want to compost (how big your yard is, and how many people in your household):  For yard waste, one or two 3X3 foot bins is enough for ... a cool basement. Green Cones of food digesters can go either in sun or shade, but away from the house.

Do I need a bin to make compost?

Description : Do I need a bin to make compost?

Last Answer : Not for yard waste composting (though it’s convenient), but yes for food waste composting, to keep animals out.

Why compost?

Description : Why compost?

Last Answer : Composting is a great way to turn your yard waste or kitchen scraps into a valuable soil builder. Compost makes all plants healthier, reduces the need for summer watering, prevents ... reduces the cost and environmental impacts of hauling yard waste to landfills or central composting facilities.

How should I start composting?

Description : How should I start composting?

Last Answer : find a nice spot in the backyard to put your pile on. go to starbucks and get some free grounds. throw some banana peels and eggs shells in. add lawn clippings, vegetable skins, etc. – let percolate.

What can I do with composted grass if I don't have a garden?

Description : What can I do with composted grass if I don't have a garden?

Last Answer : First, consider “grasscycling,” leaving grass clippings on the lawn to recycle nutrients and improve the soil. If you compost grass clippings and have nowhere to use them (unlikely; almost every yard has some shrubs that will benefit from a compost mulch), find a neighbor who can use the compost.

How can I prevent grass clippings from becoming matted and smelly? Mix fresh clippings with

Description : How can I prevent grass clippings from becoming matted and smelly? Mix fresh clippings with

Last Answer : Mix fresh clippings with leaves and stalks so air can get into the compost pile. If you have too much grass clippings, leave some on the lawn (“grasscycling”), or spread them as thinly as mulch around trees, shrubs, or gardens.

Are bugs in my worm bin OK? How can I get rid of fruit flies?

Description : Are bugs in my worm bin OK? How can I get rid of fruit flies?

Last Answer : Many bugs (sow bugs, spiders, centipedes and slugs) may be at work in the worm bin, helping decompose organic materials. Most of them are not a problem. Fruit flies can be avoided by ... food scraps beneath the bedding. Adding some finer-textured bedding like sawdust or peat moss also helps.

I have small black flies in my food digester. How can I get rid of them?

Description : I have small black flies in my food digester. How can I get rid of them?

Last Answer : Keep some sawdust, dry leaves, or wood shavings nearby, and add a thin layer each time you add food to the digester. There will still be some flies, but fewer.

Can sod be composted without continually resprouting?

Description : Can sod be composted without continually resprouting?

Last Answer : Yes. Sod should be stacked upside down in piles covered with black plastic to exclude light and stop all growth. Wet each layer as you stack it. Peel the black plastic back every few months and re-wet the pile, then recover. In one year you’ll have rich soil-like compost.

Can wood chips, sawdust, bark, or shavings be composted?

Description : Can wood chips, sawdust, bark, or shavings be composted?

Last Answer : Because they’re so slow to compost, it’s better to just spread them as “mulch” under trees and shrubs, where they control weeds and hold moisture.

Can diseased plants be composted safely?

Description : Can diseased plants be composted safely?

Last Answer : No. Unlike commercial composting facilities, home compost piles rarely get hot enough to kill plant diseases. Mildewed plants are O.K., since mildew spores are everywhere anyway.

Can limbs from trees with tent caterpillars be composted?

Description : Can limbs from trees with tent caterpillars be composted?

Last Answer : Do not compost limbs or other parts of trees with tent caterpillars on them. The eggs will hatch the following spring unless they are burned or destroyed in a very hot compost pile.

Can evergreen leaves from laurel, holly and rhododendron be composted? Rose prunings? Pine needles?

Description : Can evergreen leaves from laurel, holly and rhododendron be composted? Rose prunings? Pine needles?

Last Answer : These waxy-coated materials are slow to compost unless shredded. It’s better to put them in the “Clean Green” yard waste pickup, for commercial composting.

Can glossy magazine and colored newspaper pages be composted?

Description : Can glossy magazine and colored newspaper pages be composted?

Last Answer : Some glossy papers contain toxic pigments, so these materials should not be composted. Recycle your glossy magazines. Colored newsprint is safe to compost or use in worm bins in small amounts.

Can vacuum dust be composted?

Description : Can vacuum dust be composted?

Last Answer : No. While the natural fibers would break down, synthetic carpet fibers won’t. More important is that carpets collect pollution that’s tracked into the house – it’s best disposed of in the trash.

Can coffee filters and tea bags be composted in a worm bin or Green Cone?

Description : Can coffee filters and tea bags be composted in a worm bin or Green Cone?

Last Answer : Yes. Any uncoated paper product may be composted. Worms love coffee grounds and filters, as well as tea bags.

Why can't dairy products, meat or fish be composted?

Description : Why can't dairy products, meat or fish be composted?

Last Answer : Animal products attract flies, rodents and other pests which create nuisances and carry diseases. They also make bad smells.

