What is composting?

Using the natural process of decay to

change organic wastes into a valuable
humus-like material called compost
Grass clippings

Its Recycling… Food scraps

Compost

Leaves

Naturally

Why compost yard and kitchen wastes?

Composting -
Speeding up the natural decay process

A compost pile or bin

allows you to control
• Air (oxygen)
• Water • The goal is to recycle 35% of
• Food, and municipal waste – composting helps!
• Temperature
• National Composting Council
By managing these factors you can speed up estimates the average U.S. household
the otherwise slow natural decay process generates 650 lb of compostables
every year.

• Limited landfill space should be

reserved for materials that cannot be 1998 U.S.
2005 Municipal
Municipal Solid
Solid Waste
Waste
recycled or composted Generation
Production in the U.S.
Total = 245 million tons/yr
• Garbage handling is the 4th largest Food
(4.6 lb/person/day)
expense for many cities. 11.9%
(2.7)
Percent of category
Yard that was recycled
Composting can reduce those costs Paper products 13.1%
(62)
34.2% The overall recycling
• 34% of landfilled waste is food and (50)
rate was 32% in 2005
another 30% is paper. Other Backyard composting
Metals
16.4% can increase recycling
7.6%
Plastic of yard and food
Glass
5.2%
11.8% wastes.

1
 What do you need to make Where do the decomposers
compost? come from?
• Decomposers – Your If you build it,
composting work crew.
These are the microbes they will come…
(mainly bacteria and fungi) • Soil
that do all the work for you. • Leaves
• Food for the decomposers • Food scraps
The organic materials to be • Manure, and
composted • Finished compost
• The right amount of air, Each of these will add
water, and warmth to keep microorganisms
the work crew happy to the compost pile

Numerous additives and starters are available but are

One teaspoon of good garden soil to
not needed for good or rapid composting
which compost has been added contains
• 100 million bacteria
• 800 feet of fungal threads

What is the best food for your

Materials to avoid…
decomposers?
All organic materials will compost, but not all should be
added to a backyard compost pile Avoid organic materials that could cause
Organic wastes that should be composted include: problems during or after composting
• Oil, fat, grease, meat, fish or dairy products,
Garden
unwashed egg shells (tend to attract pests,
trimmings
vermin)
• Hard to kill weeds (bindweed, quackgrass) and
Leaves weeds that have gone to seed (could infest garden
Grass
clippings Also area when compost is used).
• Used potting soil
• Manure
Kitchen scraps • Sawdust
• Hair

2
 Materials to avoid… Materials to avoid…
Cat or dog waste • Lime (increases compost
(attracts pests, could spread disease) pH and promotes
ammonia odor problems)

• Wood ash, add sparingly

Diseased or insect ridden plants
(could infect or attack garden
plants when compost is used)
to the pile (will add some
potash to compost but will
increase pH and ammonia
odor problems)

Is shredding necessary? Is shredding necessary?

Smaller particles decompose faster Have greater surface but…
area per unit volume
Smaller particles will also decrease airflow
Allows microbes to
get at more of the
into the pile
food – May lead to anaerobic conditions
– Pile may need to be turned more often
Chipping or
shredding coarse
materials (twigs,
stems) will speed
up the rate at which
they decompose

More about food for your

decomposers
Your compost workers will thrive if you give them a High carbon materials such as
balanced diet.
Leaves (30-80:1)
• Composting will be most rapid if the decomposers
are fed a mix of carbon rich and nitrogen rich Straw (40-100:1)
materials.
Paper (150-200:1)
• Carbon rich organic wastes are known as
“browns” Sawdust (100-500:1)
• Nitrogen rich organic wastes are known as Animal bedding
“greens” mixed with manure
(30-80:1)

3
 Browns Greens
• Decay very slowly • Decay rapidly
High nitrogen materials such as
• Coarse browns can keep • Poor aeration – may have
Vegetable scraps (12-20:1) pile aerated foul odors if composted
Coffee grounds (20:1) alone

Grass clippings (12-25:1) • Tend to accumulate in the • Tend to accumulate in

fall spring and summer
Manure
• Tie up nitrogen in soil if • Supply nitrogen for
– Cow (20:1)
not fully composted composting
– Horse (25:1)
• May need to stockpile • Best composting if mixed
– Poultry (10:1), with litter with browns
until can mix with greens
(13-18:1)
– Hog (5-7:1)

Aerobic composting and

Aerobic composting
temperature
• Composting with • Active composting occurs in the temperature
decomposers that need range of 55oF to 155oF
55 140
air (oxygen)
• Pile temperature may
• The fastest way to 155
increase above 140oF but
make high quality
this is too hot for most
compost
bacteria and decomposition
• Produces no foul odors
will slow until temperature
• Aerobic decomposers
decreases again.
produce heat
• A thermometer is a nice tool but is not essential
for good composting

Does my compost pile have to get Getting air to your

hot? decomposers
• Good compost can be made in a pile that never Hot air
gets hot, but…
Warm air rising
through the pile low
– Decay will be slower and it will take longer to make O2
compost draws fresh air
– Not enough air, to little or too much water, or too in from bottom
many browns in the mix could all keep a pile from and sides
heating. O2
Wind can
• High pile temperature provides the benefits of
stimulate
– The most rapid composting
– Killing pathogenic (disease causing) organisms
aeration
O2 cool
– Killing weed seeds
rich air

4
 Pile aeration Pile aeration
Depends upon adequate porosity Getting air to your work force
• Porosity is the air filled space between particles
• “Browns” help to maintain good porosity in the pile
• A compacted pile has lost porosity, can be increased
by turning

