How your old carrot peels and apple cores can help you be healthier and kind to the planet too
You may think that throwing carrot peels and apple cores in the trash has no effect, since they’ll spoil anyway. But even natural plant matter will last for years when sealed in a plastic bag and dumped in a landfill.
As a great example of community responsibility, the City of Seattle, WA offers free compost bins to all residents. This prevents over 800 million pounds of trash from going to landfills! Not only can you help divert your own kitchen waste from the landfill, but you can also create rich, nutritious humus for your own garden, whether it’s an acre or an old wine barrel in your backyard.
WHY SHOULD I COMPOST?
o More than 21 million tons of food waste is generated in the United States each year. If this were composted, the greenhouse gases saved would be the equivalent of taking over 2 million cars off the road.
o You’ll add valuable nutrients back to the soil and your garden will be healthier and your vegetables will be more nutritious for you and your family.
o You will save money by not having to buy garden soil or mulch materials, and that will save energy to transport those products to your store and garden.
WHAT IS COMPOST?
When organic materials like leaves, plant food scraps, manure and garden waste break down in a controlled environment (your compost bin), a rich, fertile humus is created that will improve and fertilize your garden soil.
Your plants are much healthier because:
or nutrients are added
o drainage improves a lot, if your soil has a lot of clay
or if your soil is sandy, compost helps it retain water
If your compost pile is cold, worms and insects will find their way in and help turn your waste into food for your garden. But it helps to have the right conditions. Provide these friendly creatures with plenty of air, water, and food, and they’ll be the best friends in your garden.
IS COMMERCIAL COMPOST THE SAME AS “HOMEMADE”?
Homemade compost is better for microbes and nutrient diversity, but bagged compost provides organic matter and some microbes. Keep in mind that composted manure can be mostly water by weight.
If you have a large garden where the soil needs additional nutrients, you may want to purchase cheap bags of composted manure or bulk compost from a local commercial composter, then add your own compost as needed.
If you are purchasing compost, note that there are no regulatory labeling requirements for bagged compost. Grade A composted sewage sludge is probably the safest, because it’s the only type of compost that requires heavy metal and pathogen testing before it’s approved for sale to the public. Feedlot manure is much more dangerous from a pathogen standpoint as testing is not required.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH SPACE?
Even if you only have a small apartment balcony or back porch, you can compost in a plastic bin (about 18 gallons or larger). Drill or punch holes an inch or two apart on all sides, bottom, and lid. Place it inside another slightly larger and shallower container (the ones under the bed containers work well for this). Place some rocks or bricks between the two so there is room for airflow. Add your waste and shake the container every other day. If you have room for two, you can add one over several months, then stop adding and start the second. Keep stirring it occasionally until it’s browned, crumbly, and has an earthy smell. You can use this compost for small balcony pots, or even for your indoor plants, if you don’t have space for a large garden.
WHAT DOES MY COMPOST NEED TO GROW?
For a high-quality compost, mix materials that are high in nitrogen (such as clover, fresh grass clippings) and those that are high in carbon (such as dry leaves and straw). Rain and fresh kitchen waste provide moisture, but you may need to add water to keep it moist. Frequent turning or mixing of the pile provides oxygen.
Your compost needs to breathe:
Without enough air, your compost pile will decompose, but more slowly…and it will have a lot more odor! So make sure you have plenty of air space in your stack. Straw works great to keep the pile from clumping together. If you don’t have access to thatch, be sure to break up any clumps and try turning it with a shovel or garden fork regularly to fluff it up.
Your compost needs to drink:
You want enough moisture to lightly coat every particle in your pile, providing the ideal environment for thirsty microbes. It should be as wet as a wrung out towel. Wetter than this and it will start to stink. Kitchen waste will usually be moist enough, but if you’re adding dry leaves from your garden, you may want to moisten it a bit. If your pile is exposed to the weather, cover it with a tarp when it rains. Too much moisture can cause the temperature to drop inside the pile and make it smell bad. Lack of moisture prevents the pile from heating up and slows down the decomposition process. Check the moisture level of your compost pile weekly and adjust if necessary. Add water to increase moisture or add dry material to help dry it out.
Your compost needs to eat:
Your friendly composting bed bugs have two food groups… and it’s always best to mix the two if you can:
o Brown (dry): These materials are high in carbon and include straw, dry leaves, wood chips or ashes, peanut shells, pine needles, vegetable stalks, and shredded cardboard or newspaper (avoid colored paper and the inks). You may want to moisten them a bit as you add them to your compost pile.
o Vegetables (wet): These are high in nitrogen and include fruit and vegetable scraps from the kitchen, green leaves and grass clippings, tea bags, coffee grounds, and even seaweed. Horse manure is excellent, but it is best if it is well aged. Check with a local stable.
Your compost needs to stay warm:
If you live in a cold climate, chances are your compost pile is sitting idle for the winter. You’ll be in fine shape as soon as the spring heat starts warming you up again. The compost does not need to be hot; 50% Fahrenheit is fine.
You may be considering hot composting (110 to 160 degrees F), because heat produces compost fast (in weeks rather than months) and kills most seeds and plant diseases. However, studies have shown that compost produced at high temperatures is less able to suppress diseases in the soil. High temperatures can kill the beneficial bacteria needed to suppress the disease.
COMPOSTING TIPS
o Balance of fresh and dry: Compost piles with a balance of one part fresh and two parts dry materials break down faster. Add a garden fork of fresh material to the pile and top with two forks of dry material. Then mix them up.
o Size: Compost piles that are at least 3 cubic feet (3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft) heat up faster and break down faster.
o Jump-start your compost pile: If you’re just starting your compost pile, add a shovelful of high-quality garden soil to help jump-start microbial activity in your pile.
o Mix: If possible, mix the compost once a week to move the material from the outside of the pile to the inside. This prevents the stack from being compacted. (compaction reduces airflow and slows decomposition)
o Smell?: Healthy compost smells like earth; if yours smells bad, it’s too wet. Turn it more often and add more dry matter to help it dry out. When your compost is too wet, it removes oxygen in your pile, which slows the decomposition process and encourages the growth of anaerobic microorganisms… increasing the stench! It can also smell bad if the mix has too much garden or kitchen waste. Bury it deep into the compost and add more dry matter.
o When finished: The compost should be dark brown in color, earthy smelling, and moist to the touch. The compost at the bottom of the pile usually “finishes” first. You’ll know your compost is finished and ready to use when it’s no longer heated and the original ingredients are unrecognizable. This usually takes 6 to 12 months.
o Nothing Happens!: If you notice nothing happens, you may need to add more nitrogen, water or air. Cold compost can take a year or more to break down depending on the materials in the pile and the conditions.
o Compost pile is too hot: If your compost pile is too hot, you may have too much nitrogen. Add some more carbon materials to reduce heating. A bad smell can also indicate too much nitrogen.
o Attracts flies and insects: Adding kitchen waste can attract insects. To avoid this problem, cut a hole in the center of the pile and bury the debris. Don’t forget… don’t add meat scraps or animal matter, pet manure, diseased plant material, weeds, fats or oils, or dairy products.
o Can I use fresh manure?: No. This could burn your plants. Make sure the manure (NOT dog or cat feces) is well aged before placing it in your garden.