Category: conservation

Easy Cold Composting and You

On By durhammastergardenersIn cold composting, composting, conservation, sustainable gardening, Uncategorized

By Courtney McGuire, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer intern of Durham County  

A close-up of a shovel holding fresh compost, with a wooden compost bin in the background.
Close-up of fruit peels, including yellow grapefruit and orange skins, arranged on a wooden surface.

(Image credit: Photo: MN Pollution Control Agency / CC BY-NC; Pixabay)

My name is Courtney. I love compost so much that my husband’s nickname for me is “Compostney.” I’m a firm believer that composting should be accessible for all and fit your individual needs. We all have way too much going on right now, so adding this extra step for our environment and your garden should be as easy as possible.

Why Composting?

According to the EPA, food waste comprises 24% of all municipal solid waste. When combined with yard trimmings, wood and cardboard (other compostable materials), this percentage balloons to 51%. Municipal solid waste is the third largest source of human-related methane, accounting for 14% of methane emissions in 2022.  

Of course, the best approach is to minimize food waste by only buying what you can eat while it’s fresh, reusing vegetables scraps as much as possible, and being a member of the Clean Plate Club. But we all struggle with forgetting that spinach in the back of the fridge or not wanting to eat those beans you accidentally undercooked.  

Composting allows us to take these valuable waste products and recycle them into a valuable garden product while reducing emissions of methane, a very potent greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. 

In addition to reducing methane emissions, composting also has the following benefits:

  • Increases soil structure
  • Conserves water by helping soils retain moisture 
  • Supplies organic matter
  • Encourages vigorous root growth
  • Much more! 

Composting is fundamentally a local activity. It’s a direct action that you and your household can take to support our environment.

Getting Started with Cold Composting

There is a spectrum of composting methods, from hands-off (e.g. door pick-up subscription services) to mini scientific experiments in your backyard (e.g. hot composting, Johnson-Su composting bioreactor, etc). But there’s a lot in between as well. In our perpetual quest to find balance, let’s explore the easiest backyard method: cold composting.

Steps for Cold Composting in a Bin

The first step is to select your bin. The City of Durham offers an annual compost bin sale in the springtime. Wake County offers an annual bin sale in May that overlaps with International Compost Awareness Week and is open to non-county residents. You could also sweetly ask your Orange County resident friend to pick up a bin for you as they offer a year-round sale.)  You can also check out an online marketplace or order directly from the retailer.  

A composting bin made of mesh fencing and a black compost tumbler situated outdoors among fallen leaves.

My leaf and compost bins are next to each other so that I can easily add my “browns” as I’m building my pile. (Image credit: Courtney McGuire)

And now where will you put it? Select a level spot for your bin where you will actually use it. Is it convenient for you to bring out your food waste and store leaves nearby? Bingo! 

Next up: begin collecting the ingredients!  You’ll need both low-nitrogen “browns” and high-nitrogen “greens” to create your balanced compost output. For most of us, our browns will consist of leaves, shredded paper (pro tip: make sure you are removing the plastic components before shredding. Ask me how I know!), and wood chips.  Our “greens” will include kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, plant trimmings, and grass trimmings.  

A common composting mistake folks make is to not add any or enough “browns” as you throw in your food waste. You will need two to three parts “browns” to one part “greens.” 

A sweet potato placed on a cutting board next to a knife, with a countertop compost bin and a pot in the background.

Keeping your food waste caddy close to your cooking space will help you quickly collect your food waste to then take to your compost bin.  (Image credit: Courtney McGuire)

High-level tips for your ingredients:

  • A food waste caddy will work well on your countertop. You can also freeze bags of food waste to minimize insect issues (especially helpful in the summer). In general, the more often you empty and clean your caddy, the less risk you’ll run of having insect issues. 
  • Take off the plastic stickers that you find on produce. If you forget about it, no biggie. You’ll just find fully intact plastic stickers in your finished compost. There’s a big lesson there.
  • Don’t put meat in your compost bin.  (Interested in composting your meat waste? Check out the bokashi method of composting.)
  • See those neat bags of leaves your neighbors have put by the side of the road? Snag ‘em all! One haul will last you quite awhile!

Any other ingredients? Don’t forget your water and air! Your compost should feel like a wrung out sponge. You’ll also need to stir it to add air to aid the decomposition process. Stirring compost puts me at ease. It’s so satisfying, and I hope you find joy in it as well. Plus, it lets you see your decomposition in action!  

A compost bin filled with various organic materials including leaves, kitchen scraps, and paper, with a garden fork resting inside.
A close-up view of a compost bin filled with dark, decomposing organic matter, including leaves and other compostable materials, with a blue-handled tool inserted into the mixture.

