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Composting For Dummies
Published:
January 22, 2010
Overview
Discover back-to-basics gardening that will benefit the earth and your wallet! Want to use ordinary waste to create an extraordinary garden? Composting lets you turn household food waste, yard clippings, and more into free compost and mulch that's chock-full of nutrients. From building and working with traditional compost bins to starting an indoor worm-composting operation, Composting For Dummies makes these often intimidating projects easy, fun, and accessible for anyone!
- Digging into compost basics ― get a handle on the benefits of composting and the tools you'll need to get started
- Choosing the best method and location ― find the best composting method and location that's right for you, whether it's above ground, in a hole, in a container or bin, or even right in your kitchen
- Building your pile ― learn
which ingredients can go into your compost pile, what stays out, and how to mix it all up in the right proportions
Open the book and find:
- A step-by-step guide to composting
- The right gear and tools for the job
- Tips on constructing your own composting containers and bins
- Materials you can safely compost (and those to avoid)
- Cover crops to improve your soil now and compost later
- Recommendations for using your finished compost
- What worms contribute to your compost
- Troubleshooting advice if your compost pile isn't cooperating
By composting food scraps, yard waste, and other ingredients, you create nutrient-rich compost to add to your garden and landscape, and you minimize the waste sent to landfills. Home composting is a great way to be greener and do something good for the environment while seeing major benefits right at home.The benefits of adding compost to your gardenComposting provides you with rich organic matter that does wonders to improve the quality of your garden soil.
About The Author
Cathy Cromell is a writer and editor who's written extensively about gardening and landscaping. She is a certified master gardener, master composter, and master entomologist. The National Gardening Association is the leading garden-based educational nonprofit organization in the United States, providing resources at garden.org and kidsgardening.org.
Articles From The Book
3 results
Composting
Articles
This easy recipe for a freestanding pile works well for just about anyone. You can also follow these instructions but layer the material in a bin of some sort, if you choose to use a compost container. As you gain experience, these steps serve as a starting point for developing your own favorite composting formula:
Spread 4 inches (10 centimeters) of chunkier, dry, brown materials — such as branch trimmings, corn stalks, or straw — as the base to promote good aeration.
Composting
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In aerobic composting, oxygen is needed for decomposition. Decomposing organisms use up initial air supplies quickly. Without sufficient oxygen to fuel the composting organisms, the process slows. Decomposition won't screech to a complete halt, but it will definitely slacken. Turning the pile periodically to add more oxygen kicks it back into gear.
Composting
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Two broad categories of microorganisms consume and decompose organic matter: those that need air (aerobic) and those that don't (anaerobic). Most folks who compost rely on aerobic, aboveground decomposition. It's the simplest method to start with because all that's required is a pile of organic matter.
Aerobic composting
Aerobic composting is the principle at work in aboveground composting environments — whether it takes place in a freestanding pile or in a container that provides air circulation, such as a bin with open sides or a tumbler with aeration holes.
Composting
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Composting provides you with rich organic matter that does wonders to improve the quality of your garden soil. Whether you sprinkle compost on the surface of the soil or work it in, your garden plants and landscape will grow healthier and stronger thanks to the addition. Your garden benefits from compost in t
Composting
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You need to add carbon materials to your compost pile to provide energy for microorganisms while they break down your organic matter. Carbons for the compost pile include the following:
Dry leaves: Dry leaves are probably the easiest brown ingredient to work with for a beginning composter because they're already smallish pieces of organic matter that are easy to shred into even tinier pieces if you choose.
Composting
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Different types of compost bins are available, including tumblers, bins, and kitchen composters. There are numerous options to suit different situations. Choosing the right bin for your composting needs can be confusing. But if you want to start container composting, here's a run-down of the available container types.
Composting
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You've decided to get into the composting game. Way to go! First, you need to figure out a good location in your landscape to situate your composting efforts. To be a good neighbor, take into account your neighbors' views or potential concerns. Will your bins piled high with straw and fresh manure be visible from your neighbors' patio, where they sit and watch birds?
Composting
Articles
By composting food scraps, yard waste, and other ingredients, you create nutrient-rich compost to add to your garden and landscape, and you minimize the waste sent to landfills. Home composting is a great way to be greener and do something good for the environment while seeing major benefits right at home.The benefits of adding compost to your gardenComposting provides you with rich organic matter that does wonders to improve the quality of your garden soil.
Composting
Articles
Many people think that composting is complicated, but you don't need containers of fancy equipment to turn you kitchen waste into rich organic compost to enhance your garden. Composting without the confines of a container takes place in two basic ways: aboveground in a freestanding pile or below ground in a hole.
