A Philospher's Guide to Composting Condoms

Posted by: Derek Lowstuter, Mountain Region Extension

Can a likely made-up story about a famous Greek philosopher help us decide if something should be added to our compost pile?  The answer, much like the question, may surprise you. In a viral story about the Stoic philosopher, Socrates is credited with creating three questions we should ask ourselves before speaking. These “Three Filters” are: Is it True? Is it Good? Is it Necessary?  

These questions can help us understand the potential impact of what we say - before we say it. While this is especially important in an election year, the idea can also help us decide if we should add something to our compost pile. Just because something can be said doesn’t mean that it should be said. Likewise, just because something can be composted doesn’t mean that it should be composted. We can ask ourselves the three questions to help us make those decisions:

Is it True? / Does it decompose?

Is it Good? / Does it improve the compost? And,

Is it Necessary? / Does it need to be composted?

The title of this post wasn’t just to get your attention. I have been asked if all kinds of things can be composted: kitty litter, dryer lint, pet hair, cotton undies, and yes – even latex condoms. Many types of waste are biodegradable and can decompose naturally. However, that alone doesn’t make them good additions to the compost pile.

Let's look at dryer lint as an example of how we can apply the three questions.

Is it True? / Does it decompose? Dryer lint may decompose, depending on the clothes it comes from. Yes, clothes made from natural fibers, such as 100% cotton and wool, produce dryer lint that will decompose in home compost. However, synthetic (plastic) fibers, like polyester or nylon, produce lint full of microplastic pollution that does not decompose.

Is it Good? / Does it improve the compost?  Yes, dryer lint from natural fibers breaks down into organic matter and releases small amounts of plant-available nutrients. However, microplastics in lint from synthetic fibers can fill soil pores and even make their way into the food we grow.    

Is it Necessary? / Does it need to be composted? No, because there are usually other easy ways to dispose of dryer lint. If composting isn’t needed for disposal, then we shouldn’t compost it. Many clothes are made with natural and synthetic fiber blends, which can make it difficult to tell what is in dryer lint. Lint failed the three filters and should not be composted.   

Here are some other examples that could be composted – but should they?

Condoms made with natural latex can be biodegradable but are classified as medical waste, don’t benefit compost when added, and can be easily thrown in the trash. Practice safe compost. 

Wood ash has been used as a mineral fertilizer for thousands of years; however, it can harm compost and soil if overapplied – especially in Colorado’s alkaline soils. 

Animal waste from meat-eaters does decompose but can spread disease and complicate compost management. 

Cooked food waste decomposes quickly, but can attract pests, and promote anaerobic (stinky) compost conditions. 

Diseased plants (ex. tomato blight, powdery mildew) can be composted in active compost that is regularly turned and allowed to go through recommended heating cycles and curing. If you are lazy when it comes to turning your compost *sheepishly raises own hand* it would be safer to take infected plants to a commercial compost facility or create a separate static compost pile that isn’t used on annual crops. Nutrients and beneficial microbes in finished compost have been shown to help plants defend against pests and diseases, but care should be taken when potentially spreading diseases in compost.

To Compost or Not to Compost...

Composting is a simple, powerful tool for turning waste into value for our gardens. When well-managed, compost has been shown to improve soil and plant health, and even increase the nutritional value of produce. The “Three Filters” can help us boost compost benefits and reduce potential issues. 

Remember to ask yourself, 
Is it True? 
Is it Good? 

Is it Necessary?

                                       Happy Composting

From Dirt to Soil

 If you're ever in a room of soil scientists, I would recommend that you think twice before using the word "dirt". Dirt and soil are not the same thing (i.e., dirt is devoid of any life, while soil is teeming with life), and some people will get quite upset if you interchange the two words (for the record, I am not one of these people). Case in point: I happened to meet someone who had gone on a first date with one of my colleagues. He told me that the date was going well, but as soon as he used the word "dirt", my colleague's mood completely changed, the date quickly came to an end, and he never heard from my colleague again. So, if you want to make it to a second date with a soil scientist, make sure you're using the word "dirt" correctly...or maybe just don't use that word at all.

