Substitute for Composted Cotton Burrs

Considerations

• Not all cotton burr compost is created equal. Cotton is a crop that uses considerable amounts of pesticides and fertilizers and is sometimes chemically defoliated after harvest. The plant is attacked by waves of different pests during every stage of its life cycle and it is estimated that while cotton takes up about 2 percent of land used for agriculture, it accounts for 16 percent of all pesticides in use. If it is not fully composted and cured, which breaks down pesticides into their component parts, those additives may make their way into your food. One solution is to use compost made from cotton burrs from organically grown plants. However, if you have compost from non-organic cotton burrs and you suspect that pesticide and herbicide residuals are still extant -- they usually have a strong chemical odor -- you can compost it further; pesticides and herbicides will eventually break down into their components. By contrast, more common compost ingredients, such as vegetable waste and coffee grounds, have no issue with pesticides and can produce an easy, plant-healthy compost without concern for poisonous insecticides.

Carbon-to-nitrogen Ratio

• The carbon-to-nitrogen, C:N, ratio is key to effective composts. The ideal ratio is generally considered to be about 30:1, although an effective range is about 20:1 to 40:1. If there is too much carbon, the compost may take years to develop; too much nitrogen and it will smell and attract pests, such as rats and wild animals. Cotton burr compost has a C:N ratio of about 22:1. Substances that will deliver a similar ratio when composted include peanut shells, coffee grounds, clover, grass clippings, vegetable scraps and hay. Substances that are far out of the range include manure, alfalfa, sawdust, wood chips and pine needles. While the latter will turn into compost, they must be mixed with other substances to create a compost that is as healthy for plants as cotton burr.

Byproduct Status

• As mentioned, one advantage of cotton burr is that it is a waste product, with few uses other than as compost. That is not true of some alternatives. Clover and hay, for instance, have value as crops in themselves and are probably more valuable to a farmer as animal feed than as a compost base. However, the average home produces plentiful byproducts, such as vegetable waste and grass clippings, that can produce a healthy compost and keep waste out of the nation's landfills. Many communities compost yard waste and will give it away to gardeners or sell it for a nominal cost. Some communities also compost high-carbon materials such as wood and newspaper, with high-nitrogen materials, such as manure and weeds to produce a healthy, balanced compost.

Supply

• Cotton may not be king today, but it is still one of the country's top cash crops and as such, spins off a lot of "trash." Cotton ranks fourth in the country in cash value, behind corn, soybeans and wheat, and fifth in acreage, at about 13 million acres. That means there's a lot of waste products left over compared to substitute compost materials, such as peanut shells and coffee grounds. However, since cotton is only grown in the Southern states, supply for the average home gardener of products, such as coffee grounds, grass clippings and vegetable scraps is probably far more plentiful. A home-made compost comprised of these ingredients plus dried leaves and other yard waste will deliver the same benefits as cotton burr.