Why Compost?

This Weeks Verse:

Psalm 51:1-2

Have Mercy upon me, O God, According to your loving kindness;

According to the multitude of your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

Why Compost?

Composting is not a new area of discovery, it has been done for generations. Composting can help lessen the environmental stamp put out by a home. There are three areas that will be covered: bin or pile, what you can and cannot put in compost, and what the benefits of compost are.

My compost bin. See it can be make out of anything.

So depending on what the beginner composter decides, whether its a bin or pile compost can be made equally good. Just remember that a pile of compost should just be used for grass clippings and other materials. Once food is added it may attract rodents. The composter can make a chicken wire fence to contain their pile of compost. A good bin can be made cheaply, just make sure it is at least 3 foot high x 3 foot wide x 3 foot deep and be covered. For the beginner composter the best place to start is with a pile. The compost pile can be as big or as small as the composter wants it to be. all compost piles or bins need to be placed in a shady and dry area with a close water source. When making your pile you need to make even layers of brown and green debris.

Equal Layers of Material

Brown debris will consist of dried leaves, yard clippings and grass clippings (see chart for a full list). Green debris is fresh yard clippings and kitchen scraps. Some people use a compost booster, because of cold winters. This is sprinkled in between each layer of brown and green layers. Once a good sized portion is created, cover with a layer of dirt and wet the compost down. (Make sure that the compost is just wet and not Sloppy) Then let the compost sit for one week, and turn the pile and add more compost booster. Repeat weekly as needed. After a couple of weeks, when the compost starts to turn black and smell fresh, let the pile sit or cool. If the composters add their compost too soon it will be too "hot" and can burn the plant planted in the compost.

So the do's and don'ts of composting are very important to understand and follow. Some materials just are not healthy for a compost pile.

What a ‘Beginner Composter’ can add to their compost:

GREENS:
Uncooked and cooked vegetables and fruits	Breads and grains
Coffee grounds and filters	Grass clippings
Paper tea bags with staple removed	Hair and fur
Chicken, rabbits, cow, and horse manure
BROWNS:
Cotton or wool rags	Dryer and vacuum cleaner lint
Eggshells (crushed)	Nutshells
Fireplace ashes (from wood burning)	Sawdust and wood chips
Hay and Straw	Yard Clippings (leaves, branches, twigs)
House Plants and flower bouquets	Fill dirt, Used and unused Potting Soil
Egg Cartons	Leaves
Shredded Newspaper and thin cardboard	Clean Paper and non slick paper junk mail

What a ‘Beginner Composter’ SHOULD NOT add:

Aluminum, tin or other metal	Glass
Dairy products (butter, milk, sour cream, yogurt and eggs	Fats, grease, lard or oil
Greasy or oily foods	Meat or Seafood Scraps
pet wastes (dog or cat poop, dirty cat litter)	Dead animals
Soil Diapers	Plastic
Black Walnut Shells, leaves and twigs	Perennial Weeds
Fire starter logs	Treated and painted woods
Rocky soil	Pesticide treated yard clippings

So just remember to keep a close eye on what's added to the compost, because it can hurt the future plants. So remember that browns are for carbon, greens include nitrogen, air helps organisms grow and keep it watered.

So why compost? The biggest perk to composting is that it saves you money. It helps eliminate commercial fertilizers and compost. It's biggest benefit is that it cuts down on the amount of trash being put into the landfills. It helps the small property owners become more self sustaining. If each homeowner had a composter and cut down one bag of trash each year, just think of the environmental impact it would have. Remember to compost the most each month to help be environmentally friendly.

Sources:

www.epa.gov/greenspaces