Composting: One Man’s Trash is Another Man’s Treasure

I'm queen of my own compost heap & I'm getting used to the smell. -Ani DiFranco

A good compost pile should get hot enough to poach an egg, but not so hot it would cook a lobster. -Anonymous

The benefits of composting are many. For the organic gardener, it’s nature’s perfect soil amendment. For the tightwad, it’s free. For the environmentalist, it is a simple way to be more green, starting…now! More than one-third of organic, fast-decomposing material from our kitchens and gardens end up in plastic trash bags that can take up to 1000 years to decompose. A few simple changes will reduce your contribution to the unnecessary waste and spruce up your lawn and garden at the same time!

Composting is the process of tiny organisms breaking down organic (once living) material into humus, a natural soil amendment. These organisms, such as bacteria, fungi, worms, and insects might not be the most attractive part of your garden, but they are extremely useful! These tiny creatures take on the job of breaking down decomposing material and turning it into a soil amendment that contains exactly what your soil needs. Compost, the end product of the process, has nutrients that your plants use such as nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus. Composting will improve your soil’s aeration, structure, and texture, as well as its ability to hold water.

• Biodegradable: capable of decaying through the action of living organisms.
• Compost: (noun) a mixture of various decaying organic substances. (verb) to make compost.
• Decay: (verb) to deteriorate.
• Decompose: to separate or resolve into constituent parts or elements; disintegrate.
• Humus: the dark organic material in soils, produced by the decomposition of vegetable or animal matter and essential to the fertility of the earth.
• Soil Amendment: any material added to a soil to improve its physical properties.
• Organic Material: matter which has come from once-living organisms; is capable of decay, or the product of decay; or is composed of organic compounds.
• Organism: a form of life composed of mutually interdependent parts that maintain various vital processes.

It’s easy! At its most basic, composting can be as simple as throwing your scraps in a big pile on your lawn. However, most people prefer to have a more aesthetically-pleasing system.

• First, choose a level, well-drained area. Certain conditions will speed up the decaying process, so you should consider a few things when choosing a location. In a colder climate, keep the pile in a sunny spot to trap solar heat, and look for some shelter to protect the pile from freezing cold winds. If you live in a warm, dry climate, locate the pile in the shade so that it doesn't dry out too quickly.
• The time it takes for your organic materials to turn to humus depends on how much you want to manage it. If you don’t have a lot of time, the pile will turn on its own, but it could take up to a year. If you want to be more involved, you can shred and turn the material and have humus as fast as 3 weeks! You will recognize humus as a brown, crumbly substance. To the surprise of many people, it has an earthly smell, which is not at all unpleasant.
• A compost bin is a structure used to store the organic material that saves space, hastens the decaying process, and keeps the pile looking neat. These structures range in size and price, from homemade mesh cages to elaborate tumblers.

• Kitchen Scraps: This includes vegetable and fruit peelings, eggshells, rinds, teabags, and coffee grinds.
• Grass Clippings: A great source of nitrogen!
• Garden Refuse: Deadheaded flowers and weak plants are fine; just don’t add any weeds that have persistent roots.
• Dried Leaves: After the kids jump through the pile, add them to your compost bin!
• Others: Algae, seaweed, lake moss; cardboard, hair, newspaper, pine needles.

• Animal Products: Meat, fat, grease, oil, skin, bones.
• Fish Products: Stinky, Stinky.
• Pet Droppings: Avoid using cat or dog droppings; manure from horses, cows, sheep, rabbits, and chickens are OK.
• Ashes: Not from coal or charcoal.