A Basic Composting Guide

What is Composting?

Composting is the decomposition of plant remains and other once-living materials to make an earthy, dark substance that is excellent for adding to houseplants or enriching garden soil. It is an easy way to recycle your yard and kitchen wastes, and is a critical step in reducing the volume of garbage needlessly sent to landfills for disposal.

Compost benefits the soil in a number of ways, such as adding organic matter, which improves the way water interacts with the soil; helps add porosity, making it drain more quickly; and it inoculates the soil with many beneficial microbes (fungi, bacteria, etc.) that help pass nutrients on to plants.

Materials Needed

   Food – There are two major kinds of food that microbes need:

                   1) “Browns” are dry and dead plant materials such as straw, dry brown weeds,

                                     autumn leaves, and wood chips or sawdust. 

                   2) “Greens” are fresh plant materials such as green weeds, kitchen fruit and

                                     vegetable scraps, green leaves, coffee grounds, tea bags, manure,

                                     etc. 

 A generous mix of browns and greens is the best nutritional balance for microbes.    

 This mix also helps maintain proper aeration and the amount of water in the  

 compost pile.                     

    Air – Composting microbes are aerobic — they can’t work well unless they are provided

            with air.  Some compost ingredients, such as green grass clippings or wet leaves mat

            down very easily into slimy layers that don’t allow air to pass through easily.  Other   

            ingredients, such as straw should be added throughout the pile.  Thoroughly break up     

            or mix ingredients completely with a spade or garden fork at least a couple of times a

            month.

   Water – Your compost pile should be as moist as a wrung-out sponge to fit the needs of

                most microbes.  If you are using dry ingredients, such as autumn leaves or straw,

                you will need to moisten them as you add them to the pile. 

What NOT to Compost

   Chemically-Treated Wood Products – Pressure-treated wood contains arsenic, a highly toxic

                                                            element.  This arsenic can be leached into the soil if

                                                         added to your compost pile.

   Meat, Bones, and Fatty Foods – These materials are very attractive to pests, such as rats,

                                                  raccoons, etc.  In addition, fatty foods break down much   

                                                  more slowly than other ingredients.

   Pet Wastes – Dog and cat feces can carry diseases that can infect humans.  It’s best never

                       to use them in compost piles. 

How to Use Your Finished Compost

Finished compost is dark in color and has an earthy smell (like the smell of soil).  It is generally difficult to recognize any of the original ingredients, although bits of hard-to-decompose materials may sometimes be seen. 

Most people apply their compost to their garden soil, by digging it in prior to spring planting.  Compost can also be used as mulch around landscape or garden plants.  Compost can be added with water to form a liquid, which can be used for ailing houseplants or seedlings and transplants.