Anyways, perhaps you have a garden that is, quite literally, made of crummy, old dirt. Or, more likely, it's made of poor quality soil. Do you abandon all hope in having a healthy and fruitful garden? Do you scrap your life here and move to the Midwest in pursuit of more fertile soil??? No! There is another way to attain a thriving, productive garden, and that is through the regeneration of your soil. 

Soils can generally be characterized by two things: soil texture and soil structure. Soil texture refers to the proportion of sand, silt, and clay within a soil. This proportion governs the characteristics of a soil, such as its nutrient-holding capacity, drainage rates, and affinity for compaction. I'm sure many of you will resonate with the challenges of highly clayey soils, which are prone to slow water drainage, limited oxygen availability, and compaction.

Unfortunately, there is no practical way to change a soil's texture at scale. The good news, however, is that a soil's innate behaviors can be adjusted by altering the soil structure, which refers to the arrangement of soil particles. Specifically, you want to promote the arrangement of your soil particles into aggregates.

Basically, aggregates are clumps of soil particles that are bound together by organic matter, fungal hyphae, and roots. Not only do they increase the resiliency of soils to disturbance and create microhabitats that support diverse microbial life, but they also help increase water-holding capacity in sandy soils (organic matter acts like a sponge) and increase water/air infiltration in clayey soils (by increasing pore space). 

Conceptual Diagram of a Macroaggregate; Source: Soil Processes and the Carbon Cycle by Jastrow and Miller, 1998.

To increase aggregation in your garden, and thus improve your soil structure, there are several tactics you can take:

1. Incorporate organic matter into your soils using amendments such as manure, biosolids, plant-based compost, and/or coconut coir. The goal is to reach a soil organic matter content of 5% in your soils (contrary to popular belief, you don't want more than 5%). Take caution if applying organic matter amendments that are high in salts, such as manure and biosolids, as high salts can damage plants and soil structure. Before applying any organic matter amendment, it's best to do a soil test on your garden soils to understand the current levels of organic matter and salts present, which will inform how much amendment to apply.
2. Grow cover crops when soils are bare (e.g., during the off-season). Cover crops will add organic matter into the soil through their roots, and they can be an additional source of organic matter if the cover crops, upon dying, are left on the ground or incorporated into the soil. Cover crops will also protect the soil from erosion and can add nitrogen into the soil if the cover crop is a legume.
3. Mulch around your plants. Mulch will conserve soil moisture, help control weeds, and ultimately add organic matter into the soil as the mulch breaks down over time. Organic sources of mulch include wood chips, straw, or grass clippings. If using straw or grass clippings, take into consideration whether any herbicides have been used or if weed seeds might be present.
4. Reduce disturbance of your soils. While some disturbance may be necessary when incorporating organic matter amendments, frequent or intense disturbances can ultimately degrade soil structure. As a result, consider using less invasive ways of amending (i.e., a broad fork instead of rototilling) and avoid tilling unless you're adding organic matter.

Whether you attempt one of these tactics or all four, remember that it takes time for soil structure to improve. Be patient and diligent in your commitment to regenerating your soils, and over the years you will reap the benefits! 

Have questions about soil regeneration? Ask them below!

Debunking the Myths of Soil Amendments

Posted by: Robert Sanchez, Douglas County Colorado Master Gardener

As we get the outdoor itch from being cooped up all winter as a result of from the pandemic and cold weather, some of us think about going to the local nursery to purchase compost, peat moss, manure, and other soil amendments to get ready for gardening. These are all important elements of gardening but amending the soil has so many misconceptions I thought I would address a few. First, let’s look at the science.