What's the difference between a food digester (like a Green Cone or Home-made Food Digester) and a worm bin? Aren't there supposed to be worms in both?

Description : What's the difference between a food digester (like a Green Cone or Home-made Food Digester) and a worm bin? Aren't there supposed to be worms in both?

Last Answer : Yes, but with a food digester the worms just move in from the surrounding soil. Food digesters are easy to use (just dump kitchen scraps in and wait a year). Worm bins require a little more work ... bedding (leaves or shredded paper), add red worms, and then bury the scraps in the bedding.

What tools can I use to shred or chip woody materials?

Description : What tools can I use to shred or chip woody materials?

Last Answer :  Hand pruner or machete: Green or woody vegetable stalks, and prunings up to ¾ diameter.  Lawn mower: Leaves, stalks and twigs up to ¼" diameter.  Electric chipper: Leaves, stalks and twigs up to 1" ... and branches up to 2" diameter.  Commercial shredder (8 + H.P.): Branches over 2" diameter.

How do I know if I have the proper carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) for fast composting?

Description : How do I know if I have the proper carbon to nitrogen ratio (C:N) for fast composting?

Last Answer : Mixing roughly equal volumes of fresh "greens" (grass clippings, fresh weeds and flowers, etc. - higher in nitrogen) and dried "browns" (straw, corn stalks, fall leaves, etc. - higher in carbon) ... for tables showing the C:N ratios of different materials. 30:1 is an ideal mix for fast composting.

What’s the difference between yard waste and food waste composting?

Description : What’s the difference between yard waste and food waste composting?

Last Answer : Yard waste can be easily composted in an open pile or bin by chopping things up, adding water and waiting a year. But food waste can draw rats, so you need to use a rodent-proof bin like a worm ... digester, or bury food scraps under at least 8 inches of soil in the garden, to keep animals out.

In context to agriculture what is “Fallow Land”? a. Fallowing is the process to make the soil rich in phosphorus b. Agricultural land which is added with organic matter to reduce its acidity. c. Agricultural field which is water logged before rice cultivation so that soil’s water retention capacity increases d. Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil’s natural nutrient balance can be restored

Description : In context to agriculture what is Fallow Land ? a. Fallowing is the process to make the soil rich in phosphorus b. Agricultural land which is added with organic matter to reduce its ... . Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil's natural nutrient balance can be restored

Last Answer : d. Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil’s natural nutrient balance can be restored.

In context to agriculture what is “Fallow Land”? a. Fallowing is the process to make the soil rich in phosphorus b. Agricultural land which is added with organic matter to reduce its acidity. c. Agricultural field which is water logged before rice cultivation so that soil’s water retention capacity increases d. Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil’s natural nutrient balance can be restored.

Description : In context to agriculture what is Fallow Land ? a. Fallowing is the process to make the soil rich in phosphorus b. Agricultural land which is added with organic matter to reduce its ... Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil's natural nutrient balance can be restored.

Last Answer : d. Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil’s natural nutrient balance can be restored

In context to agriculture what is “Fallow Land”? a. Fallowing is the process to make the soil rich in phosphorus b. Agricultural land which is added with organic matter to reduce its acidity. c. Agricultural field which is water logged before rice cultivation so that soil’s water retention capacity increases d. Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil’s natural nutrient balance can be restored.

Description : In context to agriculture what is Fallow Land ? a. Fallowing is the process to make the soil rich in phosphorus b. Agricultural land which is added with organic matter to reduce its ... Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil's natural nutrient balance can be restored.

Last Answer : d. Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil’s natural nutrient balance can be restored.

In context to agriculture what is “Fallow Land”? a. Fallowing is the process to make the soil rich in phosphorus b. Agricultural land which is added with organic matter to reduce its acidity. c. Agricultural field which is water logged before rice cultivation so that soil’s water retention capacity increases d. Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil’s natural nutrient balance can be restored.

Description : In context to agriculture what is Fallow Land ? a. Fallowing is the process to make the soil rich in phosphorus b. Agricultural land which is added with organic matter to reduce its ... Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil's natural nutrient balance can be restored.

Last Answer : d. Agriculture field which is left unplanted so that the soil’s natural nutrient balance can be restored.

How can you explain that even though you continue to add pure water into a substance even though the resultant pH might differ a little the acidity or alkalinity of substance still remains the same to?

Description : How can you explain that even though you continue to add pure water into a substance even though the resultant pH might differ a little the acidity or alkalinity of substance still remains the same to?

Last Answer : Need answer

pH Testing Is Crucial For Determining Soil Acidity?

Description : pH Testing Is Crucial For Determining Soil Acidity?

Last Answer : Whether you are a professional turf specialist, or a greenthumbattempting to determine the pH level of your soil, pH testing willlet you know the acididty or alkalinity of your soil. This iscrucial to ... moreacidic, while drier climates tend to have higher pH, or morecalcium in the soil. If you