One of my goals for this year was to start composting and well, the composting has begun!
According to the US EPA, yard trimmings and food waste together constitute 26% of the US municipal solid waste stream. Talk about a lot of waste that ends up in a landfill...especially when it can be turned into compost for your garden!
So why compost? Composting creates a useful product from organic waste that would otherwise be landfilled. Compost is organic material that can be used as a soil ammendment or as a medium to grow plants. Compost is created by (1) combining organic wastes - your leftover food wastes, yard trimmings etc. - in proper ratios, (2) adding bulk agents (like wood chips) and then (3) allowing the finished material to fully stabilize and mature through a curing process. Finished compost can be applied to lawns and gardens to help condition the soil and replenish nutrients. It sounds more difficult than it really is!
How do I start a compost pile?
First, you need some sort of receptacle to compost in. There are many different types of fancy schmancy containers (and mucho expensivo) that you can buy online or in a garden store. You can also find basic containers at discount stores...my sister bought hers for less than $50 at Sam's Club. I purchased mine for $28 on sale at Menards. If you are more the DIY type, you can make your own or you can try this with a garbage can.
Composting requires three basic ingredients:
1. Browns - dead leaves, branches, twigs etc.
2. Greens - grass clippings, food waste and coffee grounds
3.Water
There are things that you SHOULD NOT compost - meat, bones, dairy, pet droppings, colored paper, etc.
For a more comprehensive list of green material vs. brown material, check out the Composting 101 website.
Ideally, you should have equal amounts of green and brown ingredients in your compost pile. Water is added to provide moisture to help breakdown the organic matter.
There is not one "right" way to compost, but here's the basic idea:
Set your compost bin in a dry, shady spot near a water source.
Add your brown and green ingredients as you collect them, making sure that larger pieces are chopped or shredded (trying to keep in mind to have equal amounts of green and brown).
Moisten dry materials with water as they are added. Moisten...not saturate!
Once your compost pile is established, mix grass clippings and green waste into the pile and bury fruit and veggies under about 10 inches of the compost material.
Optional: you can "turn" your compost periodically, by using a shovel or pitchfork to move the dry ingredients from the edges into the middle.
Your compost is ready to use when the bottom is dark and rich in color...anywhere from 2 months to 2 years!
There are a few composting "accessories" you may wish to add to your composting adventure. One of those things, is a countertop compost pail. You set this small pail on your counter (or under the sink cabinet) and collect your food scraps in it. When the pail is full, you can carry the whole thing outside to your compost bin/pile and dump it in. This is convenient so you don't have to make multiple trip to the compost bin every time you have food scraps.
For more composting information, check out these websites:
I have been composting now for several weeks and so far so good. I am a little low on brown materials, as we don't have any brown leaves on the ground and our newspaper has too many pages with colored ink. I think I will have my parents bring some hay from their garden the next time they visit!
Happy Composting!!!
Your link for unusual things to compost isn't working. And now I want to know! Is your compost bin getting enough sunlight? Just wondering!
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