Composting
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You might think composting is hard when you learn that you need to feed your compost carbon and nitrogen. And on top of that, it needs to be in the correct amounts. You're not a chemist (well, unless you are). But adjusting the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio isn't difficult.
You may hear the C:N ratio bandied about in discussions among avid composters.
Composting
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If you're interested in constructing a home for your composting worms instead of buying one, you can start with this simple double-decker design, which includes a built-in method for harvesting vermicompost. If you prefer to get your feet wet with just one bin, follow the basic drilling instructions for the double-decker bin, substituting one bin.
Composting
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Wood shipping pallets are a great option for creating highly effective composting systems, especially when you have a lot of organic matter to process. You can build a compost bin from wood pallets in a few easy steps. The whole process is described here, but first take a look at the pros and cons of using pallets to make your bins:
Advantages: They're free and the perfect size!
Composting
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At last, you're ready to start piling up the goods. You can speed decomposition by creating a pile of optimum proportions and prepping ingredients before tossing them on the heap. The basics of building your pile are included here.
A pile that's 1 cubic yard in size can heat up sufficiently to kill most weed seeds and plant pathogens, but only if you maintain it properly.
Composting
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If you want compost in a hurry, a hot pile suits your style. They heat up to temperatures of 120 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit (49 to 77 degrees Celsius) within 1 to 5 days, with 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66 degrees Celsius) being a typical peak. Your role is to help the pile maintain high temperatures by monitoring it with a thermometer and turning all the material when the temperature cools.
Composting
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Vermicomposting is a composting method that employs certain worm species to consume and convert organic matter into a useful soil amendment and organic fertilizer. Provide moist bedding at all times for your worms to romp around in while they process your organic matter. Over time, worms consume their bedding along with your food scraps, but that's okay.
Composting
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Creating a freestanding pile is the easiest method to break into composting. Your freestanding pile must be at least 3 feet x 3 feet x 3 feet (1 cubic yard or 1 cubic meter) up to 5 cubic feet (1.5 cubic meters). This size offers enough mass for the organic matter to self-insulate and maintain moisture and warmth for the microorganisms consuming it.
Composting
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In addition to bedding and food, your composting worms need appropriate temperature, moisture, oxygen, and pH levels to thrive. Here are some basics for maintaining a healthy environment for your worms:
Light: Worms don't have eyes, but they're still extremely sensitive to light and move away from bright light if they can.
Composting
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Depending on where you live, you will need to keep various animals out of your compost. Creatures attracted to a compost pile may include rodents, cats, dogs, foxes, raccoons, coyotes, badgers, and javelina. In some regions, even bears may appear in backyards as development spreads into their ranges and normal food supplies become scarce.
Composting
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Straw bales can be stacked to create a simple and inexpensive compost bin. As an organic material, straw breaks down and decomposes over time, and you can eventually incorporate it into your compost pile as a carbon ingredient. Straw is a convenient choice if you're just getting into composting and aren't sure what type of bin you want.
Composting
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Your compost has to be wet, but not too wet. Although moisture and aeration are often discussed as separate issues in composting, your actions to manage water and air in the compost pile are closely linked.
Billions of pore spaces surround the organic particles in your compost. Pores allow air and water to circulate through the compost ingredients.
Composting
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Understanding temperature phases and managing a hot compost pile help you produce useable compost quickly. All materials eventually break down in cool, unmanaged compost piles as well, but decomposition occurs faster with higher temperatures. Also, if you need to destroy weed seeds or plant pathogens during the composting process, creating a hot pile is essential.
Composting
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If you build a basic compost pile, you'll have harvestable compost from the bottom and center of the pile in three to six months. To speed up the composting process, you have to invest a little more time and energy.
This speedier method requires more upfront labor chopping or shredding the organic matter, as well as regular turning of the pile.
Composting
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A well-constructed pile can be left to rot on its own timetable, rewarding you with useable compost in three to six months. If you want to dig out black gold faster than that, or if you didn't have quite the right mix of ingredients on hand when you created your pile, you can speed the process by turning and remoistening the pile and incorporating more ingredients as needed.
Composting
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If you've gone through the effort of making rich compost of your own, you can use it to top-dress your lawn for thicker, healthier grass. You can use compost to top-dress both new and existing lawns.
On a seeded lawn: After sowing lawn grass seeds, apply a thin layer — about 1/4-inch — of compost as top-dressing to help maintain consistent soil moisture while seeds germinate and tender grass seedlings get established.
