Introduction to Composting
There are a number of ways you can get involved in composting from home:
- backyard composting
- indoor vermicomposting bin
- subscribing to a local food scraps collection service
- participating in a food scraps drop-off program in your local community
Why Composting is Important
Composting organic materials such as yard trimmings and food scraps reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or combustion facilities. Preventing organics from landfills reduces the production of methane, a power greenhouse gas.
Adding compost to the soil:
- provides valuable nutrients;
- improves soil structure;
- adds beneficial soil micro-organisms;
- suppresses certain plant diseases
- reduces the need for fertilizers and pesticides; and
- helps prevent soil erosion and nutrient run-off.
How to Compost at Home
Composting at home is easy; all it takes is a little time, effort and patience. After plants and animals die, they decompose naturally as bacteria and fungi go to work breaking down the remains. Once decayed, the original material is no longer recognizable and takes the form of a rich, dark, soil-like substance. When humans help this process along it is called composting and the product is called compost.
For good composting, the bacteria and fungi that do most of the work must have four things to thrive, which are captured in this simple rhyme:
Making compost takes some care; add greens, browns, water and air.
- Greens are your nitrogen source and include food scraps (such as fruit and vegetable peels, coffee grounds, tea bags and old bread), fresh grass clippings, fresh weeds and manure.
- Browns are your carbon source and include fallen leaves, dry weeds, shredded paper, wood chips and straw. Browns provide structure for the pile, allowing air to flow more freely.
- Air - Compost microorganisms need oxygen! While not necessary, turning (or mixing) the pile twice a month will add more air and speed up breakdown.
- Water - Composting works best with the right amount of moisture. If the pile is too wet, add some leaves, shredded newspaper or sawdust. If it's too dry, add some water.
DEC's composting pamphlet (PDF) can help you start composting!
Vermicomposting
If you can't compost outside, go inside with a worm bin.
Composting with worms is known as vermicomposting and you need four things to get started - a bin, bedding, worms (red wigglers recommended) and food scraps. Red wigglers are attracted to food odors and eat the degrading food and microorganisms, which really reduces odors in the bin! As worms eat their way through the food scraps in your bin, they create castings which can be used as a soil amendment in your house plants or garden.
What You Can Compost at Home
- Fruit and vegetables
- Coffee grounds
- Indoor plant trimmings
- Yard trimmings
- Leaves
What You Can't Compost at Home
- NO meat, fish, poultry, bones, or fatty foods such as cheese and oils. These attract animals and do not compost well in a home system.
- NO dairy products. They attract animals and do not compost well in a home system.
- NO cat litter or dog feces. These materials may contain disease organisms that remain after composting.
- NO plants that spread through stems (rhizomes) or roots (e.g. ivy, grass).
How to Use Compost
- Compost has many uses around the home. It is ready to use when it is dark and crumbly, and smells earthy. This usually takes 6 months to one year.
- Gardens and Lawns: Mix it into the garden soil or sprinkle it on the lawn to improve moisture retention and soil texture, and to add beneficial microorganisms and nutrients.
- Prior to adding compost to the lawn it is best to screen it with a ½ inch mesh or smaller.
- Landscaping: Use it around garden beds, trees or shrubs as a mulch.
- House Plants: Use 1/2 to 1/3 of your container volume instead of soil.
Trouble Shooting Your Compost Pile
Watch DEC's Gary Feinland discuss trouble shooting your backyard compost pile.
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| The Pile Smells | Too many "greens" | Add more browns and turn the pile |
| Not enough air | Turn the pile | |
| Too much water | Add dry browns and turn the pile (Just a few drops should come out when you squeeze a handful of the partly degraded composting material.) | |
| The Pile Isn't Doing Anything | Pile is too small | Increase the size of the pile and add more material. |
| Too wet/not enough air | Turn the pile, add more browns. | |
| There are too many browns | Add more greens and mix in. | |
| The Pile Freezes in the Winter | Pile too small and not insulated | Increase the size of the pile and add more material. Add a layer of browns around the bin as insulation. |
| Flies are on top of the Pile | Food is not buried | Bury food three inches under browns or composting material. |
| Animals are Attracted to the Bin | Food is not buried | Bury food three inches under browns or composting material. |
| Bin is not Animal Resistant | Use 1/2 inch hardware cloth around the bin. |
