Fall Composting: What to Add and What to Avoid

Composting is a vital part of any successful gardening routine, turning kitchen scraps and garden waste into rich, nutrient-dense soil. Fall is one of the best times to focus on composting, as it provides a wealth of organic material from your garden's natural seasonal cycle. But composting isn't just about tossing everything into a pile and hoping for the best. It requires understanding what to add and what to avoid to create the ideal conditions for decomposition.

In this blog, we'll explore why fall is perfect for composting, the best materials to add during this season, and what you should leave out to ensure a healthy, well-balanced compost pile.

Why Composting in the Fall is Beneficial

Fall offers a unique opportunity to boost your compost pile. With fallen leaves, dying plants, and leftover fruits or vegetables from your garden, there's an abundance of organic material that can be repurposed. The cooler temperatures slow down decomposition slightly compared to the summer months, but with proper management, your compost can still break down efficiently over the fall and winter. Here's why fall composting is so beneficial:

• Abundant Organic Matter: Gardens produce a lot of organic waste in the fall—think of all those leaves, spent plants, and vegetable scraps. Instead of sending them to a landfill, you can use them to enrich your garden soil.
• Preparation for Spring: Composting in the fall gives your pile time to break down over winter. By the time spring arrives, you'll have nutrient-rich compost ready to improve your garden beds, giving your plants the nutrients they need right from the start.
• Carbon-Nitrogen Balance: Fall compost materials offer a natural balance of carbon-rich "browns" (like leaves and straw) and nitrogen-rich "greens" (like grass clippings and vegetable scraps). This balance is essential for efficient decomposition.

What to Add to Your Fall Compost Pile

A successful compost pile needs a mix of green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) materials. Fall offers a natural abundance of both, but it's important to understand which items are beneficial and which may disrupt the composting process.

1. Fallen Leaves (Brown Material)

Fallen leaves are one of the most valuable materials for fall composting. They are rich in carbon and break down well when shredded or chopped.

• Why Add Them: Leaves help maintain the carbon-nitrogen balance necessary for healthy compost. Shredding the leaves before adding them to the pile helps them decompose faster.
• How to Use: Add leaves in layers, ideally alternating with green materials to keep the pile balanced. Too many leaves in one layer can slow decomposition, so mix them with other materials.

2. Spent Garden Plants (Green Material)

At the end of the growing season, many plants die back, leaving behind stems, vines, and foliage that can be composted.

• Why Add Them: Spent plants add nitrogen to the compost pile. Make sure to only add healthy plant material, as diseased plants can introduce pathogens into your compost.
• How to Use: Chop or break down larger plant parts into smaller pieces to speed up decomposition. If the plants are diseased or infested with pests, avoid adding them to the compost pile.

3. Vegetable and Fruit Scraps (Green Material)

Kitchen scraps like apple cores, carrot tops, and pumpkin remains are perfect for fall composting.

• Why Add Them: These food scraps are high in nitrogen and moisture, which helps keep your compost pile active and balanced.
• How to Use: Break larger scraps into smaller pieces to help them decompose faster. Always mix food scraps into the pile rather than leaving them on the surface to avoid attracting pests.

4. Grass Clippings (Green Material)

If you're still mowing your lawn during the fall months, grass clippings can be an excellent source of nitrogen for your compost.

• Why Add Them: Grass clippings add moisture and nitrogen, helping to accelerate the decomposition of carbon-rich materials like leaves.
• How to Use: Add grass clippings in thin layers and mix them with other materials. Thick layers of grass can mat down and block airflow, leading to a smelly, anaerobic pile.

5. Straw or Hay (Brown Material)

Straw or hay is another excellent source of carbon, especially useful if your compost pile has an excess of green materials.

• Why Add Them: Straw provides structure to the pile, improving airflow and preventing compaction.
• How to Use: Add straw in thin layers or mix it with green materials like vegetable scraps or grass clippings.

6. Coffee Grounds (Green Material)

Many people assume coffee grounds are carbon-rich because of their dark color, but they're actually nitrogen-rich and a great addition to a fall compost pile.

• Why Add Them: Coffee grounds add nitrogen and small amounts of essential minerals like magnesium and potassium to your compost.
• How to Use: Add them in moderation, and mix them well into the pile to avoid creating dense pockets. Used coffee filters can also be composted as a carbon source.

7. Eggshells (Neutral Material)

Eggshells are not carbon- or nitrogen-rich, but they add valuable calcium to your compost pile.

• Why Add Them: Eggshells provide essential nutrients like calcium, which can help improve soil structure and support plant growth.
• How to Use: Crush eggshells before adding them to the pile. They decompose slowly, so breaking them into smaller pieces helps them break down faster.

What to Avoid Adding to Your Fall Compost Pile

While it's tempting to throw all garden waste and kitchen scraps into your compost, certain materials should be avoided to keep your compost healthy and productive. Some items can slow decomposition, introduce harmful pathogens, or attract unwanted pests.

1. Diseased or Insect-Infested Plants

As your garden winds down in the fall, you'll likely remove a lot of dead or dying plants. While most of these can go into the compost, any plants with signs of disease or pest infestations should be avoided.

• Why Avoid Them: Composting diseased plants can spread pathogens throughout the pile, which may survive the composting process and reinfect your garden next year.
• Alternative: Dispose of diseased plants by burning them or placing them in the trash, not your compost.

