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| Composting In-Outdoor |
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Composting In-Outdoor.php
Compost is the single most important supplement you can give your garden soil.
Composting
is a simple way to add 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.
Benefits
Soil
conditioner.
With
compost, you are creating rich humus for lawn and garden. This adds nutrients
to your plants
and helps retain moisture in the soil.
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.
| What
to Compost |
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 pellets
|
Carbon |
high carbon
levels; add
in layers to avoid clumping |
| wood
chips / pellets |
Carbon |
high carbon
levels; use
sparingly |
|
You
can also add garden soil to your compost. A layer of soil will help to mask any odours, and
micro-organisms in the soil will accelerate the composting process.
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 container with a lid and a handle under the
sink. Consider using a stainless steel or recycled plastic compost
pail. If you don't mind occasional smells, use an old ice-cream
pail. Chop up any large chunks before you toss them in. When the
container is full, take it out to your composter.
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. Adding a Compost Plus product can help.
Click here to read the EPA Backyard Compost Guide.
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