Now that you’ve got your composter set up in the back yard, it’s time to mix up some yummy compost for the garden. There is no one perfect recipe, so following are a few general guidelines to get your experiment started.
STEP ONE: Add ingredients.
What can go in:
- All fruit and vegetables peelings
- Bread and plain pasta (with no sauces or oils)
- Other organic materials include dryer lint, clean cotton or wool rags, and paper towels (with no oils or sauces on them)
- Coffee grounds (worms love them!) and most tea bags
- Grass clippings and weeds (not treated with herbicides)
- Newspaper or plain white paper from the computer is excellent for composting - just remember to shred it first to speed up the process
- Straw
- Dead leaves
What should NOT go in:
- Meat, dairy products and foods containing oils can attract pests
- Pet waste
- Inorganic materials such as stone, glass, or greases will not compost
- Plants that have been treated with pesticides and/or herbicides
As a general rule of thumb, organic green material should be equally matched with brown material, such as woodchips, dried out leaves and lawn clippings.
A little science refresher will help you better understand the compost process — and explain it to your kids: The microbes responsible for breaking down your compost pile need a balance of nitrogen “green materials” and carbon “brown materials,” such as dead leaves. A ratio that contains equal portions of both and is well mixed works allows for quick decomposition and rich compost. Piles made up of just grass will compact, slow down and start to stink.
STEP TWO: Mix well.
Compost piles should remain damp but not too wet. As you build your compost pile, make sure that each layer is moist as it is added. The surface should also remain damp (think of a wrung out sponge), especially during the summer months.
Compost piles can either be layered - thin layers of alternating greens and browns, or they can all be thrown in together and mixed well. Either way works!
STEP THREE: Bake (well sort of):
Compost decomposes fastest between 120 and 160 degrees F so try and keep your compost pile in a sunny location. Decomposition will occur at lower temperatures, but it takes much longer.
STEP FOUR: Check for doneness.
When finished compost should look, feel and smell like rich, dark soil. You should not be able to recognize any of the items you put in there. Still not quite sure? It will be about half the volume.
STEP FIVE: Enjoy!
Apply finished compost to your garden about 2-4 weeks before you plant, giving the compost time to integrate into the soil.
Another option is to soak finished compost in water to “brew” compost “tea,” a nutrient-rich liquid that can be used for foliar feeding or for watering plants in your garden, backyard, or houseplants.
Not smelling like home-baked pie? If your compost pile starts to smell, it’s probably due to a large number of anaerobic microbes, which are working hard to break down your compost, but creating a smelly situation in the process. To cut down on the anaerobic process, aerate your pile regularly, creating air spaces and limiting the anaerobic microbes while stimulating the less stinky aerobic microbes.