HOME COMPOSTING WORKSHOP By Amy Goldsmith & Jenny Vickers Clean Water Action May 14, 2014
What is composting? It s dinner for your house plants, flowers and vegetable garden! Composting is the natural process of breaking down organic materials (kitchen scraps, grass and leaves) into a nutrient rich soil additive.
Grass Clippings COMPOST Food Scraps Leaves
Why compost? Reduce waste Create a resource Protect the environment Save money
Benefits of Compost: Environment Avoids disposal at landfills or incinerators. Recycles valuable organic resources. Lowers the use of chemical fertilizer, pesticides and herbicides. The National Composting Council estimates the average U.S. household annually generates 650 lbs. of compostables. Duke University estimated that 2/3 of your household waste is compostable.
Benefit of Compost: Reduces Climate Change Climate change is caused by greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. When food waste (and paper) biodegrade in a landfill, methane is released. Methane pipe at a landfill Methane is a greenhouse gas 23 times more powerful than carbon dioxide!
Why doesn t compost release methane? Because oxygen is part of the composting process. There is no oxygen in a landfill. Note: These bins were made using recycled pallets!
Benefits of Compost: Healthy Soil Improve soil health. Make plant nutrients more readily available to plants. Increase water holding capacity of soil. Reduce soil erosion and watering needs.
The Soil Food Web Microscopic bacteria and fungi disease suppression and decomposition. Protozoa consumers of bacteria, release excess nitrogen that feeds plants. Nematodes mineralize & release nutrients (ammonium or NH4+) in plant available forms. Earthworms decompose dead and decomposing organic matter. Protozoa are the most abundant animals in the world, only.01 to 1 mm long.
Healthy Soil = Healthy Plants Soil ph Acidity of the soil is determined by the amount of organic matter (humus) and combination of minerals in the soil. Soil is improved by adding high amounts of organic matter like compost. Ideal soils allow soil particles to clump together with air spaces between them for water drainage, oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide release from plant roots.
Healthy Roots vs. Unhealthy Roots
How does composting work? Composting is nature s recycling program: Food, plants, trees and leaves decompose. They become soil or compost. Compost feeds the plants. When composting, it is important to maintain a balanced mixture of carbon rich brown and nitrogen rich green materials.
Green to Brown: A 50:50 Mix
What You CAN Compost Apples Bananas and Banana Peels Other Fruits Vegetable Peels and Scraps Bread and Noodles (that are not too greasy) Nut Shells Rice Coffee Grounds and Filters Tea bags & Filters Egg Shells Flowers Grass Clippings Leaves
What NOT to Compost Meat Fish Greasy Foods Fried Foods Cheese Milk Yogurt Oils Bones Animal droppings Weeds gone to seed NOTE: Never compost these at home. Only an industrial composting system can handle these items.
Five Easy Steps to Composting #1 : Inside Container Set up a sealed container in the kitchen to hold and carry scraps out to the compost bin. #2 : Outside Bin Set up a closed compost bin that is not in direct sunlight and away from house.
Step #3 : Start Your Pile Add a layer of leaves or wood chips at the bottom. Alternate with even layers of brown and green materials. Add water as needed. Your compost should feel about as wet as a damp sponge in the pile.
Maintain & Harvest Compost #4: Maintain your pile. Continue to add food scraps year round by burying them in the pile and providing more brown material as needed. Stir pile to aerate. #5: Your compost is ready! In a few short months, you ll have compost ready to use. It will be cool to the touch, dark, crumbly and earth smelling.
Troubleshooting PROBLEM Compost smells Too wet, soggy or slimy SOLUTION Turn the pile, add browns Turn the pile, add browns, shredded corn cobs, or sawdust and loosen the compost bin lid to let in oxygen. Too dry and dusty Cool to the touch Turn the pile, add water Add more greens
Six Ways to Use Compost #1 Plant Seeds Make a potting mixture of 1 part compost to 3 parts soil and put in pots, about an inch short of the brim. Plant your seeds in these pots just as you would any other soil.
Compost Use #2 Plant Seedlings Plants that already have roots can handle more compost, so your potting mixture for seedlings or transplanting plants can be 1 part compost to 2 parts soil.
Compost Use #3 Nourish Established Houseplants If your potted plants (or flowers, herbs, vegetables) are already growing, use the compost with nothing added and sprinkle on the surface of the dirt.
