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From the Composting
101 Community Education and Promotion website (Dec.
27, 2007)
http://www.marquisproject.com/composting101/howcomp.html
Composting is the art
of turning organic waste into a rich soil amendment
called humus. Backyard composting is easy to learn
and is full of benefits for you and the environment.
Organic wastes that can be composted include fruit
and vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, grass
clippings and leaves. Some things you should not
include in your backyard compost include meat or
dairy products and weed seeds.
The Five Key
Factors To
make an effective efficient compost pile, you need
to consider these five key factors:
• Food: The
Fifty-Fifty Rule: A perfect mixture of
material consists of ½ brown (carbon-based material)
and ½ green (nitrogen-based) material by weight.
• Air: To
Turn or Not to Turn: The organisms that live
inside your compost bin need air to survive. Mix or
turn the pile three to five times per season using a
pitchfork, garden hoe or shovel. Proper aeration can
make a big difference. You will know if your bin is
not getting enough oxygen if the pile smells of
ammonia.
• Water:
Moist, Not Damp: The organisms need water to
survive, but not too much or they will drown. The
ideal moisture level of your compost pile should be
like that of a wrung out sponge.
• Surface
Area: Small is Best: Cutup or shred organic
waste materials before placing them into the compost
bin. This increases the surface area and speeds up
decomposition. You can also store your kitchen
scraps in your freezer to speed up decomposition, as
your materials break down at the cell level when
frozen.
• Bin
Volume: Not Too Big: A bin should be between
3’ x 3’ x ’3 and 5’x 5’ x 5’. A bin that is too
small cannot retain enough heat. If the bin is too
large, it won’t get enough air to the centre of the
pile. It is also easier to manage two or three
medium bins that one large one. You can build a
compost bin yourself out of new or recycled
materials, or you can buy one at a home or garden
centre.
From the
Composting 101 Community Education and Promotion
website (Dec. 27, 2007)
http://www.marquisproject.com/composting101/howcomp.html
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