Composting

Composting.

We’re doing great in our attempt to lower our carbon footprint. You’re eating better, you’re producing less waste and you’re buying locally, but you still have all those food scraps from making dinner at home. Compost them! Anyone can compost. You just have to decide what works best for you and your family.

My father has had a compost heap since I we moved into our house 18 years ago and he started his garden. We just have a 4x6 foot space behind the garden and the heap gets bigger and bigger every day. Inside we have a small compost bucket to throw food scraps in and at the end of the day we bring the bin outside and add the scraps to the top of the pile. We also throw in the droppings from our miniature bunnies, lawn clippings and wilted flowers. Every weekend when my dad goes out to tend to the garden he turns the compost with a shovel and over time we have extremely fertile soil for our veggies. My dad even uses empty clam shells from Saturday night dinner. He puts them on top of the vegetable beds because the shells add important nutrients and help the plants grow.

If you want to start your own compost it’s simple. Today there are many options depending on your goals and the size of your property.
· You can buy an automatic composter that uses sawdust pellets to help the scraps break down in a bin that fits in your kitchen.
· You can buy a compost container that sits outside, it looks a lot like a large garbage can, fill it with your scraps, turn it every once in a while and not worry about it taking up space in your yard.
· You can also build a compost container with 2x4’s and chicken wire. I work at a school during the week and our compost is a 3x3 foot square that is about 3 feet high. Use four pieces of 2x4 to create a frame, roll the chicken wire across and staple down with a staple gun. Make five of these frames, one is for a lid. Use hinges or corner brackets to put four of the sides together and then just plop the top on.
· You can also use my family’s method. Choose a spot in the yard or behind the house and just make a big ol’ pile.

What can be composted you ask?
· Fruits and Vegetables
· Coffee Grounds
· Lawn Clippings
· Leaves (dry or green)
· Biodegradable paper products
· Omnivore pet waste * there is debate about the type of climate needed to break down pet droppings successfully. Everything will break down in time but if you live a cooler climate it will take longer than in warmer climates. –My family throws the hay and bunny droppings right on top without any problem, but we leave the dog and cat waste out since you never know what they’ve eaten and it doesn’t break down as quickly as little bunny waste. Carnivorous animal waste can also carry disease from the animal products they ingest. You don’t want that going into your yard.

What can’t be composted?
· Fats (butter, oils, excess animal fat)
· Meats (contain fat and get really smelly)
· Grains (most of the time breads, crackers, pastas, etc have fat from the cooking process)
· Carnivorous animal waste

What do I do with my compost?
· Start a garden!
· Use it to plant flowers in window boxes or pots by your door.
· Use it to help grass grow in your yard.

Stay tuned for tips on how to start a garden of your own, whether you live in a three-story mansion, a small colonial, an apartment, even a dorm room. And check out the indoor compost bins and biodegradable compost bags we carry here at The Did You Know Store.