(Left to right) Food waste from a summertime cold: soup ingredients and tissues ready to be blended together. Then the summertime cold mix is enhanced with fall leaves, all stirred in with a pitchfork. (Image credit: Courtney McGuire)

And time! Cold composting takes a while. It’s the turtle version of composting. But at the end, you’ll have black gold for your garden!  A well-maintained compost pile will be finished in three to five months while an untouched pile can take up to a year. You will know it’s complete when the contents start to look like soil and you can’t recognize your original compost materials.

Composting setup featuring two black compost bins and a wooden sifting frame positioned on a yellow wheelbarrow, surrounded by fallen leaves.

I recently upgraded my compost setup to sift my finished compost.  But as long as the food waste has broken down, you can always apply an unsifted compost.  (Image credit: Courtney McGuire)

Once your compost is done, you can sift it through a frame with hardware cloth.  You can throw the sifted bits back into your compost bin to continue to decompose. Additionally, you can always throw the finished compost, twigs and all, into your garden.  Just make sure to keep an eye out for an errant fruit sticker. 

A row of compost bins, including black plastic composters and a wire mesh bin filled with wood chips, situated on a grassy area surrounded by trees.

Once you fall in love with compost, you realize one bin will not do it!  Having multiple bins allows me to actively add to one bin as another is “curing” before harvest. (Image credit: Courtney McGuire)

Final thoughts: Don’t stress the small stuff and just get started!  By composting your food waste, you are directly reducing methane emissions. That’s a strong hit of climate hope right in your own backyard!

Resources and Additional Information:

For more detailed information on best practices, consult the following:

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From Beloved to Invasive: How does it happen?

On By durhammastergardenersIn benign non-native plant, bird friendly habitat, bugleweed, conservation, crape myrtle, Durham NC, ecological sustanability, ecology, gardening, Gardening information, gardening NC, heavenly bamboo, hellebore, how plants become invasive, Invasive Atlas of the United States, invasive plants, Japanese stiltgrass, lenten rose, lesser threat invasive plant list, liriope, monkey grass, nandina, native ecology, native ecologynative plant ecology, native plants, Natives, NC biodiversity, NC conservation, NC Native Plants, New Hope Bird Alliance, non-native plants, ox-eye daisy, perennials, polyculture, privet, protecting native plants, Rose of Sharon, Russian olive shrub, sustainable garden design, sustainable gardening, sustanability, Uncategorized, urban garden, urban gardening, watch list for invasive plants

By Jeannie Arnts , North Carolina Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County

I have volunteered as a recorder for the New Hope Bird Alliance (formerly Audubon) Bird Friendly Habitat (BFH) team since 2018. The BFH team, consisting of a plant expert and a recorder, visits homeowners’ yards to identify native and invasive plants and make recommendations for improvements to achieve an ecologically beneficial habitat for birds, insects, and other wildlife. Since I have joined the group, plants previously recognized as non-native, non-invasive plants have been moved onto the “Watch List” or “Lesser Threat Invasive” list. Other plants previously considered lower threat have been moved to a higher threat category. The question arises, “What is it that changes a benign non-native into an invasive?

When is a Plant Determined to be Invasive?

Plants are categorized as invasive once they disrupt the ecology of intact, functioning eco-systems, leading to loss of biodiversity and habitat degradation. This results in huge economic damage valued in the billions of dollars to agriculture, forestry, and personal property. Invasive plants compete with our natives for critical and often limited resources like sunlight, water, nutrients, soil, and space. Anyone who has ridden the train at the Museum of Life and Science in Durham and seen the Russian olive shrubs (Elaeagnus sp) overtaking the landscape along the tracks or been on a hiking trail in many Triangle forests and seen the stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) engulfing the entire ground cover of the forest floor can easily see the impact of invasive species.

Russian olive shrubs (left) out-compete native plants and dominate riparian areas primarily in central and western USA. Japanese stiltgrass (right) was accidentally introduced into Tennessee around 1919 as a result of being used as packing material for porcelain from China.  it has invaded many woodlands in North Carolina. (Image credit: NC State Cooperative Extension)

What Factors Influence a Plant to Become Invasive?

Biologists have been “vexed for decades” by the question of what causes some plants, once thought to be benign, non-invasive exotics, to become a risk to our eco-systems due to their invasive characteristics. The ecologist, Charles Elton, wrote the book, The Ecology of Invasions by Plants and Animals, in 1958 and, more than 100 years earlier, Charles Darwin pondered this question during his voyage on the Beagle (1831-1836). Johnny Randall, former Director of Conservation Programs at the NC Botanical Garden, noted that one reason plants become invasive is that in their new environment, they no longer have natural controls, such as pests, pathogens, and herbivores. This gives them an advantage over native plants that have been part of a region’s ecology for millennia; consequently, the invasives often out compete the natives.1

In addition, a plant’s propensity to become invasive is a function of the plant’s own biology, including a relatively short generational period, large seed production, its ability to reproduce asexually (without the need for fertilization), and having large fleshy fruits, such as those produced by Autumn or Russian olive trees (Elaeagnus sp), privet (Ligustrum sp.) and heavenly bamboo (Nandina sp.) With this latter trait, birds will eat the berries and deposit the seeds far from the original location of the plant.

