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Backyard Composting
Ingredients
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Carbon or "Brown" Material
Carbon, or brown material, consists of items such as: leaves, bark, wood-chips, twigs, and paper. As a rule of thumb, about 50-75% of the material in a compost pile should be carbons and 25-50% should be nitrogen.
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Nitrogen or "Green" Material
Nitrogen, or green material, consists of items such as: grass clippings, fruits and vegetable wastes, coffee grounds, and egg shells.
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Water
The compost pile should be kept damp, not saturated and have the feel of a well wrung sponge. A handful of compost should yield one or two drops of liquid when tightly squeezed.
Creating the Pile
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Pick a location for your pile that is out of the way, yet convenient for you to be able to easily dispose of kitchen food scraps.
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Using a digging fork, "turn over" the soil that will be beneath the pile. This will help expose a healthy supply of decomposing microorganisms to your pile.
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Start your pile with a layer of carbon, or brown, material. Next add a layer of green material. Continue alternating layers. The pile should be a minimum of 3' x 3' x 3' (length by width by height) and a maximum of 5' x 5' by any height.
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Keep a garden hose handy as you build the pile and spray after every few layers to ensure the pile is uniformly moist.
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Turning the pile is not necessary, but it will speed up the composting process.
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Depending upon the ratio of materials, the moisture content, and the amount of turning, you may expect to have finished compost within 3-12 months.
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Finished compost has many benefits. As a mulch it conserves moisture, reduces erosion, buffers the surface from temperature extremes, adds nutrients, and suppresses weeds. Adding compost to soil as a soil enricher improves soil structure, increases its water holding capacity, and makes nutrients more available.
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Backyard composting reduces the amount of waste we put in our landfills and creates soil enriching materials for gardens and flower beds.
What is compost?
Compost is a mixture of residues of organic materials that have been piled, watered, and have undergone decomposition.
Why is composting important?
Since most yard waste and food products are easily degradable under the correct conditions, placing them in a landfill unnecessarily wastes space and money. Compost also benefits soils by serving as a soil conditioner which enriches soil and improves its structure.
What can I compost?
Materials such as: leaves, twigs, small branches, bark, straw, grass clippings, paper, manures (cow, chicken, goat, horse, pig, and sheep,) fruit and vegetable scraps, egg shells, and coffee grounds. Materials that should not be put in a compost pile include: meat, cheese, fatty foods, dog and cat manure, and plants with diseases.
What type of bin should I use?
Composting is a natural process which will occur whether or not materials are in a bin. However, using a bin in your backyard will better contain materials. A compost bin can be as simple as a cylinder made from chicken wire or it can be a commercial unit. |
