3 Steps Towards Creating the Perfect Leaf Compost

Compost is an organic matter that many local gardeners and lawn care professionals use in their gardening practices. Compost helps provide nutrients and conditioning to the lawn and plants that it is spread across.

One great way to create compost is by doing it yourself with organic materials like leaves or what would otherwise be considered kitchen waste. Here’s a look at how your leaves can create new life and how you can compost like a professional in all of the right ways.

Why Should You Compost Your Leaves?

After fall and winter, your leaves are most likely the bane of your yard’s existence. Rather than simply raking and removing them, composting your leaves gives you a chance to recycle your waste and increase the fertility of your soil.

If you’re just getting into the process of composting, here are some expert tips that will get your efforts headed in the right direction.

1. Keep Your Heaps out of Site

You may be well on your way to creating the best compost in the neighborhood, but the site of any waste piling up in your yard is nothing you or your neighbors want to look at. We suggest that you enclose your compost heap in a bin to keep it out of sight and away from kids or critters that would try to tamper with it.

2. Use the Right Ingredients

The ingredients in your compost and the balance in which you put them in is important. The average compost ingredients are:

• Leaves
• Fruit
• Veggie scraps
• Eggshells

While your kitchen scraps are a key ingredient you will want to avoid using meat, dairy, and processed foods in your compost creation.

PRO TIP: When storing kitchen scraps for compost, make sure that you keep your waste in an air-tight container. Store this in the fridge or freezer in order to ensure that zero foul odors leak into your kitchen space.

3. Moisturize and Aerate

When creating compost. It is essential to have optimal moisture and air in order to keep the composting process flowing smoothly. Your compost should be as damp as a wrung-out sponge. If your compost ever becomes too soggy, don’t fret. Compost that is exposed to the weather elements isn’t ruined. Simply find some more dry compost ingredients and mix it into your processing heap.

Learn More Compost Practices and More from Executive Lawn Care

If you want to learn more about compost or just don’t have the time to carry out the process and want your lawn taken care of, reach out to Executive Lawn Care. We perform scheduled lawn maintenance that ranges from mowing to fertilization. Reach out to us today to find out more about our services.