What is Composting?

Composting is nature's way of recycling. It is the biological decomposition of organic debris such as leaves, grass clippings, fruit and vegetable trimmings and other organic material commonly found in municipal wastes. Compost refers to the stable humus or soil-like product of decomposition.

Benefits of Composting

Composting helps to keep useful materials out of our rapidly filling landfills and the end product-compost-can be used as soil conditioner.

Backyard Composting is Easy

Composting is one of the few waste management techniques that can be performed without expensive technology or energy requirements. It can be accomplished by using methods ranging from simple stacked piles to boxed enclosures made of wood or brick.

Recipe for Composting

There are four basic ingredients for composting: nitrogen, carbon, water and air.

The easiest compost recipe calls for:

• Layering or mixing roughly equal parts of green material (which is high in nitrogen) and brown or dry material (which is high in carbon) in a pile or enclosure
• Watering
• Fluffing to add air
• And letting organisms and insects breakdown the material over time

Greens (Nitrogen) Yard trimmings Green leaves Manure Kitchen waste: egg shells, coffee grounds, tea and tea bags, vegetable and fruit trimmings

Browns (Carbon) Wood chips Sawdust Paper towels Dried leaves Shredded paper Straw/hay

Please do not use meat, bones, milk, fat or cat or dog droppings!

Moisture

Your compost heap must be moist. Moisture content should be 50 to 60 percent. It should be as moist as a wrung-out sponge. During dry weather, you may have to add water to your compost pile regularly.

Air

Turn your pile often, perhaps once a week. The bacteria and fungus in your compost pile need air to breathe. When your pile is too wet, too compacted or too dense, the beneficial organisms will die; decomposition will slow down and your compost pile will begin to smell bad.

Size

For optimal activity, the compost pile should be at least three feet wide, three feet deep and three feet tall. This size provides enough insulation for the organisms to remain warm and happy. However, piles can be larger or smaller.

Time

It may take several weeks to several months to complete the process. It is finished when all the original material has been transformed into a dark brown, crumbly, earth-like material that has a pleasant aroma.

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Trouble Shooting Guide for Home Composting

Symptom	Problems	Solution
The pile smells bad	Not enough air, too much moisture	Turn the pile; add dry materials
The pile will not heat up	Not enough moisture	Add water
	Pile size is too small	Collect more materials and build to at least 3 feet by 3 feet by 3 feet
	Lack of nitrogen rich materials	Mix in fresh manure, grass clippings or fruit/vegetable scraps
Particle size is too big	Chop or grind materials
The pile attracts flies, rodents and pests	Pile contains bones, meat, fatty, or starchy foods	Alter materials added to pile; bury fruit/vegetable scraps in the middle of the pile

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Grasscycling

Grasscycling is the natural recycling of grass by leaving clippings on the lawn when mowing. Grass clippings decompose quickly and release valuable nutrients back into the soil. Grasscycling is simple, easy and it works!

Golf courses and parks have practiced grasscycling for years. Ninety-eight percent of the participants in a grasscycling study conducted by Texas A&M reported that they will never bag their clippings again.

Does Grasscycling Spread Lawn Disease?

No! Improper watering and fertilizing have a much greater impact on disease spread than grasscycling. If a desirable environment for turfgrass disease is present, infestation will occur whether clippings are collected or not!

Are There Alternatives to Grasscycling?

Yes! Grasscycling is not appropriate in every situation. Prolonged wet weather, mechanical breakdown of mowers or infrequent mowing are situations where grass clippings should probably be placed in the yard trimmings container since an excessive volume of clippings will be generated. But do not throw the clippings away! Grass clippings are excellent additions to a backyard compost pile. Clippings can also be used as mulch to provide weed control and prevent moisture loss around flower beds, trees and shrubs.

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Residents interested in learning more about home composting may call:

Lee H. Miller, Master Composter, (661) 458-3548
City Environmental Services, (661) 286-4098

Or visit these online composting resources.