Composting
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One inexpensive option for making your own compost container is to use a large, recycled garbage can. Contact the department responsible for trash pickup (it may be called solid waste disposal) in your area, whether it be a town, city, county, or other office. Many communities recycle their no-longer-useable garbage cans as compost containers to residents, either free or for a nominal fee.
Composting
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Your compost pile isn’t a trash can. Some materials definitely don’t qualify as compost ingredients because they contain pathogens, attract pests, or cause other problems. You must take care to add only the right organic ingredients to feed the decomposition process. Leave out the following items:
Ashes from charcoal barbecues: Dispose of this residue in the trash, not your compost pile or bin.
Composting
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Composting isn't a free-for-all. You can't toss in anything and everything you come across waste-wise and expect it to produce usable, healthy compost. Some materials definitely don't qualify as compost ingredients because they contain pathogens, attract pests, or cause other problems. Save yourself hassles and headaches by keeping the following items out of your composting operation:
Meat, bones, grease, fats, oils, and dairy products: They turn rancid and smelly and attract dogs, cats, raccoons, foxes, and rodents.
Composting
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Organic matter high in carbon — what composters commonly call browns — provides energy for decomposer organisms as they consume and break down the contents of your compost pile. Organic matter high in nitrogen — called greens — supplies the decomposers with protein. Maintain well-fed composting organisms with these varied ingredients.
Composting
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Greens provide bodybuilding proteins for the microorganisms crunching through your organic matter. Nitrogen-rich materials are called greens because most of them are greenish in color. The following are good sources of nitrogen for your compost pile:
Kitchen scraps: Leftovers from the kitchen are excellent additions to the compost pile.
Composting
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You need very little equipment to start composting. Before you buy, visit garden centers or home improvement and hardware stores and try out some hand tools. Their length and weight should be comfortable for you to wield over extended periods of turning or shoveling organic matter. The basic tools to get you started composting are
Compost fork or pitchfork: Long, thin tines allow you to hoist and toss large loads of organic matter efficiently.
Composting
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A great thing about composting is that it can take as much or as little time as you want or need it to. If your time is limited and you want to speed up the process to get compost fast, follow these tips:
Increase the surface area of your ingredients. Before adding it to your compost, chop, shred, crack, whack, and smack organic matter into small pieces.
Composting
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If you live in a place where digging holes in the ground is no big deal, you can make a pit compost. The following info helps you add anaerobic composting to your repertoire. Good choices for your pit compost include areas where you want to add a future garden bed or between rows of existing garden beds. Avoid marshy areas or low spots with wet soil or poor drainage.
Composting
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Because there are so many types of composters on the market, finding the right one for you can be tricky. Compost containers (despite some of the marketing materials that accompany them) aren't magical devices whereby you drop in straw, wave your wand-like compost thermometer, and presto — out spills black gold!
Composting
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All the tools you really need to start composting are a long-handled fork, a spade or shovel, and something with which to chop up larger stems and prunings. But like most jobs in the garden, having the right tools for the task makes it a whole lot easier. Here's a list of the best tools for basic composting tasks:
Mixing things up with a pitchfork or compost fork: Pitchforks and compost forks have four or five long, thin, tapered, and upward-curving tines designed to efficiently glide into a pile of organic material, allowing you to hoist and pitch it to a new location.
Composting
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Compost, whether you buy it or make it yourself makes tremendous mulch. Organic mulch, such as that derived from compost, has all the usual benefits in addition to supplying nutrients to the soil as it decomposes. On beds of permanent plants, trees, hedges, and fruit, an annual mulch of compost will keep your soil in good health and your plants in top condition.
Composting
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A healthy garden starts with healthy soil. You don't need to worry about applying miracle elixirs or wielding new-fangled tools. Adding compost to garden beds is the best — and easiest — thing you can do to produce a bumper crop of vegetables and bountiful bouquets of flowers.
How much compost you need to apply and how often you should apply it varies, depending on the typical soil characteristics and whether you garden year-round.
Composting
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Although a simple compost pile will certainly give you nice, rich organic matter for your garden and keep your food waste out of landfills, it isn't always the best option. In some situations, it makes more sense to compost in a container.
Acceptable landscape aesthetics vary widely by individual, neighborhood, and community standards.
Composting
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Your compost pile is a food web, containing groups of ever-larger inhabitants consuming plant material and each other. Together, they take your kitchen scraps and manure and other stuff and transform it into wonderfully rich growing material. The major players are the chemical decomposers and the physical decomposers.