Composting is nature working as it should! Anything biodegradable will eventually break down, but the rate of decomposition depends on the conditions. As you know from visiting the landfill, organic waste compressed in a landfill may take tens or hundreds of years to decompose! Not only does that create the greenhouse gas methane, but it is a waste of a valuable resource.
For general composting information visit The Compost Resource. Other great informational sources include the EPA, Master Composter, and composting for home gardeners.
Where to take yard waste
It is easy to start composting your kitchen scraps in your garden or vermicomposter, but what do you do with the big things like branches, wood waste, raked leaves, or grass clippings?
Many communities have curbside collection programs for yard waste or drop-off sites. Check with your waste provider to see if you can place your yard wastes at the curb.
If you are landscaping, follow the principles of the US EPA’s GreenScapes Program. Greenscaping will save you money, reduce waste, conserve water and energy, and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions.
Community Composting
What should I do if I would like to start a community composting program?
There are many steps to starting a community compost program, such as choosing a location for the pile, determining who will be responsible for maintaining the site, and how you will let residents in your community know about the site. You will want to be sure to begin by contacting the appropriate people in your community, such as the leaders in your municipality, that can help you make those kinds of decisions.
Promoting home composting is a great addition to existing community composting programs and will help gain public support for new organics programs. A mindful composting community will be more likely to support a larger scale project and sort materials properly, leading to a decrease in contamination and an increase in participation.
Backyard Composting
So, as we begin talking about compost, one of the most obvious questions is: how do I start a compost pile? In compost, microorganisms break down organic wastes. There are five necessary elements required for composting: food, water, oxygen, surface area and volume10.
To build a pile, you should alternate between layers of green and brown materials. (Green materials include fruit and vegetable scraps, brown materials are things like leaves and brown grass) Each layer should be approximately two to six inches deep. Sprinkle the pile with water to obtain a proper moisture level. Next, throw a couple of shovels full of soil onto the pile. The soil will introduce soil organisms to your compost pile. If you want to, you can mix the pile after you have built it. Mixing every month or so is good practice to get into.
For information on starting your own backyard compost site, contact the Monroe County MSU Extension Office.
Vermicomposting
If you live in
an apartment or work in an office where you do not have any yard space
for a compost bin, you could try vermicomposting. Vermicomposting means
composting with red wriggler worms. This type of composting can be done
indoors.
Setting
up a vermicompost is not too hard to do. All you need is a worm bin (it
could be a plastic bin or wooden box with air holes punched in it). You
should put a layer of bedding material, about a foot deep (such as
newspaper, sawdust or mulched leaves) on the bottom of the worm box and
keep the bedding material moist. You can then keep red wrigglers in
your worm box. To feed your worms, set aside food wastes throughout the
week and once or twice a week feed the worms.
What to put in your compost
Here is a list of things you can compost11
- Cardboard rolls
- Clean paper
- Coffee grounds and filters
- Cotton rags
- Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
- Eggshells
| - Fireplace ashes
- Fruits and vegetables
- Grass clippings
- Hair and fur
- Hay and straw
- Houseplants
- Leaves
| - Nut shells
- Sawdust
- Shredded newspaper
- Tea bags
- Wood chips
- Wool rags
- Yard trimmings
|
Do not put these in your compost bin/pile12:
- Meat, dairy, bones
- Pet wastes
- Mature weed seeds
- BBQ ashes
| - Eggs
- Peanut Butter
- Infected plants
- Plants high in toxins (e.g. rhubarb leaves)
| - Vegetable oil
- Salad dressing
- Waste from wood that has been treated with chemicals
|
What is Humus?
What
happens after we put our organic wastes into the compost bin? After you
have successfully set up your composting site, you can leave the micro
organisms to break down the wastes that you put into the bin. Humus is
the end product of composting and is one of the richest soil amendments
around. Applying compost on or in the soil adds organic matter rich in
nutrients. Plants, grass, shrubs, flowers, and vegetable gardens will
all benefit from compost's ability to improve soil quality and increase
fertility.
You
have to be careful not to use your humus on your garden until the
breakdown process has finished. If you apply humus too early, it could
cause stress to your plants. Your compost is finished when you can not
recognize the original contents and the compost is not generating much
heat. Finished compost will be dark with an earthy smell.
You
can use humus to fertilize your garden rather than buying chemical
fertilizers. You will be providing the plants with rich nutrients and
can save yourself money. Your compost will not only reduce the amount
of waste that reaches the landfill but it will improve your soils and
your growing conditions.
