Composting

Composting turns household

wastes into valuable fertilizer

and soil organic matter.

In your backyard

All organic matter eventually decomposes. Composting speeds the

process by providing an ideal environment for bacteria and other

decomposing microorganisms. The

final product, humus or compost,

looks and feels like fertile garden

soil.This dark, crumbly, earthysmelling stuff works wonders on all

kinds of soil and provides vital nutrients to help plants grow and look

better.

Decomposing organisms consist of

bacteria, fungi, and larger organisms

such as worms, sow bugs, nematodes, and numerous others.

Decomposing organisms need four

key elements to thrive: nitrogen, carbon, moisture, and oxygen. For best

results, mix materials high in nitrogen (such as clover, fresh grass clippings, and livestock manure) and

those high in carbon (such as dried

leaves and twigs). If there is not a 

good supply of nitrogen-rich material, a handful of general lawn fertilizer

will help the nitrogen-carbon

ratio. Moisture is provided by rain,

but you may need to water or

cover the pile to keep it damp. Be

careful not to saturate the pile.

Turning or mixing the pile provides

oxygen. Frequent turning yields

faster decomposition.

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Conservation Districts

Wildlife Habitat Council

April 1998

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One in a series of 10 tip sheets on backyard conservation

Backyard

Conservation

Composting can be as simple or

involved as you would like. It depends

on how much yard waste you have and

how fast you want results.
BACKYARD Composting

2

Getting started

Many materials can be added to a

compost pile, including leaves, grass

clippings, straw, woody brush, vegetable and fruit scraps, coffee

grounds, livestock manure, sawdust,

and shredded paper. Do not use diseased plants, meat scraps that may

attract animals, or dog or cat manure

which can carry disease. Composting

can be as simple or as involved as

you would like, and depends on how

much yard waste you have, how fast

you want results, and the effort you

are willing to invest.

Cold or slow composting 

With cold or slow composting, you

can just pile grass clippings and dry

leaves on the ground or in a bin.This

method requires no maintenance,

but it will take several months to a

year or more for the pile to decompose. Cold composting works well if

you don’t have time to tend the

compost pile at least every other

day, have little yard waste, or are not

in a hurry to use the compost.

Keep weeds and diseased plants out

of the mix since the temperatures

reached with cold composting may

not be high enough to kill the weed

seeds or disease-causing organisms.

Add yard waste as it accumulates.

Shredding or chopping speeds up

the process.To easily shred material,

run your lawn mower over small

piles of weeds and trimmings.

Cold composting has been shown to

be better at suppressing soil-borne

diseases than hot composting. Cold

composting also leaves more undecomposed bits of material, which

can be screened out if desired.

Hot composting

Hot composting requires more work,

but with a few minutes a day and

the right ingredients you can have

finished compost in a few weeks

depending on weather conditions.

The composting season coincides

Compost bins may be

(clockwise from left) as

simple as a ventilated

garbage can; built with

wire mesh; picket fence;

pressure treated wood;

brick or concrete blocks;

and other materials.
with the growing season.When conditions are favorable for plant

growth, those same conditions work

well for biological activity in the

compost pile. However, since compost generates heat, the process may

continue later into the fall or winter.

Hot piles do best when high-carbon

material and high-nitrogen material

are mixed in a 1 to 1 ratio.A pile

with the minimum dimensions of 3'

x 3' x 3' is needed for efficient heating. For best heating, make a heap

that is 4 or 5 feet in each dimension.

As decomposition occurs, the pile

will shrink. If you don't have this

amount at one time, simply stockpile

your materials until a sufficient quantity is available for proper mixing.

Hot piles reach 110 to 160 degrees

Fahrenheit, killing most weed seeds

and plant diseases. Studies have

shown that compost produced at

these temperatures has less ability to

suppress diseases in the soil since

these temperatures may kill some of

the beneficial bacteria necessary to

suppress disease.

Steps for hot composting:

1. Choose a level, well-drained site,

preferably near your garden.

2.There are numerous styles of

compost bins available depending on your needs.These may be

as simple as a moveable bin

formed by wire mesh or a more

substantial structure consisting of

several compartments. (See diagrams.) There are many commercially available bins.While a bin

will help contain the pile, it is not

absolutely necessary.You can

build your pile directly on the

ground.To help with aeration,

you may want to place some

woody material on the ground

where you will build your pile.

