HUMUS is the life of your soil. Without it, the soil is inactive and unable to produce plants and flowers.
Humus is the loose, crumbly material that results from the decay of organic matter, such as:
- Leaves
- Grass clippings
- Garden waste
- Peat moss
- Decayed sawdust
- Or any such material
Humus is important because it retains moisture in the soil, loosens the soil permitting better aeration and drainage, and encourages the increase of soil organisms which help make nutrients available to plants.
It adds body to light soils and loosens heavy, sticky soils.
In the past, humus was assured in soil by adding barnyard manures.
Now that they are no longer readily available in most places, gardeners must turn to other materials, such as:
- Dried manure
- Leaf mold
- Sedge peats
- Peat moss
- Their garden wastes
Garden Waste
Garden wastes in the form of compost are a source of humus that many gardeners still fail to utilize.
Nearly every garden has room for a modest compost bin hidden by shrubbery or a compost pit placed behind the garage.
Here leaves, grass clippings, weeds, spent flowers and vegetable plants, and even vegetable wastes from the kitchen may be placed in 4” to 6” inch layers.
Keep the layers flat, and garden soil spread on top of each layer. As little as ½ inch will inoculate the pile with the necessary decay bacteria.
If you wish to hasten the decomposition, add a sprinkling of a compost activator, such as Adco, Activo, or Fertosan.
A generous dusting of any commercial fertilizer high in nitrogen may also be added to enrich the resulting compost.
The pile may reach a height of 4’ or 5’ feet, but at all times, its top must be kept flat or slightly indented to catch and retain rain. If the season is dry, occasional watering will speed decay.
One important point is not to add thick layers of maple leaves or grass clippings unless some coarser material is mixed with them because they compact, and decay is inhibited.
Compost Pile
When the compost pile is several months old, you can hasten decay and create a more homogenous mixture by slicing into it and repiling it.
At this time, 13 pounds of calcium cyanamide per cubic yard of compost can be mixed to destroy weed seeds and further enrich the mixture.
Normally a compost pile will heat up to about 170° degrees Fahrenheit, killing most of the weed seeds. But to play it safe, the cyanamid method is best.
When the compost is loose and crumbly, and the materials that went into it have lost their identity, the compost is ready to go to work in your soil.
The time required varies with the materials used, the weather, and other factors.
Slice down through the pile when loading it into your wheelbarrow to mix it further. Spread it 1” to 2” inches thick over your soil and work it in thoroughly.
You will be amazed at how much better your plants will grow.
49081 by Edwin Steffek