Are You Throwing Away “Black Gold?”

Article By:
Audrey Durr
Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program Coordinator

Compost provides a number of benefits to the landscape, thus earning the title of "black gold."

Florida soils can be sandy and nutrient-deficient, however the addition of compost can greatly improve soil structure, texture and aeration.

Compost helps to loosen compacted soils, which are unfavorable to healthy plant growth and can increase stormwater runoff and erosion. Soil compaction results from construction activities, vehicles parked in lawn areas and other forces bearing down on the soil. Approximately eighty percent of total possible soil compaction happens as a result of the first occurrence. While soil compaction occurs easily, the problem is readily corrected with the addition of compost.

As dry conditions persist, compost becomes especially useful for its capacity to retain soil moisture. The water holding capacity of soil can be increased by 0.57 inches by tilling two to three inches of compost into the top six inches of the soil. Increased soil moisture reduces plant water needs and decreases drought stress.

Plants as well as soil-dwelling organisms will benefit from the addition of compost. Compost promotes soil fertility and stimulates root development while creating a favorable environment for nature’s "soil builders:" microorganisms, earthworms and insects.

Yard waste typically accounts for at least 20% of residential waste volume, and seasonally, this percentage can exceed 50%. On average, one person generates over 450 pounds of waste suitable for composting per year. Composting yard and kitchen waste is an environmentally friendly way of reducing solid waste at its point of origin. Home composting is not for everybody, but that does not mean that compost doesn’t have a place in every landscape. Compost can be purchased in bags or in bulk without the work of home composting.

Home composting can be accomplished using one of the many commercially available compost units or simply by creating a compost pile. For optimal composting, the unit should be at least three feet wide by three feet long by three feet high. Compost units can range from the inexpensive chickenwire enclosure to the pricier tumbling units. The Citrus County Extension Office also offers assembly instructions for a tumbling compost barrel and stand that can be made for under $40.00 using a 55-gallon barrel and PVC; call the office for a copy.

Fruit and vegetable scraps are suitable for composting, however animal products (dairy, fats, etc.) should not be composted because it may create odors and attract animals to the pile. Carnivorous animal waste (dogs, cats, etc.) should not be used unless special composting procedures are used and the compost is not used on any edible crops.

Yard waste that is smaller than three inches is suitable for rapid composting, although banana leaves and palm fronds will be very slow to decompose unless cut or chipped into very small pieces. Glossy leaves, such as oak and magnolia, may also be slow to decompose unless they are soaked before being added to the compost.

Compost can be used as a soil amendment, potting mix, mulch, top dressing and even as a "tea" for containerized plants. For more information on composting, visit "Florida’s Online Composting Center" at www.compostinfo.com, the University of Florida website, www.solutionsforyourlife.com, or contact Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (FYN) program staff at your local Extension Office.

For more information on Florida friendly landscaping, visit the University of Florida's website www.solutionsforyourlife.org or contact the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (FYN) program staff at your local Extension Office.

The Florida Yards & Neighborhoods Program of the Citrus County Extension Service is a public education and outreach program of the University of Florida, funded jointly by the Citrus County Board of County Commissioners and the Coastal Rivers and Withlacoochee River Basin Boards of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

All programs and related activities sponsored for, or assisted by, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences are open to all persons with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions, or affiliations.

For persons with disabilities requiring special accommodations, please contact our office at least five working days prior to the program so that proper consideration may be given to the request. For hearing impaired, please contact the Florida Relay Center at 1-800-955-8770 (voice) or 1-800 –955-8771 (TDD).

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