Composting Made Easy

You may know there are many reasons to compost: creating rich soil that needs less chemical-laced fertilizer, saving money on gardening supplies, reducing the amount of garbage that gets mummified in landfills, saving fuel from trips to the dump, the list keeps going. Composting could have a big impact on the amount of trash we generate. A third of all landfill waste across the United States comes from garden clippings and kitchen waste. Instead of being trashed, those items could be put to use to create healthy soil. Starting a compost can be an intimidating prospect, but just a few tips can get you started in no time. 

• First you need a bin to house your compost. Green Irene offers both indoor and outdoor composters. A well-managed compost should have no smell, so housing your compost indoors won’t be an issue. 

• Some people use worms in their compost, also known as vermicompost. Worms create very rich soil, and these composts don’t have to be turned since the worms do the work for you. But you can be very successful without worms as well, so if you’re not a fan of worms don’t worry. We’ll leave vermicomposting out of the discussion here.
   
• The biggest key to composting is knowing what and how much to put in. You’ll be adding two different types of material: “greens” and “browns.” Greens are nitrogen-rich scraps like fresh grass clippings, vegetables and fruits. Browns are carbon-rich materials like twigs, dried leaves, newspapers, and hay. In general, you want have slightly more brown material than green material, although composting is more of an art than a science. 
   
• Many things in your home can be composted. In addition to the thing listed above, you can compost:
  • Tea bags (remove the staples)
  • Coffee grinds (if you use a paper filter, you can compost that too)
  • Saw dust
  • Wood chips
  • Fur/hair
  • Corn husks
  • All yard waste
     
• While you can compost many things, some things should not go into your compost. The following items will eventually breakdown, but they will take a long time and their smell may attract bugs. They’re best avoided: 
  • Grease and oil
  • Dairy products
  • Meat and bones
  • Citrus peels from lemons, oranges, etc. 
     
• Your compost should be fairly moist, about as damp as a rung out sponge. If your compost is too dry, try sprinkling it with some water. Avoid making it too wet, however. Overly-wet composts can start to smell. 
   
• Things biodegrade much faster when they’re hot. If you have an outdoor compost, try locating it some place that gets a lot of sun. For cooler climates, try moving your compost indoors (or into the garage) during the winter months.