Questions About Composting
GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPOSTING? WE HAVE THE ANSWERS.
1. What is composting?
Composting is a natural process, and when carried out under controlled conditions, converts organic material (like food scraps and garden waste) into a product called compost. During composting, various microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, break down organic material.
2. Why should I compost?
Although organic waste may not seem harmful - it actually represents more than 30% of all the material sent to landfill sites. When organic material is held in a landfill, it produces harmful gases. In addition, as water runs through this decomposing waste, toxic liquid runs out the bottom.
3. What are the benefits of composting?
Composting can play an important role in solid waste management programs and greatly reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. In addition, composting conserves resources, reduces pollution, reduces landfill and waste disposal costs, and builds healthy soil.
4. What can and cannot be composted?
What's in - fruits and vegetables, baked goods, rice and other grains, dried corn stalks, pasta, peanut shells, coffee grounds and filters, tea leaves and bags, egg shells, paper towels, egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, cereal boxes, dry leaves, dried and untreated grass clippings, weeds, twigs, small branches, sawdust, plants (non-diseased), and grass clippings.
What's out - all meat and fish products, bones, fat and oils, all dairy products, weeds that have gone to seed, diseased plants, dog and cat waste, and plants previously sprayed with non-degradable pesticides.
5. What are brown and green materials?
Your compost pile requires both carbon and nitrogen to work properly. Brown materials supply carbon and they include things like dry leaves, woodchips, dry grass, and paper products. Green materials provide nitrogen and include things like fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags, and fresh grass clippings.
6. Where should I put my backyard composter?
The composter should be placed in a partially sunny, well drained, and convenient area.
7. How do I start composting?
Step 1: Decide on a compost bin and location.
Step 2: Build your compost pile. Start by layering brown and green materials. Begin with a layer of browns, then add a layer of greens, finish by covering with a layer of browns ensuring that the materials are fairly evenly balanced by weight, not volume. As you add to the pile throughout the season, continue alternating layers of browns and greens, always finishing with a layer of browns on top.
Step 3: Sprinkle with water (if necessary).
Step 4: Add a couple of shovels of soil, and mix everything together.
Step 5: As you add new compost material, turn the compost by moving material from the outside to the centre, and from the bottom to the top and vice-versa.
8. How long does the composting process take?
The composting process can take from two months to two years, depending on the type of composter, the ingredients, and the amount of effort you put into turning the pile. Compost is ready to use when it looks dark and crumbly and none of the original ingredients are visible. A simple way to test if compost is finished is to seal a small sample in a plastic bag for 24 to 48 hours. If no strong odours are released when you open the bag, the compost is done.
9. Can I compost in the winter?
Composting doesn’t have to stop when the weather gets cold, in fact, you can compost successfully all year long.
Although decomposition will slow down during the winter months – those hard-working microbes are dormant when the internal temperature is less than 10oC – decomposition will speed up again in the spring. Even if your compost pile freezes altogether, you can continue adding material throughout the winter that will break down when the temperature rises.
Preparation
* Store leaves in a covered container near your compost bin – this will allow you to maintain the proper "brown" / "green" layering throughout the winter months (for a proper carbon-to-nitrogen ratio).
* You can insulate your compost by placing bags of leaves or bails of hay around the bin. Note: This is not recommended in areas that are prone to rodents.
Location
* Choose a location for you bin that will allow for easy access all year long – unless you don’t mind shoveling a path to your bin.
* Place your bin where it will receive direct sunlight for at least part of the day.
* Locate your bin in a well-drained area – your compost will produce extra moisture when it starts to thaw in the spring.
Maintenance
* Help add oxygen by turning your pile periodically throughout the winter (when the temperature allows)
* Add leaves to your compost as it thaws in the spring – this will help soak up extra moisture.
Other Tips
* Place a covered garbage bin just outside your door to collect organic waste that can be added to your compost bin in the spring.
* Start composting indoors with a vermicompost bin.
10. What should I do if my compost starts to smell?
If your compost pile emits strong odours, it may not be getting enough air and/or is getting too much water. To fix smelly compost add some brown material, mix in some healthy garden soil, aerate the pile, then top it off with a layer of brown material.
11. Will my compost pile attract pests?
Unwelcome pests are often a result of the layout of the larger area you live in. While backyard composting will not attract new pest populations to your property, a poorly maintained pile may attract existing local populations, making them more visible to you.
Composting correctly ensures a healthy compost pile that is unattractive to pests. To ensure that your compost bin stays pest-free, keep the following tips in mind.
Setting up your bin
* Buy or make a rodent-resistant bin – one that has a secure lid and no opening larger than ¼ inch.
* Fasten your bin to the ground with stakes or screws, or place bricks or flat stones around the base of your bin – this will discourage burrowing.
* Line the bottom of your bin with galvanized wire mesh – this will prevent rodents from burrowing up through, while allowing for proper drainage.
* Locate your bin away from things that offer food or shelter for rodents such as bird feeders, open water, wood piles, sheds and shrubbery.
* Place your bin at least a foot away from fences, desk or buildings.
Adding materials
* Avoid materials that encourage rodent feeding or nesting such as grains, meat, fish, oils and dairy products.
* Cover exposed food, such as "green" kitchen waste, with a layer of "brown" material, such as dried leaves or shredded newspaper – this will also keeps wasps, bees and fruit flies away.
Maintenance
* Harvest finished compost at the bottom of the bin – his will discourage pests from nesting in the warm compost.
* Keep you compost as moist as a wrung-out sponge – pests will be attracted to nest in a dry compost pile.
12. My compost is not composting. Am I doing anything wrong?
If you pile is:
* too wet - turn, add dry materials, and cover
* too dry - turn, add water, and mix thoroughly
* too warm to the touch - turn and add green material
* emitting strong odours - turn the pile and add brown materials
* not heating up - if the pile is damp and sweet smelling but not heating, it may need nitrogen. Add grass clippings, table scraps, or a small amount of organic fertilizer.
13. What can I do with grass clippings from my lawn?
It is a good idea to leave grass clippings on your lawn. Clippings are an important source of nutrients and they can help reduce the need forCompost can be used around the home for fertilizing flower beds, vegetable gardens, adding with soil on newly seeded lawns, or as a mulch around plants and established lawns.
For additional composting information visit
Composting Council of Canada
Master Composter
Composting is a natural process, and when carried out under controlled conditions, converts organic material (like food scraps and garden waste) into a product called compost. During composting, various microorganisms, including bacteria and fungi, break down organic material.
2. Why should I compost?
Although organic waste may not seem harmful - it actually represents more than 30% of all the material sent to landfill sites. When organic material is held in a landfill, it produces harmful gases. In addition, as water runs through this decomposing waste, toxic liquid runs out the bottom.
3. What are the benefits of composting?
Composting can play an important role in solid waste management programs and greatly reduce the amount of waste going to landfill. In addition, composting conserves resources, reduces pollution, reduces landfill and waste disposal costs, and builds healthy soil.
4. What can and cannot be composted?
What's in - fruits and vegetables, baked goods, rice and other grains, dried corn stalks, pasta, peanut shells, coffee grounds and filters, tea leaves and bags, egg shells, paper towels, egg cartons, toilet paper rolls, cereal boxes, dry leaves, dried and untreated grass clippings, weeds, twigs, small branches, sawdust, plants (non-diseased), and grass clippings.
What's out - all meat and fish products, bones, fat and oils, all dairy products, weeds that have gone to seed, diseased plants, dog and cat waste, and plants previously sprayed with non-degradable pesticides.
5. What are brown and green materials?
Your compost pile requires both carbon and nitrogen to work properly. Brown materials supply carbon and they include things like dry leaves, woodchips, dry grass, and paper products. Green materials provide nitrogen and include things like fruits and vegetables, coffee grounds, tea bags, and fresh grass clippings.
6. Where should I put my backyard composter?
The composter should be placed in a partially sunny, well drained, and convenient area.
7. How do I start composting?
Step 1: Decide on a compost bin and location.
Step 2: Build your compost pile. Start by layering brown and green materials. Begin with a layer of browns, then add a layer of greens, finish by covering with a layer of browns ensuring that the materials are fairly evenly balanced by weight, not volume. As you add to the pile throughout the season, continue alternating layers of browns and greens, always finishing with a layer of browns on top.
Step 3: Sprinkle with water (if necessary).
Step 4: Add a couple of shovels of soil, and mix everything together.
Step 5: As you add new compost material, turn the compost by moving material from the outside to the centre, and from the bottom to the top and vice-versa.
