How to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle: Compost

Composting is a great way to reduce the amount of trash you throw away. You can start as small as a compost pail on your counter or designate a specific area in your yard for a larger compost area. Many think you can just start throwing whatever waste you have into a pile and thus is becomes a compost pile. In fact there needs to be a balance of items placed in the compost pile. This article will outline how to start a compost pile and also outline what you can and cannot compost.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a bin
• grass clippings
• dead leaves
• fruits and vegetables
• coffee grounds or tea bags
• optional: soil
• water

1. The first step is to determine where you are going to compost. It would be wise to purchase or construct some type of bin, preferably at least one cubic yard or one cubic meter in size. You can obviously make it a larger or smaller area than this. You can compost just on the ground, but keeping it in bins will help keep animals out of your compost.

2. The second step is to get brown items like fallen leaves for your compost bin. This can also be dead weeds, sawdust, cardboard, and dead flowers. This serves as the fiber for your compost pile.

3. The next step is to get green items such as green grass clippings. This can also include young weeds, fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, or tea bags. These items are high in nitrogen and activate the heat process in your compost.

4. Some other items that you can compost are paper towels, paper bags, cotton clothing, egg shells, and even hair. However, use these items in moderation. They should not be the majority of your compost pile.

5. Also critical to your compost pile is adequate air. If you compost anaerobically (without air), while possible, it will cause your compost pile to smell. It will also attract flies and become slimy in appearance. If you think your compost pile needs more air then turning it regularly should accomplish this.

6. Your compost pile will need water; it should be damp like a sponge. You can either add water directly or depend on the green items you place in your compost pile for moisture.

7. Soil is usually not necessary, however a light application of garden soil between layers on the compost can help introduce the correct bacteria to start the compost.

8. To begin your compost pile it is important to layer the materials so that they are all in contact with one another. You don't want any one item in a large clump. Try to start with the brown material. Try to keep the ratio somewhere between three parts brown to one part green or up to half and half.

9. It is important to turn your pile regularly. Usually one a week or once every two weeks will suffice. Just use a pitchfork to move the pile to spot next to the original and then when you move it the following week place it back in its original spot. This will help with air flow.

10. The ultimate goal of composting is to be able to harvest your compost. Eventually, you should have a layer of good compost at the bottom of your pile that you can then place in your garden.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not compost bread, pasta, nuts or any cooked food. They do not break down easily.
• Never compost meat, bones, fish or fish bones, plastic, oil or fat, feces diapers, magazines, or cat litter.

[bluehyacinth]

on 6/21/2009 These are valuable tips!! Good article!