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Choose to either build your own, to buy a durable plastic or wood commercial composter, or have us build one for you.
Place your composter in a convenient, accessible, well-drained location. Many people put it in a far corner of their yard, only to discover they dont use it because it is out-of-sight. It is not much fun to run out to the composter in snow, wearing your housecoat or pajamas!
Layering is key to a healthy compost pile. Start filling your composter with dry, brown materials rich in carbon (dead leaves and plants, dry grass clippings, and shredded newspaper). Add an equal amount of wet, green materials rich in nitrogen (fruit and vegetable scraps, weeds that have not gone to seed and manures). Keep layering this way, always topping with a layer of dry, brown materials.
Keep your compost pile as moist as a well wrung-out sponge, so the decomposer microorganisms can effectively transform your waste into dark, rich compost. Turn your pile a few times a month to aerate and mix the carbon and nitrogen materials together.
Note: A healthy compost pile should feel warm to the touch. If you notice it cooling down, turn it.
After 612 months your finished compost (called humus) is a dark, nutrient-rich soil conditioner. Mix the compost into your vegetable gardens or flower beds, or use as a top dressing for your lawn. The compost can also be used as mulch around your plants to help protect the root systems from heat and water loss.
Just a few helpful tips:
| Fruit/vegetable scraps |
Are nitrogen-rich materials. |
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Decompose faster when chopped small. |
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Dig into center of pile and cover generously with a layer of carbon-rich material or soil. |
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| Coffee grounds/tea bags |
Are a nutrient source for compost. |
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| Grass clippings |
Are nitrogen-rich materials. |
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Mix in moderation with brown material to avoid odor. |
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DO NOT use grass treated with pesticides. |
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| Leaves |
Are an excellent source of carbon. |
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Collect in the fall to use year round for layering with green materials. |
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| Weeds |
Compost only if they are green and have not gone to seed. |
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DO NOT use weeds treated with pesticides or herbicides. |
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| Egg shells |
Are a source of calcium. |
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Crush before composting. |
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Trouble shooting Tips:
Unpleasant odor
(Rotten egg smell) |
Not enough air |
Turn pile |
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Pile is too wet |
Add coarse, dry, brown material (straw, leaves) |
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Unpleasant odor
(Smells like ammonia) |
Too much green |
Add carbon-rich material (leaves, newspaper) |
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| Flies |
Food scraps not burried |
Bury fruit and vegetable scraps covered
Always cover with a thick layer of shredded paper or leaves |
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Pest infestation
(dogs, rodents, insects) |
Improper food |
Avoid adding meat, fat, bones or scraps added other animal waste.
Use rodent resistant compost bin |
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Damp and warm only
in the middle |
Pile is too small |
Add more material and turn pile |
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Damp and sweet smelling
but will not heat up |
Lack of nitrogen |
Mix in fresh grass clippings or other nitrogen-rich materials |
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| Dry throughout |
Not enough water |
Turn pile and moisten |
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Too much woody |
Mix in green material
Cover pile to retain |
Give us a call today to discuss your composting needs.
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