(Text following is from a pamphlet I was given.) BACKYARD COMPOSTING: 10 EASY STEPS 1. Choose a flat, partly sunny area with good drainage. 2. Purchase a bin from your municipality or a store or build your own rodent-proof compost bin. Keeping a lid on your bin will help keep out rain and rodents. tip: The ideal compost bin size is one cubic metre in order to retain the heat it generates. 3. Create a 6-10cm base layer using straw, leaves, or woody bushy material to promote air circulation. 4. Alternate layers of green (nitrogen-rich) and brown (carbon-rich) materials. See the chart for a list of acceptable and unacceptable materials. tip: Chop up large amounts for faster decomposition. 5. Whenever you add a goof scrap layer, top if off with a layer of brown material (5-8cm). If you only use kitchen scraps (green material), your compost will likely be wet and break down more slowly. tip: in the fall, collect dry leaves into an old garbage container so that you can use them year round. 6. Mix bin contents every week or two. This aerates the materials and gets the bin heating up again, allowing them to decompose faster. Purchase an aerator tool or use an old ski pole or broom handle. 7. Moisture content of the bin should be like a wrung-out dishrag. Only add water if it is very dry after mixing. tip: to maintain proper moisture content, balance the amount of green and brown materials. 8. Pile will shrink. Continue to add layers of green and brown materials until bin is almost full. 9. Compost is generally ready to use after about 2-3 months; however, aging the compost for another 1-2 months is recommended. tip: if you have the room, set up two composters so you can add to one bin as the other one matures. 10. Harvest your compost when the compost at the bottom and centre is decomposed, full of healthy worms, and moist. Dig out the compost with a shovel, using the door at the bottom of a commercial bin, or if you have built your own, remove the top new layers and dig the compost from the centre. tip: You may choose to sift your compost through a mesh screen to remove large chunks or unfinished material. WHAT TO COMPOST: Green material (nitrogen-rich | YES | kitchen scraps | vegetable peelings and rotting fruit. | | | | | | YES | Plant trimmings | Leaves, old flowers, end of season | | | from your garden | greenery. | | | | | | YES | Grass clippings | Best used as a mulch on your lawn, | | | (fresh) | not from lawns recently treated with | | | | pesticides. | | | | | | YES | Coffee grounds, | | | | tea leaves | | | | | | | YES | Pet manure | Use only from grass eaters such as | | | | rabbits, gerbils guinea pigs, sheep, | | | | horses or cows. | | | | | | YES | Large leafy weeds | Not once in seed, and only when | | | | still green. Avoid invasive weeds | | | | like morning glory. | | | | | | YES | Rhubarb leaves | Safe for composting. Note: contain | | | | a natural chemical, oxalate, making | | | | leaves (NOT stems) poisonous to eat | | | | in large amounts. | | | | | | YES | Vegetables and | Cut into thumb-sized pieces for | | | fruit | faster composting. Note: no salad | | | | dressing. | | | | | Brown material (carbon-rich): | YES | Leaves | Save leaves from the fall in a dry | | | | bin. Note: Oak leaves are good, but | | | | they decompose slowly, so use few. | | | | | | YES | Newsprint | Shred. | | | | | | YES | Cardboard | Cut some into small pieces to compost. | | | | Recycle large pieces. | | | | | | YES | Corn cobs, | | | | corn stalks | | | | | | | YES | Brown paper | Shred. | | | bags | | | | | | | YES | Grass clippings | | | | (dry) | | | | | | | YES | Straw | Excellent carbon source, can use in | | | | place of leaves. | | | | | | YES | Paper towels | | | | and napkins. | | | | | | Other acceptable materials: | YES | Eggshells | Rinse and crush. | | | | | | YES | Wood ash from a | Can compost but best to add directly | | | fireplace | to garden. | | | | | Unacceptable materials: | NO | Grease, cooked food | Attracts rodents and pests. Composts | | | including rice or | very slowly. Can cause odour | | | pasta, oils | problems. | | | | | | NO | Fish, meat, bones | Attracts animals and can cause odour | | | | problems. | | | | | | NO | Dog or cat feces | Meat-eating animals can carry | | | | disease. | | | | | | NO | Kitty litter | May contain chemicals and disease | | | | organisms. | | | | | | NO | Barbecue ash, coal | Contains chemicals such as sulpher | | | | oxides. | HOW TO FIND YOUR COMPOST BIN Contact your municipality to inquire if there is a compost bin or workshop program available to you. Many home and garden supply stores also carry bins. DISCOURAGE RODENTS A compost pile can become a home and food source for rodents. Discourage rodents by composting only the appropriate food scraps (see chart), burying food scraps in existing material, and using a rodent-resistant compost bin. COMPOST RESPONSIBLY Please don't dump your compost materials in nearby parks or natural areas. Instead of naturally breaking down into soil, dumped compost can cause problems with pests, invasive plant species, and soil erosion. COMPOST PROBLEMS? Most common problems will be solved by adding brown materials, which will balance moisture, eliminate odour, and discourage flies. | Symptom | Diagnosis | Treatment | |---------------------+-------------------+-------------------------| | Bin has a | Not enough air; | Turn pile. Add coarse | | bad odour. | pile is too wet | dry materials such as | | | | straw or cornstalks. | | | | | | Pile is dry | Not enough water. | Turn pile and moisten | | throughout. | Too much woody | materials. Add fresh | | | material. | waste. Cover pile to | | | | reduce evaporation. | | | | | | Compost material | Not enough | Collect more material | | is damp and warm | material in the | and mix the new | | only in the middle. | bin. | ingredients into the | | | | old. | | | | | | Material is damp | Lack of nitrogen. | Mix in nitrogen-rich | | and sweet-smelling, | | (green) material such | | but not heating | | as fresh grass | | up. | | clippings, fresh | | | | manure, or blood meal. | | | | | | Pests around bin | Improper food | Do not add meat, fats, | | (dogs, rodents, | trimmings added, | bones, or animal | | insects). | or materials not | waste. Use a rodent- | | | covered well | resistant compost bin. | | | enough. | | | | | | | Flies at compost | Food scraps not | Put fruit and vegetable | | bin. | covered. Not | scraps in centre of | | | enough brown | bin; cover with soil o | | | material. | brown material. | | | | | | Fruit flies in | Scraps are | Keep kitchen scrap | | kitchen. | attracting fruit | collection pail in the | | | flies. | refrigerator or | | | | freezer. | | | | | HOW TO USE YOUR COMPOST: - Feed your lawn: Rake a layer of compost on your lawn about 5mm (1/4") thick. - Use it in your garden: Spread it around the base of shrubs, trees, and perennials. - Make potting soil: 1/3 sifted compost 1/3 soil 1/3 vermiculite - Have a small garden? Share it with your neighbours or the garden in your complex. FIVE GREAT REASONS TO COMPOST 1. Reduce your garbage Organic waste (such as kitchen vegetable scraps and garden clippings) make up 30% of the household garbage currently being sent to the landfill. Composting your organic waste is a great way to reduce this volume. 2. It's easy Setting up a compost in your household is simple and inexpensive. Everyone in the home can participate and feel good about making a difference. 3. Help the environment Less waste means less trucks on the road, and less methane gas generated from the landfills, and recycling nutrients back into the earth. 4. Improve your garden Your compost will help your garden soil retain moisture after rain or watering. 5. Reduce use of chemical fertilizers Keep local waterways clean by avoiding chemical fertilizers. Composting returns nutrients to the garden.