The ideal soil consists of about 25 percent air, 25 percent water, about 45 to 47 percent mineral matter, and about 3 to 5 percent organic matter. Soil texture and soil structure are also important elements. Soil texture refers to the size of particles that make up the soil, including large particles of coarse sand, medium particles of silt, and small particles of fine clay. The larger the particle, the more space for air, but too many large particles allow water to drain away. Thus, coarse sand by itself is not a good growing medium for roots. Scientists refer to the ability of roots to grow in soil as soil tilth. Soil structure refers to how the various particles of sand, silt, and clay fit together. A good soil has a mixture of various sized particles with various chemical and biological components that bind the particles into aggregates. An ideal soil allows air for microbial activity and root growth and retains water. Organic matter in the soil does increase water-holding capacity in the soil.

Now let’s explore a few myths about soil amendments.

Myth #1: Amending the soil will change the nature of the soil. We have notoriously clayey and alkaline (high pH) soil in the Front Range. Adding compost to the soil will not change the nature of the soil. Changing the nature of the soil requires either changing a little bit of the soil over a period of years, such as what nature does on a geologic time scale, or replacing the soil entirely in one fell swoop. The home gardener can speed up the geologic time scale by making changes faster than nature would do, but changes to the nature of the soil would still require years. We can see what it takes to change the nature of the soil by observing new building construction. Typically, construction crews excavate several feet of soil to install utilities and the building infrastructure, removing the top layer of soil that contains most of the dead and living organic matter. As the crews replace the soil to continue with construction, the organic matter is no longer near the surface, living matter has been destroyed, construction debris (gypsum, sand, concrete, and wood) has been added, and crews have pulverized the soil, snuffing out what little life or air that might have survived the onslaught. This process illustrates what it takes to change the nature of the soil. Even adding a lot of compost to a hole when planting does not change the nature of the soil, except for the soil you replaced in the hole, and that is only temporary because the organic matter in the compost will decompose, leaving only the natural soil and decomposed remnants.

Myth #2: Adding lots of compost during planting promotes root growth and plant health. Adding organic matter when planting does indeed promote root growth, but it may not result in a healthier plant. The ideal soil only contains 3 to 5 percent organic matter and filling a hole with 25 percent organic matter (or more) when planting is not ideal. Under good watering and sunlight conditions, the initial results of all that compost appear good. That is, roots show vigorous growth and the canopy of the plant responds accordingly. Then the roots hit the edge of the hole and encounter natural soil with less compost in it. Preferring the compost to the natural soil, the roots circle back into the compost, resulting in a condition called “girdling” roots. The result is an unhealthy lack of spread of the roots into the natural soil. When the compost you initially placed in the hole decomposes, the roots will actually have less access to nutrients because they have not extended their reach beyond the now decomposed compost to absorb more nutrients. In addition, the different soil textures inhibit the natural flow of water, so water falling on one soil texture may not flow into soil with a different texture, leaving some soil dry. Specifically, water cohesion allows water to coat soil and mineral particles, which is one reason organic matter retains water so well. Water moves through fine clay soil through capillary action. Thus, water does not readily move from organic material to clay or from clay to organic material because of the different processes facilitating water movement. Different soil textures do not promote root growth.

Myth #3: Enough application of compost will solve most soil problems. If a planted plant dies, an incorrect assumption is that it did not have enough organic matter. Organic matter is a necessary element for root development and plant health, but it cannot solve all soil problems. Drainage, compaction, sunlight, microclimates, and salt buildup are all problems with soils that organic matter might not necessarily help your plant overcome. In fact, adding too much organic matter, particularly manures, could increase salt buildup in the soil. Soil amendments can be deceptive because in the short term, the added benefits can be seen in the growth of the above-ground portion and overall apparent vigor of the plant, but over the long term, the detriments could outweigh the benefits. Applying organic matter is one aspect of gardening. However, managing other cultural practices, such as planting the right plant in the right place for the drainage, soil conditions, and sunlight, is no less important.

The takeaway from all this is to understand the holistic needs of plants in your garden. Amending the soil is one important part of the holistic view but understanding what it does and does not do can help you attend to your plants much better. For more information on soil amendments, see https://cmg.extension.colostate.edu/Gardennotes/210.pdf.