8. How long does the composting process take?
The composting process can take from two months to two years, depending on the type of composter, the ingredients, and the amount of effort you put into turning the pile. Compost is ready to use when it looks dark and crumbly and none of the original ingredients are visible. A simple way to test if compost is finished is to seal a small sample in a plastic bag for 24 to 48 hours. If no strong odours are released when you open the bag, the compost is done.
9. Can I compost in the winter?
Composting doesn’t have to stop when the weather gets cold, in fact, you can compost successfully all year long.
Although decomposition will slow down during the winter months – those hard-working microbes are dormant when the internal temperature is less than 10oC – decomposition will speed up again in the spring. Even if your compost pile freezes altogether, you can continue adding material throughout the winter that will break down when the temperature rises.
Preparation
* Store leaves in a covered container near your compost bin – this will allow you to maintain the proper "brown" / "green" layering throughout the winter months (for a proper carbon-to-nitrogen ratio).
* You can insulate your compost by placing bags of leaves or bails of hay around the bin. Note: This is not recommended in areas that are prone to rodents.
Location
* Choose a location for you bin that will allow for easy access all year long – unless you don’t mind shoveling a path to your bin.
* Place your bin where it will receive direct sunlight for at least part of the day.
* Locate your bin in a well-drained area – your compost will produce extra moisture when it starts to thaw in the spring.
Maintenance
* Help add oxygen by turning your pile periodically throughout the winter (when the temperature allows)
* Add leaves to your compost as it thaws in the spring – this will help soak up extra moisture.
Other Tips
* Place a covered garbage bin just outside your door to collect organic waste that can be added to your compost bin in the spring.
* Start composting indoors with a vermicompost bin.
10. What should I do if my compost starts to smell?
If your compost pile emits strong odours, it may not be getting enough air and/or is getting too much water. To fix smelly compost add some brown material, mix in some healthy garden soil, aerate the pile, then top it off with a layer of brown material.
11. Will my compost pile attract pests?
Unwelcome pests are often a result of the layout of the larger area you live in. While backyard composting will not attract new pest populations to your property, a poorly maintained pile may attract existing local populations, making them more visible to you.
Composting correctly ensures a healthy compost pile that is unattractive to pests. To ensure that your compost bin stays pest-free, keep the following tips in mind.
Setting up your bin
* Buy or make a rodent-resistant bin – one that has a secure lid and no opening larger than ¼ inch.
* Fasten your bin to the ground with stakes or screws, or place bricks or flat stones around the base of your bin – this will discourage burrowing.
* Line the bottom of your bin with galvanized wire mesh – this will prevent rodents from burrowing up through, while allowing for proper drainage.
* Locate your bin away from things that offer food or shelter for rodents such as bird feeders, open water, wood piles, sheds and shrubbery.
* Place your bin at least a foot away from fences, desk or buildings.
Adding materials
* Avoid materials that encourage rodent feeding or nesting such as grains, meat, fish, oils and dairy products.
* Cover exposed food, such as "green" kitchen waste, with a layer of "brown" material, such as dried leaves or shredded newspaper – this will also keeps wasps, bees and fruit flies away.
Maintenance
* Harvest finished compost at the bottom of the bin – his will discourage pests from nesting in the warm compost.
* Keep you compost as moist as a wrung-out sponge – pests will be attracted to nest in a dry compost pile.
12. My compost is not composting. Am I doing anything wrong?
If you pile is:
* too wet - turn, add dry materials, and cover
* too dry - turn, add water, and mix thoroughly
* too warm to the touch - turn and add green material
* emitting strong odours - turn the pile and add brown materials
* not heating up - if the pile is damp and sweet smelling but not heating, it may need nitrogen. Add grass clippings, table scraps, or a small amount of organic fertilizer.
13. What can I do with grass clippings from my lawn?
It is a good idea to leave grass clippings on your lawn. Clippings are an important source of nutrients and they can help reduce the need forCompost can be used around the home for fertilizing flower beds, vegetable gardens, adding with soil on newly seeded lawns, or as a mulch around plants and established lawns.
For additional composting information visit
Composting Council of Canada
Master Composter
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Contact Information:
35 Main Road Petty Harbour NL A0A 3H0 Tel: 709-368-3959 Fax: 709-368-3994 Email: sstack@phmc.nf.net |