What to Compost - Compost Materials
Gardeners and homeowners are increasingly turning to composting. This resurgence
of composting is the result of three things:
-
The growing "green" effort. More and more people are becoming environmentally
conscious. They are deciding to keep valuable resources, like resuable kitchen
scraps, out of the waste stream.
-
They are looking to save, and even to make $$$. Composting reduces or
eliminates the need to buy fertilizers. Some people are even selling the
compost they produce!
-
People are concerned about the quality and safety of the food they eat. This
translates into more people gardening. And, more gardeners are discovering
the healthy value of clean compost.
This leads us to ask "What compost materials can I use in my composter or
garden compost pile? Read on..........
The Right Mix
To turn kitchen scraps and other materials into compost, you need the proper
mixture of "Browns" (also called Carbons), and "Greens" (items containing
Nitrogen). Greens containing nitrogen, get the composition process started,
and keeps it going.
As a rule of thumb use a Nitrogen to Carbon ratio of 4 to 1. In other words,
use 4 parts of green materials to every one part of brown materials. In order
for the compost to decompose at a resonable rate, there should be no less
than 60% green materials. A higher amount of green materials can result in
a gooey, ammonia smelling pile. Too little nitrogen, and the compost will
not decompose, or will do so ever so slowly.
Tip: The more types of materials that you put into your compost mix,
the wider the range of essentila plant micro-nutrients that will be in the
finished product.
Now that you know the importance of the right mix, lets see what items are
"Greens", and what are "Browns". .............................
Brown Materials (Carbon):
-
Branches and twigs, chop finely for quicker decomposition
-
Dead, dried up weeds
-
Dead flowers
-
Dead leaves
-
Newspaper (black and white, no colored paper or inks)
-
Sawdust
-
Shells from clams, oystrers, etc. Rinse and finely crush first, has lots
of calcium.
-
Straw or hay
-
Wood/fireplace ash - lots of potash, alkaline pH
-
Wood shavings
Tip: Shredding materials first, creates more surface area and increase
the rate of decomposition.
Green Materials (Nitrogen):
-
Coffee grounds (it's okay to toss in the paper filter)
-
Egg shells, has plenty of calcium
-
Grass clippngs,it's very high in nitrogen
-
Kitchen fruit scraps
-
Kitchen vegetable scraps
-
Manures (not pet or human)
-
Seaweed(wash off salt, if taken from the ocean)
-
Weeds, recently pulled and still green
What Else to Compost:
-
Brown cardboard
-
Hair trimmings, yes human hair
-
Paper Towels, but not if used to wipe chemicals,oil, grease, etc..
-
Paper towel and toilet paper cardbaord holders.
What Not to Compost:
Perhaps knowing what "not to compost" as as important as knowing what to
compost.
-
Avoid weeds with lots of seeds
-
Bones, unless finely crushed first.
-
Dairy products
-
Dead animals
-
Fish
-
Meats
-
Poisonous plants like Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, or Poison Sumac.
-
Treated wood, contains toxins you do not want in you vegetable garden.
-
Walnut trees, any parts of this tree. It contains "jugoline", toxic to plants.
More Information:
More
on Composting
Buy Composters
Buy Vegetable Seeds Finest quality Ferry Morse Seed,
America's oldest seed company with their famous "guarantee to grow". |
|
Sponsors -
Shop For:
Gardening:
Annual Seeds
Perennials Seeds
Vegetable Seeds
Herb Seeds
Organic Seed/Supply
Flower
Bulbs
Composters
Fertilizers
Greenhouses
Houseplants
Planters
Raised Beds
Supplies
Tools
Yard & Deck:
Grills
Hammocks
Hose Carts/Reels
Outdoor Storage
Solar Lights
Pest Control
Seasonal:
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Christmas
Other Holidays
Carving Stuff
Jello Molds
Lights
House Flags
Candles
Decorations
Kitchen/Party Supply
TGN OnLine Florist
|