Compost Use #4 Spread It on your Garden Use finished compost in a layer on top of your soil to nourish the plants underneath. Compost also makes an excellent layer in any no dig garden (such as a raised bed). You can make the compost layer as thick as you like.
Compost Use #5 Dig it into Garden Beds As you dig garden beds, add as much compost as you like. Mix it with the soil. It's a great amendment for both sandy and clay soils.
Compost Use #6 Make Compost Tea A great nutritional drink to give your plants. To make tea, put 1 shovel full of compost in a burlap or cloth bag then submerge in 10 gallon bucket of water. Let steep for 2 3 days. Apply tea directly to soil or around plants.
Vermicomposting Composting doesn t always have to be done outdoors. Vermicomposting or worm composting uses bait shop red wiggler worms to turn organic waste into compost. ½ pound of worms eat ½ lb. of food every 2 3 days.
Why Vermicompost? Like composting, worm composting drastically reduces your waste output. The compost that worms make is some of the best plant fertilizer and soil conditioner that you will ever find. Maintaining a red worm compost bin makes for a great bonding and eco friendly experience with kids. It can be done indoors and where space is limited.
8Easy Steps to Vermicomposting
Step #1: Buy 2 Bins Make your own composting bins using a couple of Rubbermaid type totes (between 8 10 gallons). Use a dark colored plastic. Worms do not like light. Bin #1 is going to hold the worms and compost. Bin #2 is basically just a drainage bin for when the bin gets too wet.
Step #1: Buy Worms (Red Wigglers) Buy local red worms at your fishing bait & tackle shop. Purchase online at: Amazon.com www.unclejimswormfarm.com
Step #2: Drill Holes in Sides of Bin Along the top edge of Bin #1, drill holes. Drill above your compost line to allow for ventilation essential to the happiness of your worms.
Step #3: Drill Holes in Bottom of Bin#1 Using a 1/8 drill bit (small), drill holes in the bottom of your worm bin. Drill holes in the recessed or lowest parts of the bottom of the bin because that s where water would sit and ultimately drain. Don t worry your worms won t try to climb out of these holes. As long as they have food, they ll stay put!
Step #4: Make the Bedding Shred up some newspapers (non glossy). Put it in the bin. Add some dirt, food scraps, and sprinkle with water. You don t want it too wet and a good way to know is if you squeeze your bedding and it drips, it s too wet.
Step #5: Add your Worms Add worms and cover with another layer of newspaper and a wet piece of cardboard. This does two things: Keeps any fruit flies away. Keeps your worms happy. Worms love both wet cardboard and darkness.
Step #6: Place Bin#1 inside Bin#2 Put a couple of rocks in Bin #2 to hold Bin #1 up a bit above the other. Alternatively, you can use a Bin #1 that is bigger than Bin #2. Either method will help keep your ventilation holes on top and drainage holes on the bottom clear.
Step #7: Placement of the Bin Keep bin in a relatively cool place. No colder than 35 degrees and no hotter than 80 degrees. A garage, shed, or covered patio would be perfect! Many people keep them in their homes. Happy, well fed worms will never leave their bin.
Step #8: Feeding Your Worms YES: Add food waste as you have it. Keep an eye on your food levels. If it s getting a little high take a few days off. NO: Dairy, fatty foods, meats, oils NO: Dairy, fatty foods, meats or oils
Troubleshooting Problem Worms escaping or dying Smelly bin Solution Bin too dry or needs more bedding. Add damp bedding to the bin or spray with water. Too much food. Your bin needs more ventilation or it is too wet. Stop adding food for a couple of weeks. Drill additional holes for ventilation. Replace wet bedding with damp bedding Fruit flies Not enough bedding. Keep your food covered with a layer of shredded newspaper at all times.
Easy Ways to Harvest Vermicompost MIGRATION METHOD Stop feeding area you wish to harvest. Only add food to area with fresh bedding. Worms will travel to new area in search of food, leaving you with (virtually) worm free compost. After removing compost, replenish the now vacant side with new bedding and food scraps to restart the process. Note: Expect to wait 1 4 weeks (depending on the size of the bin) for a good proportion of the worm population to relocate.
Easy Ways to Harvest Vermicompost FREESTYLE METHOD Not for the squeamish, but could be fun to do with kids! Dump out the bin s contents. Hand remove worms from compost. Place worms in a bin with fresh bedding, a little bit of compost, and food scraps.
Happy Composting! Clean Water Action New Jersey Phone: 732 963 9714 njcwa@cleanwater.org www.cleanwateraction.org/nj