Today is National Composting Day. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines compost as “organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow”. Composting is just another way for us to help keep our Earth healthy and cutting down on trash. Everyone has food scraps, whether that be an orange peel, or a tea bag. They may not be edible for you, but they all contain nutrients that can benefit our planet. Instead of throwing those pieces away, try composting them. The EPA claims that 30% of what we throw away is food scraps and yard waste that can become a rich fertilizer for your own garden or lawn. Here are some ways to turn your human food into plant food.
Create a Compost Bin
The best way to start a compost pile is in an outdoor bin. With a closed bin, you won’t have to worry about unwanted critters getting into it, and it will keep your yard looking nicer. You won’t need a bin as big as your regular garbage or recycling bin, but you still want a good amount of space to build on. Try a bin about waist height.
Most organic matter can be composted, either from your kitchen or garden. This long list includes egg shells, cut flowers or stems, coffee grounds, and pet hair or hair from your own brush. Some things that can not be composted are dairy products, meat, fish or fish scales, coal or grease and oils.
Greens and Browns
When building your pile, you really want to make sure that you have an equal amount of green waste and brown waste. This keeps your compost healthy and maintains balance. The green waste is moist matter like fruits and vegetables while brown waste is dry matter like dried out leaves or old newspaper. Green waste is rich in nitrogen while brown waste is rich in carbon.
Make sure to give your pile oxygen and moisture. Every so often, be sure to sprinkle the pile with water if your scraps arn’t wet enough on their own. Tip: If your pile smells like anything other than earthy dirt then there is an off balance somewhere and it is either not getting enough moisture or browns.
Timing
The scraps will start to turn to soil over the first few weeks. Mix everything up in the bin every week or two with a shovel to really marry everything and help the matter work together. If you don’t see progress after week 3 or so, add more green material and add more moisture to the pile. If you aren't seeing progress and its smelly and too wet, add more brown material. If this is the case, turn it more often. You will know when it’s ready because the compost will look and smell like regular planting soil.
Now What?
Sprinkle the compost on top of your garden beds. This is not a replacement for your soil, but is a natural fertilizer to keep your plants and flowers healthy. Add it to your plants a couple times a year for the best results
Inside
If you are composting inside, make sure to get a bucket or bin with a tight-fitting lid. You don’t want it to start smelling in your kitchen. You can line the bin with a biodegradable bag for easy removal. You are going to want to remove this often because it may smell or fill up quickly. To do this, just place the bag in the freezer. Find a convenient drop off location to get the compost to a farmer if you don’t need them for yourself.
