Faster than the spread of kudzu, more powerful than a bag of rotting grass clippings, stronger than Georgia's red clay — this is King Compost.

He sweeps into soil lectures across the region to save Jim Spotts, a composting expert with a penchant for dramatics.

Becky Stein / Special (ENLARGE)

Dr. Jim Spotts, also known as King Compost, educates a crowd at a recent workshop.

Todd R. McQueen / Special (ENLARGE)

Spotts is careful in his use of kitchen waste; he makes sure there are no cooked foods, meat products, fats, dairy products, or spices.

RELATED LINKS: • Photos: See King Compost in action • Latest Walter Reeves column • More about gardening

The king held court at a recent Georgia Organics lecture, to which Spotts had been invited to share his expertise in composting — the process of converting organic materials like grass and leaves into a nutrient-rich substance used to improve soil.

The idea to spice up his presentations as a caped, crown-wearing compost crusader was born about seven years ago.

"I've seen too many dry, boring lectures," Spotts said. "I try to put in a little flavor and make it very personal."

So Spotts, 69, developed a shtick. He plays it straight as soil scientist Jim Spotts for the first 20 minutes, but then "misplaces" needed documents. He runs offstage, only to return as his alter-ego —King Compost.

His wife, Kathie, and son Will made his royal garb —a gold cape and plastic tomato-topped crown, complete with matching necklace and scepter. But don't be fooled by the gimmicky getup. This gardener covers his ground, and we're not just talking about the four compost piles in his backyard.

Spotts has a doctorate in soil physics, is retired from the Department of the Interior's surface mining office, and is a Master Gardener. Among his many extra-curriculars, he now works as an erosion consultant for contractors and as an expert witness in land erosion cases, and he began teaching about compost years ago after writing a manual on the subject for a Pennsylvania extension office.

"I've got the academic knowledge, as well as dirt under my fingertips," he said.

At his home in Chamblee, Spotts trades in his scepter for a five-tine pitchfork, using it to turn his compost piles weekly. This accelerates decomposition and keeps the pile from becoming too hot, which would spell disaster for the microorganisms at work.

His neighbors bring him their leaves and grass clippings. In exchange, he shares his bounty of tomatoes, leeks, green beans and more — grown from his compost-rich soil.

He uses the compost not only in his vegetable garden, but also to improve the soil in his lawn and around new plantings.

"We pride ourselves here in Atlanta on having the nicest yard on the block, and it's all a result of composting," he said.

His enthusiasm impressed Judith Winfrey of Georgia Organics. After hearing Spotts at a Master Gardening course, she invited him to speak to the Decatur group.

"He had an immense amount of knowledge, but made it fun," she said.

King Compost conducts his lectures briskly, effortlessly gliding between the dos and don'ts of composting success. Do turn the pile often, don't add butter or oil or animal fats. Do use cow manure, but don't use dog or cat waste. Do use vegetable scraps, but don't include morning glory or tomato seeds, unless you want a yard filled with the vines. Do use compost as mulch, but don't try mulch as compost.

And for the fastest, best compost? Combine one bushel grass (a nitrogen source) with 40 bushels of whole leaves (carbon), and turn, turn, turn —a tip John Spitzler put to use after hearing the king.

"I am now obsessed with turning my compost pile, and it works!" said Spitzler, an Atlanta-based executive recruiter.

For Spotts, spreading his enthusiasm about this organic matter is as rewarding as a fresh, ripe tomato from his own garden.

"If I can get six people out of a group to start composting, they'll be Queen Compost by the end," he said. "It's contagious."

COMPOST 101 WITH KING COMPOST

Benefits of compost, when applied in soil

• Adds nutrients and increases biological activity

• Loosens up clay soil

• Allows for better root penetration, leading to increased plant health

• Increases water-holding capacity of soil

How to start

• Necessary tools — five-tine pitchfork and compost thermometer.

• Minimum size of pile — 3 feet by 3 feet. Don't place in direct sun, which would cause it to dry out.

• Compost begins with green + brown materials. Add one bushel of grass clippings (green = nitrogen) and 40 bushels of leaves (brown = carbon). Make sure leaves are on bottom of pile. (To speed the breakdown, try chopping up leaves to one bushel.) Throw in vegetable and fruit scraps, as well as coffee grounds, cotton lint, wood chips, or sawdust. Turn the piles once weekly or more, introducing air and keeping pile from overheating, which kills microorganisms at work. (If temperature exceeds 140 degrees in center, the pile is too warm. Spread it out to lower temperature.)

• What not to add —Tomato seeds or morning glory seeds (which aren't broken down in composting and will germinate); dairy, oils, meats or fats (which attract critters); evergreen needles (which aren't easily broken down); cat and dog feces (because of diseases they may spread) or diseased plants.

• The squeeze test — To ensure the proper level of moisture in the pile, Spotts advises grabbing a handful and squeezing. If it releases a drop or two of moisture, it's the right amount. If dry, add water.