• Aeration can be
increased by inserting
sticks, cornstalks, or
perforated pipes into
or under the pile • Turning the pile mixes • Turning tools can make
fresh air into the pile the job easier

Taking care of your compost

Water pile
• The most rapid composting is achieved by
•Rapid decomposition requires optimum water content – Adding mixed browns + greens
• If too dry, bacterial activity will slow or cease
• If too wet, loss of air in the pile will lead to anaerobic conditions – Regularly turning (mixing) the compost pile
– Controlling water content
• Pile water content should
• When pile no longer heats after mixing, allow it to
be at 40-60%
cure (stand without mixing) for at least 4 weeks
• As wet as a squeezed out before using the compost
sponge
• If too dry, add water as
you turn the pile
• If too wet, add browns
and/or turn the pile

Making compost the fast way Making compost the fast way
(Instructions for active composters) (Instructions for active composters)
• Turn the pile every 5 to 7 days, • After about 4 more weeks the pile will no
–move outer material to the pile center longer heat after turning and volume will
–add water if needed be about one third of original.
• During the first few weeks temp should • Allow the pile to cure (stand without
reach 140oF turning) for 4 more weeks before using
the compost
• After about 4 weeks less heat will be
produced and compost will maintain
lower temp (100oF)

5
 Simple tests for finished
When is compost finished?
compost
Compost is mature when Bag test: sealing compost in
a plastic bag for several days
• The color is dark brown should produce no foul odor
• It is crumbly, loose,
and humus-like
• It has an earthy smell
• It contains no readily
recognizable feedstock Germination test: will seeds
• The pile has shrunk to germinate in the compost?
about 1/3 of its original volume (good test to use if compost will
be part of a potting mix)

Where should I put my Considerations for locating

compost pile? the compost pile
• Shaded area will help • Good drainage
prevent drying out in • Away from any wells
summer
• Near where finished compost will be used
• Avoid areas that will
interfere with lawn and • Be a good neighbor
garden activities – Make your composting area attractive, or
• Adequate work area – Keep it out of your neighbors’ view
around the pile
• Area for storage
• Water available

Bin/pile construction
• Ideal size is approximately a 3 foot
Manufactured bins
cube
– Promotes sufficient aeration
– Retains sufficient heat to maintain warm
temps
– Piles larger than 5 x 5 x 5 feet are
difficult to turn and tend to become
anaerobic in the center

6
 The Earth Machine Bin
Compost Troubleshooting
Odors
Odors are one of the most frequent but easily avoidable
composting problems.
• Rotten odor
– Putrid smell or rotten egg smell
– Usually results from anaerobic conditions
– Excess moisture, compaction
– Turn pile, add dry porous material (browns), cover kitchen
scraps
• Ammonia odor
– Too much nitrogen (greens)
– Add high carbon material (browns), turn pile

Compost Troubleshooting Compost Troubleshooting

Temperature
Pests: raccoons, rats, insects
Low pile temperature
• Presence of meat scraps or fatty food waste,
• Pile too small, cold weather, too dry, poor aeration, or rotten odors
lacks nitrogen
• Remove meats and fatty foods, cover with
• Make pile bigger or insulate sides, add water, turn the sawdust or leaves, turn the pile
pile, add greens or manure
• Compost in an animal-proof bin
High pile temperature – Covered bin, trash can bin, cone bin, or barrel
• Pile too large, insufficient ventilation bin
• Reduce pile size, turn – Wire mesh sides and floor (1/4 – 1/2 in
openings)
• Use worm composting (vermicomposting)
for food scraps

Benefits of compost Benefits of compost

Promotes soil health Promotes soil health
• Supplies organic • Improves soil tilth and friability
matter to soil
• Improves soil drainage
• Attracts earthworms
• Loosens heavy clay soils
• Stimulates beneficial
soil microorganisms • Suppresses soil-borne plant pathogens
• Increases soil water (diseases)
holding capacity
• Increases soil nutrient
retention

7
 Benefits of compost
Plant nutrients Using finished compost
Compost is not a fertilizer, • Soil amendment
but does contain plant
– Be sure that compost is mature, has an earthy smell
nutrients
(no ammonia or rotten smell), looks dark and
• Nitrogen and phosphorus crumbly with no recognizable feedstock
are mostly in organic
– Compost improves soil health when mixed in the top
forms
4 to 6 inches (work in no more than a 2” layer of
– Released slowly to plants
compost)
– Not readily leached from the
topsoil • Will improve water and nutrient retention of sandy soils
• Compost contains many • Will loosen compacted clay soils and make them more
trace nutrients that are friable
essential for plant growth

Using finished compost Using finished compost

• Surface mulch in the • Lawn topdressing
garden/landscape – Be sure compost is very mature to avoid harming the lawn
– Maximum 3” depth – Use fine (screened) compost, ¼” depth raked over lawn
– Start 3-4” from trunk
– Best if lawn is cored before applying compost
– Extend out to dripline
– Retains moisture, supplies slow release nutrients,
• Mulch provides prevents soil compaction
– Protection from temp
extremes • Potting mix
– Slows moisture loss – Compost must be very mature to avoid injury to plants
from soil – Use fine textured compost
– Provides some slow – Mix no more than 1/3 compost by volume
release nutrients

Follow-up Survey
• Program evaluation to learn
– What you think of today’s workshop
– If you have made use of what you learned today
– If you are composting and what you are composting
• Evaluation will be done about 6 months from now after
you have had a chance to
– do some composting
– use your new bin.
• Look for a survey in the mail next spring. Please fill it
out and mail it back to us.