How to Compost Organic Waste
Composting your organic kitchen and yard waste is an excellent way to recycle, cut down on landfill waste and fertilize your garden and lawn.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- compost bin/pile
- kitchen waste (excluding meat, bones, and dairy)
- grass clippings, leaves, saw dust
- paper towels, newspaper
- pitch fork or garden hoe
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1
Turning compost bin.
Decide what type of compost bin you want. You can buy various types of compost bins from home and garden supply companies or build your own from wood planks or wire enclosures. Prices for compost bins on the market range from $90-400.
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2
Composting requires plenty of sunlight.
Place your compost bin where it will get plenty of sunlight throughout the day as heat is essential for the decomp. process.
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3
Add kitchen and lawn waste.
Start adding your kitchen and yard waste to your compost bin. Kitchen waste includes vegetables, fruits, breads, coffee grounds and filters, tea leaves, paper towels, newspapers, etc. Yard waste includes grass clippings, leaves, saw dust, pulled weeds, etc.
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4
Add water.
Add water to your compost bin. Compost should always be moist but not soaking wet. If you are using water from your tap let it set for 24 hours to get rid of chlorine and other chemicals that will kill beneficial microbes in your compost.
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5
Turn your compost.
Use a pitch fork or other long-handled garden tool to turn compost at least once per month. If you have a tumbling compost bin you should turn once a week or so to speed up process of decomposition.
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6
Compost ready for use.
When compost is ready for use it will be a dark, rich-looking soil with a clean, earthy smell. Composting can take anytime from 2 weeks to 6 months depending on the type of compost bin you have. There are electric compost bins that compost in as little as 11 days.
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7
Using compost.
Add compost to soil as an amendment, top-dressing for plants or as a turf builder.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Add worm castings or compost accelerator to speed up composting process.
Never put meat, bones, dairy products or pet feces in your compost bin.
