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What
is Composting?
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How to Compost Materials The two most important food sources for bacteria are carbon and nitrogen. Carbon sources are usually brown materials like leaves, straw, etc. Nitrogen sources are green materials like fresh grass clippings or fruit and vegetable scraps. A list of common brown and green materials:
The key to having a rich finished product is to add a variety of materials. This will add a variety of nutrients to the compost, which one material, such as grass clippings can not solely provide.
To achieve the 50/50 ratio of green and brown materials, it is important to layer materials. When starting a pile, begin with about a 5-10 cm layer of brown twiggy material. This will help with airflow and drainage at the bottom of the pile. Then add a green layer. Continue to layer as much as possible, as it will help you get the right mix of materials, and will stop things like grass clippings from matting into thick clumps.
The top
layer should always be a brown layer, such as leaves or straw. When
you add kitchen scraps, pull back the brown layer, and bury the scraps
in the middle. The top brown layer will help keep smells down, and burying
the kitchen scraps will keep pests away. Two Approaches Do you generate a lot of yard and kitchen waste? Do you use one or more compost bins? Usually one bin works when first starting to compost but once you start seeing how amazing the process is, and understand all the benefits for your garden and for the environment, you may want to start a second or third bin to accommodate all your waste. Why remove all those nutrients from your property when you can create a rich resource in your own backyard.
What Your Compost Needs  Moisture
Just like we need water to survive, so do bacteria and other organisms. Bacteria also use water films as transportation routes. Too much water however, blocks air-flow, and will create odours. The general rule of thumb is to keep the pile as moist as a “wrung out sponge.” If you find that the compost pile is dry, take a hose or watering can, and add some water. If it is too wet, and starts to smell, add some dry brown materials to soak up excess water. Air
Turning the pile adds air and speeds up decomposition. There are both aerobic (need oxygen) and anaerobic (no oxygen) bacteria. It is the anaerobic bacteria that produce methane gas. These are the bacteria that breakdown materials in the landfill. Methane though, is a very powerful greenhouse gas. It is 22 times more powerful than CO2 at creating climate change. For this reason, in backyard composting, we want to encourage aerobic bacteria, which do not produce methane. To do this, air must be allowed to flow through the pile. The more you turn the pile, using a pitchfork or an aerating tool, the faster the composting process will work. By turning the pile once a week, compost can be ready in as soon as 3 months. If you ever have trouble with your compost, either because of smells, or lack of efficiency, the first way to remedy the problem is to aerate. The
Bin
A bin is important for composting for a number of reasons. It keeps the pile confined to an area, which is both convenient and aesthetic. Also, it can prevent rodents or other animals from getting into the compost. The bin should be placed directly on the ground, on a flat, well-drained area. It can be in the sun or in the shade. It should be in a place that is convenient for you to get to. Finding a Bin If you are
looking for a bin, here are three options:
Three important things to remember
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