3.To build your pile, either use

alternating layers of high-carbon

and high-nitrogen material or mix

the two together and then heap

into a pile. If you alternate layers,

make each layer 2 to 4 inches

thick. Some composters find that

mixing the two together is more

effective than layering. Use

approximately equal amounts of

each. If you are low on high-nitrogen material, you can add a small

amount of commercial fertilizer

containing nitrogen.Apply at a

rate of 1

2⁄ cup of fertilizer for each

10-inch layer of material.Adding a

few shovels of soil will also help

get the pile off to a good start;

soil adds commonly found

decomposing organisms.

4.Water periodically.The pile

should be moist but not saturated. If conditions are too wet,

anaerobic microorganisms (those

that can live without oxygen)

will continue the process.These

are not as effective or as desirable

as the aerobic organisms. Bad

odors are also more likely if the

pile is saturated.

5. Punch holes in the sides of the

pile for aeration.

6.The pile will heat up and then

begin to cool. Start turning when

the pile’s internal temperature

peaks at about 130 to 140

degrees Fahrenheit.You can track

this with a compost thermometer, or reach into the pile to

determine if it is uncomfortably

hot to the touch.

7. During the composting season,

check your bin regularly to assure

optimum moisture and aeration

are present in the material being

composted.

8. Move materials from the center

to the outside and vice versa.

Turn every day or two and you

should get compost in less than 4

weeks.Turning every other week

will make compost in 1 to 3

months. Finished compost will

smell sweet and be cool and

crumbly to the touch.

Common problems

Composting is not an exact science.

Experience will tell you what works

best for you. If you notice that nothing is happening, you may need to

add more nitrogen, water, or air. If

things are too hot, you probably

have too much nitrogen.Add some

more carbon materials to reduce the

heating. A bad smell may also indicate too much nitrogen.

Cold composting often proceeds

faster in warmer climates than in

cooler areas. Cold piles may take a

year or more to decompose depending on the materials in the pile and

the conditions.

Adding kitchen wastes to compost

may attract flies and insects.To prevent this problem, make a hole in

the center of your pile and bury the

waste. Do not compost meat scraps,

dead animals, pet manure, diseased

plant material, or noxious weeds.

Check on any local or state regulations for composting in urban areas–

some communities may require

rodent-proof bins.

Vermicomposting

Vermicomposting uses worms to

compost.This takes up very little

space and can be done year-round in

a basement or garage. It is an excellent way to dispose of kitchen

wastes.

Steps for vermicomposting:

1.You need a plastic storage bin.

One 1' x 2' x 3.5' will be enough

to meet needs of a family of 6.

2. Drill 8 to 10 holes, approximately

1/4" in diameter, in the bottom of

the bin for drainage.

BACKYARD Composting

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BACKYARD Composting

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3. Line the bottom of the bin with

fine nylon mesh to keep the

worms from escaping.

4. Put a tray underneath to catch

the drainage.

5. Shredded newspaper works well

as bedding. Rip into pieces and

water well so that it is thoroughly

moist. Place on one side of your

bin. Do not let it dry out.

6. Add worms to your bin.

Redworms are recommended for

best composting, but other

species can be used. Redworms

are the common small worms

found in most gardens and lawns.

You can collect them from under

a pile of mulch or order them

from a garden catalog.

7. Provide worms with food wastes

such as vegetable peelings. Do

not add fat or meat products.

Limit feed– too much at once

may cause the material to rot.

8. Keep the bin in a dark location

away from extreme temperatures.

9. In about 3 months the worms

should have changed the bedding

and food wastes into compost. At

this time add fresh bedding and

more food to the other side of

the bin.The worms should

migrate to the new food supply.

10.After a couple of weeks, open

your bin in a bright light.The

worms will burrow into the bedding. Scoop out the finished compost and apply to your plants or

save for use in the spring.

Using compost

Compost can be used for all your

planting needs. Compost is an excellent source of organic matter to add

to your garden or potted plants. It

helps improve soil structure which

contributes to good aeration and

moisture-holding capacity.

Compost is a source of plant nutrients. Compost can also be used as a

mulch material. Studies have shown

that compost used as a mulch, or

mixed with the top one-inch layer of

soil, can help prevent some plant diseases, including some of those

that cause damping of seedlings.

On the farm

On the farm, potential waste is

turned into a resource that saves

money and helps the environment.

Producers use livestock manure to

fertilize crops.When manure is properly handled, it can be safely applied

to the land without the risk of polluting water. Composting is also

practiced in some poultry operations.The compost is used as fertilizer on the farms and for lawns and

gardens.

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