2. Weeds with Seeds

While some weeds can be composted, avoid adding any that have gone to seed. This is especially important in the fall when many weeds are seeding in preparation for winter dormancy.

• Why Avoid Them: Compost piles may not reach temperatures high enough to kill weed seeds, allowing them to germinate when you spread the finished compost in your garden.
• Alternative: Remove weeds before they set seed or dispose of seeding weeds separately.

3. Meat, Dairy, and Fats

Although kitchen scraps are excellent for composting, meat, dairy, and fatty foods should be kept out of the pile.

• Why Avoid Them: These materials can attract pests like rats and raccoons, and they don't break down efficiently in backyard compost piles. They can also produce unpleasant odors.
• Alternative: If you have food waste that can't be composted, consider using a municipal composting program, which often has the facilities to handle these materials.

4. Pet Waste

Animal waste, especially from carnivorous pets like cats and dogs, should not be composted in your regular garden compost pile.

• Why Avoid Them: Pet waste can contain harmful pathogens, including parasites, that may not break down during the composting process and could contaminate your garden.
• Alternative: If you want to compost pet waste, consider using a separate compost system designed specifically for this purpose, far from edible plants.

5. Glossy or Coated Paper

aper products can generally be composted, but avoid adding glossy magazines, flyers, or any paper with plastic coatings.

• Why Avoid Them: These materials don't break down properly and may leave behind microplastics or toxic chemicals in your compost.
• Alternative: Recycle glossy paper instead of composting it.

6. Large Branches and Woody Materials

While wood chips and small branches can be composted, large branches or thick woody material should be left out of your pile.

• Why Avoid Them: Large, woody materials take a long time to break down and can slow the composting process.
• Alternative: Chop or shred woody material before adding it to the compost or use it in other ways, such as mulch.

Tips for Successful Fall Composting

Fall composting can be incredibly productive with a few simple practices:

1. Shred Leaves and Chop Larger Materials

To speed up the decomposition process, shred leaves and chop up larger plant material before adding them to the pile. This increases the surface area and helps microorganisms break down the materials faster.

2. Maintain the Carbon-Nitrogen Balance

A healthy compost pile requires the right balance of carbon (browns) and nitrogen (greens). Fall provides an abundance of both, but be mindful of layering your materials. Aim for roughly a 2:1 ratio of browns to greens.

3. Turn the Pile Regularly

Turning your compost pile every few weeks helps aerate the materials, ensuring oxygen reaches the microorganisms responsible for breaking down the compost. This prevents your pile from becoming compacted and anaerobic.

4. Keep It Moist, But Not Too Wet

Fall composting can dry out as temperatures drop, so it's important to monitor moisture levels. A healthy compost pile should be about as moist as a wrung-out sponge—damp but not soggy. If your compost pile is too dry, materials will decompose slowly. If it's too wet, the pile may become anaerobic and start to smell.

• Tip: If you live in an area that experiences a lot of rain in the fall, cover your compost pile with a tarp to prevent excess water from soaking in. On the other hand, if your pile gets too dry, you can sprinkle it with water, but be sure to turn the pile to evenly distribute the moisture.

5. Layer and Mix Materials

Layering alternating browns (leaves, straw) and greens (grass clippings, food scraps) creates a balanced pile that decomposes efficiently. Mixing the layers occasionally ensures that materials are evenly distributed and breaking down together.

6. Cover Your Compost Pile

To help insulate the pile and retain heat during the cooler months, you can cover it with a tarp or lid. This helps trap warmth and moisture, which speeds up decomposition. A cover also prevents animals from digging through your compost, especially if you're adding food scraps.

7. Add Finished Compost as a Starter

If you have finished compost from an earlier pile, adding a few shovels of it to your fall compost can act as a "starter." The finished compost contains a host of beneficial microbes that help kickstart the decomposition process in your new pile.

Preparing Your Fall Compost for Winter

As fall progresses and temperatures drop, your compost pile will naturally slow down. In colder climates, the process may halt entirely during the winter. However, there are a few things you can do to ensure your pile is ready to resume decomposing as soon as the weather warms up in spring.

• Build Up Your Pile: Fall is a great time to add large amounts of material, so don't be afraid to create a sizable pile. A larger compost pile retains more heat and will continue decomposing longer into the cold season.
• Turn the Pile Before Winter Sets In: Give your pile one last good turn before freezing temperatures arrive. This ensures all materials are properly mixed and any food scraps are well buried, which helps prevent pests during the winter months.
• Insulate the Pile: If you live in an area with harsh winters, insulate your compost pile by surrounding it with straw bales, leaves, or even snow. This can help retain heat and keep the decomposition process going longer.

Composting in the fall is an excellent way to take advantage of the natural abundance of organic matter while preparing your garden for the coming seasons. By adding the right materials, such as fallen leaves, garden plants, and kitchen scraps, and avoiding items that can disrupt the process, you can create a nutrient-rich compost that will be ready for spring planting.

Maintaining a proper balance of carbon and nitrogen, turning the pile regularly, and keeping it moist will ensure that your compost continues to break down efficiently, even as the weather cools. With these tips, you'll be well on your way to turning autumn's waste into gardening gold!