Organic Compost
WHAT IS COMPOSTING?
Compost is organic material that is decomposed and used as fertilizer on gardens and yards. Compost is an important part of organic farming. Compost can be made of many organic materials such as: grass, leaves, fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, egg shells and even used tea bags. The material breakdown over weeks and months of proper turning and care. Worms are another great choice to help break down the material in your compost pile. There is commercial compost containers that can be bought, however you can make them for free with recycled material and your imagination.
BENEFITS OF COMPOSTING
Composting help the environment and take care off your organic waste.
Composting:
• Decrease the volume of garbage for disposal
• Decreases the cost to local garbage disposal
• Compost enriches the soil by adding essential nutrients and improving soil structure.
WHAT SHOULD YOU COMPOST?
Materials that can be composted include: leaves, grass clippings, weeds, fruit and vegetable scraps, food wastes, coffee grounds, tea bags, eggs shells, and lots more. Just keep yourself informed and you can make your gardens grow organic foods. Some things to avoid putting on your compost pile are: meat, bones, fatty food wastes,cheese, grease and oils, cat litter, diseased plants and invasive weeds.
Biodegraders
Biodegraders for compost include: bacteria, fungi, molds, earthworms and insects. All these things are part of the process to breakdown organic materials.
Organic Material
Organic material have carbon and nitrogen that nourishes the organisms naturally in your compost pile. Every leaf and blade of grass contains billions of bacteria on the surface. (refer to “How to Make a Compost Pile” below). When composting you should use three parts brown materials, to one part green materials. Compost usually take 3-5 months.
Air
Compost needs oxygen to decompose, so make sure you turn your pile letting air through often.
Moisture
Compost needs to be a moist environment. Make sure you add water as needed to keep pile moist not wet. Moisture will evaporates as the pile heats up (from active composting).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION