Composting – the whys and hows!

(The above image features a composter just like ours)

We’ve been composting for several years. This includes grass clippings, food scraps, coffee grounds, paper, etc. In return, the plants in my yard benefit from the recycling process. Composting is a great way to recycle the organic waste we generate at home. Food scraps and garden waste combined make up more than 28 percent of what households throw away. Composting at home allows us to divert some of that waste from landfills and turn it into something practical for our yards.

In a well-managed system microorganisms in the soil consume the organic matter. In turn, they are broken down into humus – rich in inorganic nutrients like potassium, nitrogen, and phosphorus.

What is a well-managed system? It’s one that includes the right balance of three ingredients. Since all compostable materials contain carbon, with varying amounts of nitrogen, composting successfully is just a matter of using the right combination of materials to achieve the best ratio of carbon to nitrogen and maintaining the right amounts of air and water to yield the best results. The ideal carbon-to-nitrogen ratio for a compost pile is 25 to 30 parts carbon for every 1 part nitrogen. If your pile has too much carbon-rich material, it will be drier and take longer to break down. Too much nitrogen-rich material can end up creating a slimy, wet, and smelly compost pile.

“Greens” for Nitrogen 
Nitrogen is one of the basic building blocks of life, and it is an essential element for growth and reproduction in both plants and animals. A higher nitrogen-to-carbon ratio is most commonly found in fresh organic material (often referred to as greens). Having plenty of greens in your compost pile makes sure the decomposers can grow and reproduce quickly. Some household greens you can add to your home compost pile are fresh grass clippings, food scraps, and coffee grounds.

“Browns” for Carbon 
Another essential compound for all life forms is carbon, higher proportions of which can be found in brown plant material. Carbon acts as a food source for decomposers, helping to keep them alive while they break down waste. Typical browns you can add to a compost pile include dead leaves, branches, twigs, and paper.

To achieve the best carbon-to-nitrogen ratio in your home compost, a rule of thumb is to put in two to four parts brown materials for every one part green materials.

Oxygen and Water 
Finally, like any other living organism, decomposers need oxygen and water to survive. To ensure a faster home composting process, you will need to make sure your compost system has the right amount of air and water. If you are not in a rush for finished compost, you do not have to maintain your waste; the decomposition will still take place, just at a much slower pace. Optimal air flow can be achieved by layering materials, making sure your materials are in small pieces (ideally no thicker than a finger), and turning piles regularly (or adding another type of aeration system). As for water, the ideally moist household compost pile will be about as wet as a wrung-out sponge. If you are including food waste in your pile, it’s likely it will be wet enough, but if not, just add water.

So, what can you include and avoid in your compost pile/bin?

Yes, you can compost moldy foods. In fact, having mold in your compost can be a very natural and healthy component. While mold can be beneficial to compost piles, there are some molds that are less desirable. Mold is simply a fungal growth, ultimately consisting of spores that allow the mold to continue to grow. They are simply ways for organic material to breakdown. However, compost piles that rely on earthworms to break down waste, known as vermicomposting, tend to be more delicate. For some helpful tips, visit Worm Farming Secrets

Six different ways to compost

There are many different ways/methods to compost. Watch the following video to learn more.