what to compost, how to compost
simplest composting methods
enclosed composting bins, build your own bin
tips for successful composting, buy a compost bin
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Compost is the single most important supplement you can give your garden soil.
Compost adds nutrient-rich humus which fuels plant growth and restores vitality to depleted soil.
It's also free, easy to make and good for the environment.
Recycles kitchen and yard waste. Composting can divert as much as 30% of household waste away from the garbage can.
Introduces beneficial organisms to the soil. Microscopic organisms in compost help aerate the soil, break down organic material for plant use and ward off plant disease.
Good for the environment. Composting offers a natural alternative to chemical fertilizers.
Reduces landfill waste. Most landfills in North America are quickly filling up; many have already closed down. One-third of landfill waste is made up of compostable materials.
Material |
Carbon/Nitrogen |
Info |
| table scraps | Nitrogen |
add with dry carbon items |
| fruit & vegetable scraps | Nitrogen |
add with dry carbon items |
| eggshells | neutral |
best when crushed |
| leaves | Carbon |
leaves break down faster when shredded |
| grass clippings | Nitrogen |
add in thin layers so they don't mat into clumps |
| garden plants | -- |
use disease-free plants only |
| lawn & garden weeds | Nitrogen |
only use weeds which have not gone to seed |
| shrub prunings | Carbon |
woody prunings are slow to break down |
| straw or hay | Carbon |
straw is best; hay (with seeds) is less ideal |
| green comfrey leaves | Nitrogen |
excellent compost 'activator' |
| pine needles | Carbon |
acidic; use in moderate amounts |
| flowers, cuttings | Nitrogen |
chop up any long woody stems |
| seaweed and kelp | Nitrogen |
rinse first; good source for trace minerals |
| wood ash | Carbon |
only use ash from clean materials; sprinkle lightly |
| chicken manure | Nitrogen |
excellent compost 'activator' |
| coffee grounds | Nitrogen |
filters may also be included |
| tea leaves | Nitrogen |
loose or in bags |
| newspaper | Carbon |
avoid using glossy paper and colored inks |
| shredded paper | Carbon |
avoid using glossy paper and colored inks |
| cardboard | Carbon |
shred material to avoid matting |
| corn cobs, stalks | Carbon |
slow to decompose; best if chopped up |
| dryer lint | Carbon |
best if from natural fibers |
| sawdust | Carbon |
high carbon levels; add in layers to avoid clumping |
| wood chips | Carbon |
high carbon levels; use sparingly |
Do not compost meat, bones or fish scraps (they will attract pests), perennial weeds (they can be spread with the compost) or diseased plants. Do not not include pet manures in compost that will be used on food crops. Banana peels, peach peels and orange rinds may contain pesticide residue, and should be kept out of the compost. Black walnut leaves should not be composted. Sawdust may be added to the compost, but should be mixed or scattered thinly to avoid clumping. Be sure sawdust is clean, with no machine oil or chain oil residues from cutting equipment.
For
kitchen wastes, keep a Iarge plastic container with a lid and a
handle under the sink. Chop up any large chunks before you toss
them in. When the container is full, then empty it into the compost pile.
This reduces the number of trips you'll have to make.
With yard and garden wastes, different composting materials will decompose
at different rates but they will all break down eventually. If you want
to speed up the composting process, chop the larger material into smaller
pieces. Leaves and grass clippings are also excellent for compost, but
should be sprinkled into the bin with other materials, or put on in thin
layers. Otherwise they will mat together and take longer to compost.
Lay twigs or straw first, a few inches deep. This aids drainage and helps aerate the pile.
Add compost materials in layers, alternating moist and dry. Moist ingredients are food scraps, tea bags, seaweed, etc. Dry materials are straw, leaves and wood ashes. If you have wood ashes, sprinkle in thin layers, or they will clump together and be slow to break down.
Add manure, green manure ( clover, buckwheat, wheatgrass ) or any nitrogen source. This activates the compost pile and speeds the process along.
Keep compost moist. Water occasionally, or let rain do the job.
Cover with anything you have - wood, plastic sheeting, carpet scraps. Covering helps retain moisture and heat, two essentials for compost. Covering also prevents the compost from being over-watered rain. The compost should be moist, but not soaked and sodden.
Turn. Every few weeks give the pile a quick turn with a pitchfork or shovel. This aerates the pile. Oxygen is required for the process to work, and turning "adds" oxygen. You can skip this step if you have a ready supply of coarse material, like straw. (See below)
All compostable materials are either carbon or nitrogen-based. The secret to a healthy compost pile is simple: maintain a working balance between these two elements.
Nitrogen - nitrogen or protein-rich matter (manures, food scraps, leafy materials like lawn clippings and green leaves) provides raw materials for making enzymes.
The biggest chore with composting is turning the pile from time to time. However, with 'no-turn composting', your compost can be aerated without turning.
The secret is to thoroughly mix in enough coarse material, like straw, when building the pile. The compost will develop as fast as if it were turned regularly, and studies show that the nitrogen level may be even higher than turned compost.
With 'no-turn' composting, add new materials to the top of the pile, and harvest fresh compost from the bottom of the bin.
If you have too many leaves to incorporate into the compost bin, you can simply compost the pile of leaves by itself. Locate the pile where drainage is adequate; a shaded area will help keep the surface moist.
The leaf pile should be at least 4' in diameter and 3' in height. The pile should be damp enough that when a sample taken from the interior is squeezed by hand, a few drops of moisture will appear. The pile should not be packed too tightly.
The pile will compost in 4 - 6 months, with the material being dark and crumbly. Leaf compost is best used as an organic soil amendment and conditioner; it is not normally used as a fertilizer because it is low in nutrients.
You can also use leaves to make a nutrituous "tea" for your plants. Simply wrap a small pile of leaves in burlap and immerse in a garbage can or large bucket of water. Leave for three days, then remove the "tea bag" and dump contents into the compost. Scoop out the enriched water with a smaller bucket and use to water your plants and shrubs.
Another option is a semi-enclosed bin. A trade name for this is compost digester. These bins are enclosed on the sides and top, and are open on the bottom so they sit directly on the ground. These are among the most common composting units for homes in residential areas where bins tend to be smaller, yet enclosed enough to discourage pests. For more info about this type of composter, click here.
An enclosed 'tumbler' system offer the following benefits:
- speeds up the composting process
- can compost year-round, due to higher internal temperature
- reduces or eliminate odors, pest proof
- keeps compost neatly enclosed, well-suited for residential areas
For
more info, or to purchase a compost tumbler, click
here
~ Flying insects attracted to your compost? Small fruit flies, especially, are naturally attracted to the compost pile. They can be discouraged by simply covering any exposed fruit or vegetable matter. Keep a small pile of grass clippings next to your compost bin, and when you add new kitchen waste to the pile, cover it with one or two inches of clippings. Adding lime or calcium will also discourage flies.
~ Unpleasant odors from your compost pile? This can be a concern in urban and suburban areas with small lots and neighbors living close by. Odors can be reduced, or eliminated, by following two practices: first, remember to not put bones or meat scraps into the compost; second, cover new additions to the compost pile with dry grass clippings or similar mulch. Adding lime or calcium will also neutralize odors. If the compost smells like ammonia, add carbon-rich elements such as straw, peat moss or dried leaves/
~ Is your compost pile steaming? No problem. A hot, steamy pile means that you have a large community of microscopic critters working away at making compost.
~ Matted leaves, grass clipping clumping together? This is a common problem with materials thrown into the composter. The wet materials stick together and slow the aeration process. There are two simple solutions: either set these materials to the side of the composter and add them gradually with other ingredients, or break them apart with a pitchfork. Grass clippings and leaves should be mixed with rest of the composting materials for best results.
~ Problems with raccoons? If there's a population of raccoons in your area, they will be naturally attracted to your compost pile. The best solution to this problem is to bar their entry to the compost. (Traps and poisons are usually more trouble than they're worth.) A wood or metal lid can be easily hinged to the bin described above on this page, or you can buy a commercially-made compost bin with secure fitted lids which are pest-proof.
~ A moveable feast. The soil beneath a compost bin becomes enriched as nutrients filter down with successive waterings. You can place your bin on a plot of earth which you plan to use for a future vegetable or flower bed, or fruit tree. Each year, you can move the bin to a different area; you'll get a double benefit - the compost from the bin, and a bed of nutrient-rich soil ready for new plantings.
~ Additive only. Compost should be used as a soil additive, and not as the 100% growing medium.
Gardener's Gold™ Premium Compost
A premium "finished compost" made from organic materials. It contains no animal manures, sludge or industrial wastes (which other bagged composts may contain). The materials have decomposed for a minimum of two years.
Price: $11.95 buy Gardener's Gold Compost
Compost 'Digester' Bin
With just this compact bin and your own yard wastes, you can produce a steady supply of rich, fertile humus for your garden! The bin's design speeds the composting process, and attractive enough that you won't need to hide it from neighbors.
Price: $99.95 buy Compost Digester more info
Compost Tumbler - two models available
This top-of-the-line compost tumbler makes 9 cu ft of compost in as little as 13 days. The fully sealed system is also ideal for urban gardens and homes with small yards.
(A smaller model makes 7.5 cu ft. Price: $159.95)
Price: $209.95 buy compost tumbler more info
AutoFlow Composter - two models available
These continuous-use composters have a unique Autoflow® feature, which directs the finished compost into an inner chamber. You can remove and use this compost while the raw composting materials in the outer chamber continue to break down.
Price: $285.00 buy composter more info
NatureMill Indoor Composter
Indoor composting is now made easy with the NatureMill composter. An internal air filtration system eliminates unpleasant odors. The NatureMill automatically mixes, heats and aerates kitchen waste into valuable compost in as little as two weeks.
Price: $299.00 buy composter more info
How to build your own compost bin
Buy a compost bin
Buy a compost tumbler
The new AutoFlow composters
NatureMill composters - for indoor composting
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