Common Composting Mistakes

-Avoid placing animal products in your compost (fats, dairy, meat and bones can all go rancid and produce unpleasant odor)
-Try and keep the moister levels ideal (too little moisture can slow down the decomposition process and too much moisture can cause issues with microbial organisms)
-Ensure the correct nitrogen to carbon ratio (Carbon-rich materials: paper, dried leaves and cardboard should make up 75% of the compost, nitrogen-rich materials: coffee grounds, food scraps and grass clippings should make up 25% of the compost)
-Don't compact the compost too much (microorganisms that decompose need a constant supply of oxygen to do their job)
-Don't buy worms or any kit (these kits are unnecessary, the organisms will come naturally)
-Don't start too small (the decomposition will occur faster with a bigger mass of material)
-Use many different materials (the more materials you have the more resistant the pile is to pests and diseases, many different materials will also accelerate the decomposition process)
-Add small objects (large food scraps or large branches will not decompose quickly, cut up your larger items into smaller pieces)
-Mix up your compost (you can turn or aerate your materials to add oxygen and speed up decomposition)

How To Compost In a City

I know that by living in a house with a backyard makes composting pretty convenient because you can essentially just dig a hole and cover it back up. Unfortunately, not everyone lives in a suburban or rural area. In an urban environment it can be very challenging to compost! Many major cities have programs that encourage and help with the composting process. The city closest to me, New York City, has many programs in place to help those who want to compost, and those who have no clue what composting is but are willing to try. They sell bins like the one Kayla has for a low cost, but also gives links to places that have composting programs in all of the boroughs. Worm bins are very useful for small spaces such as small terraces and porches that one might have in a city.

I have spoke with someone who lives in the city and composts and she says that although it might take a little more work than maybe my compost it is still simple. If you purchase a kitchen bin you can collect all of your compostable materials and then each week or every few days bring them to the sites that collect compostable materials for a community compost. Also, you can add the kitchen scraps with some brown materials in a worm bin and compost that way!

click here if you would like to see more about NYCs composting program
This article is also great to encourage composting in any city, and shows how to get started!

Benefits of Composting

Enriches soil - with the compost you create rich humus for your lawn and garden, the addition of nutrients benefits your plants and helps retain soil moisture

Reduces waste - as much as 30% of your waste can be diverted from the garbage can

Beneficial organisms - microorganisms in compost helps aerate the soil, ward off plant diseases and help break down organic plant matter

Helps the environment - the use of compost reduces the need for chemical fertilizers

Decreases landfill waste - about 1/3 of waste in landfills is compostable materials, by composting you greatly decrease landfill size and the need of landfills

Prevents pollution - prevents storm water from reaching surface water, can prevent erosion and silting

Cleans contaminated soil - the composting process can absorb orders and treat volatile organic compounds, can also bind heavy metals and prevent them from being absorbed by plants or migrating to water resources

Improves soil structure - in a garden compost can help neutralize pH and increase the soils ability to hold nutrients for the plants to use

Use less water - compost increases soil fertility, more fertile soil retains more water, therefore you have to water a garden less, decreasing the amount of water you use 

My Progress- Haley

Halfway through the project my progress is going pretty well! We are composting most kitchen things and trying our best to compost everything we can. It has been a little hard to get everyone on board especially since our compost actual bin isn't completed yet. We collect the kitchen scraps, paper towels and paper plates and bring them out to the spot we have behind our shed and bury them about once a day. We have purchased the wood that we are going to use to make a compost bin, and we will have a little compost spot that is fenced and has a gate so my dogs don't try to get in it! I'm really excited that although we don't have a actual compost bin we have been able to greatly decrease our waste and get used to composting so that when the system is set up it will be super easy to manage. I'm so excited to see how in a few months we will have a fully functioning compost bin!

My Progress- Kayla

So far I have had my compost for less than a week and I can already see a reduction in the waste we put in the trash. This week we have not had change the garbage bag we have in our kitchen and usually we would especially because my sister is home from college. So far we have mostly put kitchen waste and food scraps in the compost instead of having a mix of greens and browns. We have had to take out the small kitchen bucket multiple times a day because we are now putting all the waste we can in there instead of putting it into the garbage can. I have seen that having the compost has really helped so far to decrease our waste and as we continue to compost hopefully we can decrease our waste even more.

Difference Between Brown and Green Composting Materials

To have a successful compost pile you will need a balance of brown and green materials to layer within your bin or pile. 

Brown Materials: 

Brown is the carbon energy the compost microbes need to thrive. Without it, your pile of green kitchen scraps will become smelly and slimy. This is because your greens will decompose too quickly, rapidly fermenting nitrogen into the rotten egg smell of ammonia. If your compost smells rotten, it needs more brown materials to be stirred in. Brown materials are stocky and coarse, they include:

• dry yellow or brown leaves and grass
• paper and wood products (sawdust, shredded up twigs, etc.)
• dryer lint
• straw

Green Materials: 

Nitrogen is the protein the munching microbes need to thrive. Green materials are nitrogen rich. Too little nitrogen, and your pile will decay into compost a lot more slowly. The microbes will be fewer and weaker, so it could take a year or two in a mainly brown compost pile to turn into rich compost. A well-balanced compost will be hot, due to all those microscopic bodies busily multiplying and creating rich compost. Green materials include:

• Kitchen scraps (vegetables, melon rinds, etc)
• Coffee grounds

MORE THINGS YOU CAN COMPOST HERE!

Harvesting Your Compost

Most people find that they can harvest their compost from the bottom of the pile every 6 months or so. If you have a good mix of greens and browns make sure to mix it thoroughly and often so that it doesn't get too dry or too wet; if you do this you can create compost in as little as 6 weeks.

With the Earth Machine compost you can easily lift the door and empty out the compost toward the bottom of the pile. Also with the Earth Machine if you want to see your entire compost pile you can unscrew the pegs, lift the entire bin, load the finished compost in a wheelbarrow and place the unfinished compost back into the Earth Machine.

Click here for more information on harvesting your compost