Composting at Home

What is compost?

Compost is a mixture of decaying organic matter, such as grass, tree and shrub trimmings and leaves.  It is useful as a soil amendment material instead of peat moss, and as mulch.

What are the benefits of composting?

Composting enables you to recycle your yard wastes, returning organic matter to the soil and providing some nutrients for healthy plant growth.  The total volume of waste discards, or garbage, picked up by your garbage collection service every week can be reduced by almost 15% a year!  In the long run, composting helps you exercise, reduce what you discard, improve your garden and even save money!

How does it work?

By composting, you are creating conditions which speed up the natural process of decomposition.  It is easy because soil organisms, bacteria, mold, fungi, beetles, centipedes and earthworms, to name just a few, do the real work.  These “helpers” decompose complex organic compounds into simpler substances, making a rich, organic soil-like material called humus.

What can I compost?

You can choose different types of materials from the YES list for use in your compost pile.  This will provide a good carbon/nitrogen mix and allow the compost pile to decompose more readily.

What do I do?

First, you must set up an outside area or bin for your compost to live. The type of compost system you use will depend on how quickly you want the material to decompose, how much material you can reasonably compost and use, and the amount of space and time you have.  Composting is not difficult, once you have set up and get into the habit.  You can simply make your ingredients into a mound.  Compost bins are not necessary to make good compost, but they can help.  If compost piles are not adequately contained, decomposition will not proceed quickly and your pile may invite unwanted pests.

Ground rolling compost bin

. Open wire compost bin

. Pallet-built compost bin

. Trash can compost bin

There are many types of containers, which are easy to build.  A good rule is keeping it simple.  You can make a simple box or circular-shaped enclosure using chicken wire, scrap wood, hardware cloth, wooden pallets, bricks, concrete blocks or even recycled plastic lumber.   You can also use a metal or plastic bucket or trashcan, drilling 1/4” holes to increase the flow of air and moisture.

If you wish to purchase a compost bin, they are commercially available at most hardware stores in either metal or plastic and do not require a large investment.

COMPOST RECIPE

• Find a spot with good drainage, away from direct sunlight.
• Start with a layer of coarse material like twigs, straw or leaves.
• Add a layer of dry grass clippings and leaves (preferably chopped), mixed with kitchen waste like eggshells, coffee grounds, tea bags, fruit and vegetable scraps.
• Cover with a one-inch layer of soil and enough water so the soil is as moist as a damp sponge.
• Add more materials as they become available, taking care not to make any one layer of the same type of material thicker than six inches.
• Turn the mixture on a regular basis (weekly or bi-weekly) to provide air space and oxygen.
• You can also poke the mixture to provide air holes.
• Keep the pile moist but not soggy.
• Your compost pile will naturally heat up and decrease in volume as the material inside decomposes.
• Once the pile is established you may want to add food scraps in the centre of the pile, folding the scraps down and to the inside.
• When the material inside turns dark brown and crumbly, it is ready for use.
• Remove the material from the bottom of the pile. If you wish, screen the compost to remove items not totally decomposed and place these items back into the pile for a second try.

Pictures for this article were obtained from the Master Composters web site.

For more information on home composting you can also visit the home composting page on California's Waste Management Board web site.