A non-native, is especially prone to invasion when it sets its roots in a “matched habitat” similar from which it came, i.e., their native ranges tend to have similar temperature extremes, precipitation levels, and seasonal cycles. Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) is an example of a plant that meets most of the criteria for becoming invasive. It is an annual that produces up to 1000 seeds per year, has no natural controls, reproduces asexually, and its seeds are distributed by the wind. In addition, the seed bank may take up to five years to germinate. Many gardeners who think they have eliminated stiltgrass on their property one year are befuddled to find a number of plants from the seed bank sprouting the next summer. The good news is that if you continue to manage the stiltgrass, you will have fewer plants each year.

Beloved Plants that Become Invasive

I think we can all agree that we want stiltgrass eliminated from our property, but there are non-native plants that have been beloved by gardeners for generations that are being added to the invasive lists, much to the consternation of gardeners. One example is the lenten rose (Helleborus orientalis).

Some hellebores  have started to escape into woodland areas and are able to stifle our favorite native understory flowers. They prevent seedlings of other plants from getting established as dense mats of their offspring grow. (Image credit: NC Extension Toolbox, Bob Gutowski CC-BY-NC-SA-2.0; Jim Robbins CC-BY-NC-4.0).

There are many good reasons that hellebores are such a beloved plant: they bloom over the winter months when very few other plants are blooming; they require little care; they are deer and rabbit resistant; they tolerate a wide range of light conditions; including light shade; and they survive even deep frosts. Unfortunately, they meet many of the conditions that place them at risk to become invasive in our region: they have no natural pests or pathogens; they can successfully fertilize themselves (although bees will seek nectar and pollen from the plants); and they produce a multitude of fertile seeds. While there is not a perfect native substitute for hellebores, the gardener may consider planting a matrix of sedges (Carex species), coral bells (Heuchera americana), and ferns, many of which are host plants, to provide winter interest .

While not yet on the invasive lists in N.C, another beloved plant that is of concern is the crape myrtle (Lagerstroemai indica). Its spread is being tracked in Southern states by the Invasive Atlas of the United States and the plant’s spread is being watched with caution by conservationists in N.C. Each flower of the crape myrtle produces a prodigious number of seeds that are carried or blown far from the mother plant. I have had a crape myrtle in my yard for probably the past 40 years and it has only been recently that I have seen it sprouting up elsewhere in my yard and ¼ acre woods.


Crape myrtles are seen along roadways and in gardens in North Carolina but conservationists have raised concerns because it outcompetes many native plants (Image credit: NC Plant Toolbox, skdavidson)

Liriope (Liriope muscari and L. spicata), bugleweed (Ajuga reptens), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), and ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) are all common ornamental plants that have been added to the NC Invasive Plant list as “Low Threat” species. While they have the potential to harm our local ecology, they are not yet doing so.

Liriope (Liriope muscari), bugleweed (Ajuga reptens), Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus), and ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare) are plants that many of us have in our garden. They are considered to be “Low Threat” to native plants of North Carolina. (Image credit: North Carolina Toobox, Manuel-CC-BY-2.0; Jim Robbins-CC-BY-NC-ND; Frank Mayfield, CC-BY-SA-2.0)

As gardeners, we can control the spread of potentially invasive plants in our own yards or we can choose to remove them and plant a native that supports our native ecology. A follow-up blog will suggest options to consider for replacing invasive plants with natives that power our ecosystems.

Notes

  1. Personal communications Peter Schubert, NC Invasive Plant Council, October, 2024 and Johnny Randall, former Director of Conservation Programs, NC Botanical Garden, October 2024.

Resources and Additional Information

NC Invasive Plants List adopted by NC-IPC, November 16, 2023NC Invasive Plant Council
https://nc-ipc.weebly.com/uploads/6/8/4/6/6846349/invasive_plant_list_-_ranked_-_2023-11-16.pdf

Grzędzicka, E., Assessment of Habitat Selection by Invasive Plants and Conditions with the Best Performance of Invasiveness Traits, February, 2023. https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/15/3/333

Invasive plant Atlas of the United States University of Georgia-Center for Invasive Species and Ecological Health, October 2018 https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/index.cfm

Jones, M., Gaster, R. Invasive Species, NC Cooperative Extension, Lee County, July 30, 2019 https://lee.ces.ncsu.edu/2019/07/invasive-species/

Moony, H.A., Cleland, E.E., The Evolutionary Impact of Invasive Species, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. May 2001, 98(10) 5446-5451 https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.091093398

Moorman, C, Megalos, M, Douglas, K. Invasive Plants and Your Forests, NCSU Extension Publication. Revised September 11, 2024. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/invasive-plants-and-your-forests

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