Protecting Wisconsin Waters in the Fall - Benefits of
Composting
Wisconsin’s water is our most precious resource. And in
Wisconsin, water means more than what comes out of the tap – it
is part of our lives and heritage. Our beautiful lakes, rivers
and natural areas are the places where our families go to swim,
fish, boat, hike and just plain enjoy. One simple way to protect
our waters is to compost your fall leaves.
"This time of year leaves make up the biggest component of
landscape wastes," Derek Scheer, Water Policy Director of Clean
Wisconsin said. "Leaves are one of the easiest landscape wastes
to compost. A simple compost pile, can protect our waters,
reduce waste in landfills and improve your plants.” Why
Compost? There are a number of good reasons to compost.
1. It reduces the amount of algae in our lakes.
2. It reduces the amount of waste in landfills.
3. It improves soil structure, texture, and aeration and
increases the soil's water-holding capacity. Your plants will
thank you for the compost by producing more.
Reduces Algae in our Lakes
Leaves contribute to our lakes turning green in the summer by
fertilizing lake weeds and algae. When leaf piles sit, wind and
rain carry them into storm drains and into our lakes, through
the storm sewers. Even if the leaves are piled on your lawn,
rain seeping through the piles picks up phosphorus and other
plant nutrients that flow into the storm drains. Reduces
Waste in Landfills
Nearly 30 percent of the wastes homeowners throw away each year
can be composted. This keeps these wastes out of landfills and
creates a product that adds valuable organic matter to the lawn
and garden. Composting may be the easiest way for homeowners to
dispose of them. Instead of clogging landfills, those leaves and
fruit and vegetable peelings can be recycled as backyard
compost. Improves Soil
Leaves, plants killed by frost, vegetable scraps and grass
clippings--all these materials can be composted. Fall is the
perfect time to start a compost pile. The composting process
will continue throughout winter and yield you rich soil for your
spring planting. Compost is one of nature's best mulches and
soil amendments, and you can use it instead of commercial
fertilizers. They’re easy, an efficient way to use yard waste
and will kick start your spring garden. Best of all, compost is
cheap. Setting up a Compost Pile
Composting can be as easy as digging an area in your garden, at
least a foot deep, dumping leaves in the hole and covering it
with the twelve inches of soil you dug up. You could also
purchase a compost container or build your own.
The compost pile should contain a mix of nitrogen- and
carbon-rich materials because both are essential for the
microorganisms that do the decomposing. Green, leafy wastes
usually are high in nitrogen, while woody materials tend to be
high in carbon. Also include kitchen scraps such as egg shells,
melon rinds, coffee grinds, banana peels, etc in your compost.
Placing an empty ice cream pail in the kitchen cabinet below
your sink is an easy way to collect the scraps. You should avoid
meat scraps and dairy in the compost pile. These typically
attract rodents and other pests you don’t want in your backyard.
For a great list of what can and can’t go in a compost pile see:
http://www.compostguide.com/. They have an easy to follow
chart listing common composting materials.
As long as the pile is large enough to insulate itself, it will
continue to decompose throughout the winter. When warm weather
returns in the spring, use a shovel to stir the pile (turning).
The object of turning is to rotate the material in the pile. The
pile should be turned once a week. The compost is ready to use
when the pile cools and the material is dark, crumbly and
sweet-smelling, like soil. Finished compost can be used next
spring to mulch around shrubs or flowers or as a soil enhancer
for gardens.
If composting won’t work for you, participate in your local or
municipal fall leaf collection.
• Call your local Public Works Department. Most cities, towns
and villages have leaf collections in October or citizens can
drop off yard waste at specific sites. Call for the schedule.
• If your municipality picks up leaves, place leaves for pickup
on the terrace between the sidewalk and the street. Put a tarp
over the leaves on your terrace to stop them from blowing into
the street. Bag your leaves only if your terrace is very narrow;
bags must contain only leaves and be open at the top for easy
emptying. Raking leaves into the street will carry them into
storm drains and into our lakes, through the storm sewers.
Please note that piles of leaves and bags of leaves won’t harm
your grass. By late fall, grass has stopped growing and becomes
dormant until spring.
Other options to protect Wisconsin Waters from leaves:
• Use a mulching or regular lawnmower to chop leaves into small
pieces that will breakdown easier and release ‘good’ nutrients
into your lawn.
• Rake leaves over flower beds mulched with wood chips as a
supplement to help reduce weeds. The decomposed leaves will
enhance the planting bed and save money.
• Plant a natural landscape under trees. Using native
wildflowers, ferns, and grasses will provide a natural place for
fallen leaves.
• Set up a community or neighborhoods compost pile. For example,
Eau Claire County no longer accepts yard waste at any of their
collection sites. On the
County web site , there is a yard waste directory. The list
consists of homeowners who accept yard waste to compost.
Wisconsin’s water is precious and it’s our responsibility to
keep it safe and useable. For more information on protecting our
lakes, rivers and streams call Clean Wisconsin for their poster
’30 easy ways to care for Wisconsin Water’ or visit our web site
www.cleanwisconsin.org
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