Composting at home...

 

Learn how you can save money and reduce waste by composting certain food scraps and yard waste. See information on different methods, and read about easy solutions to composting problems.

Composting is easy and inexpensive and the resulting mix will help your garden grow healthy and strong. Finished compost is a dark, crumbly mixture of decomposed organic matter. Use it to:

• provide nutrients to plants
• reduce the need for fertilizer
• improve the quality of clay or sandy soil
• control weeds
• save water

 

I'm interested!  Where can I buy my compost bin?

 

The Fine Details ...

A recipe for success: two parts brown to one part green

A compost pile is a teeming community of micro-organisms that help break down yard debris into compost. The best mix of nutrients for these microorganisms is two parts carbon-rich "brown" materials, such as dried leaves, mixed with one part nitrogen-rich "green" materials, such as grass clippings. A compost pile with these proportions of brown to green will promote large populations of microorganisms that will heat up yard debris and produce compost quickly. Other proportions of brown to green will create good compost, but will decompose more slowly

 

• Compost these items:	DO NOT compost these items
  Brown (two parts) old potting soil twigs dried grass and leaves shredded newspaper straw wood chips	diseased plants weeds with seed heads invasive weeds such as quack grass and morning glory pet feces dead animals bread and grains meat or fish parts dairy products grease, cooking oil or oily foods
  Green (one part) grass clippings fresh leaves plant stalks hedge trimmings annual weeds without seed heads coffee filters and tea bags vegetable and fruit scraps

 

Air and water

Most life on earth needs a certain amount of water and air to survive. The microorganisms in the compost pile function best when the materials are as damp as a wrung-out sponge and have many air passages. Extremes of sun or rain can adversely affect the balance of air and moisture in your pile. The air in the pile is usually used up faster than the moisture, so the materials must be "turned" or mixed up occasionally to add air that will sustain high temperatures and control odor.

 

Chop it small

Smaller pieces of material compost faster. Chop garden debris with shears or a machete, or use a chipper-shredder or lawn mower to shred material.

 

Size matters

Compost piles trap heat generated by the activity of millions of microorganisms. A 3-foot square compost pile is considered a minimum size for hot, fast composting. Piles wider or taller than 5 feet don't allow enough air to reach the center.

 

Time and temperature

The most efficient decomposing bacteria thrive in temperatures between 110 degrees and 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, the hotter the pile, the faster the composting. If you achieve a good balance of carbon and nitrogen, provide lots of surface area within a large volume of material, and maintain adequate moisture and aeration, the temperature will rise over several days.

For more information on composting brochures or bins, call Metro Recycling Information at (503) 234-3000 [TDD (503) 797-1804] or contact the Washington County Cooperative Recycling Program at (503) 846-8609 or recycle@co.washington.or.us.