COMPOSTING... HOW IT HELPS YOUR GARDEN AND THE EARTH

Composting is a process that speeds up the natural decomposing process of organic materials such as food scraps and yard waste. Compost is the byproduct of composting. Compost is very rich in nutrients and is used in gardens as a soil amendment to condition and add nutrients back into the soil. Composting has been around for 2,000 plus years, but the SCIENCE behind it is relatively new.

I first became interested in composting when I helped my son earn his Gardening merit badge for Boy Scouts! One of the requirements he chose was to to build and maintain a compost bin for three months. Of course, this really meant that mom and dad needed to learn how to build and maintain a compost bin for three months. At this same time, we were also working on his Environmental Science merit badge, and I found the booklet very fascinating. My husband asked me one night...


Sean: "What are you doing?"
Kelly: "Reading the Environmental Science merit badge book."
Sean: "Why?"
Kelly: "Because I think it's interesting,"
Sean: Silence and a raised eyebrow followed by, "You are an academic,
aren't you?" (Or was he trying to say, "You are a nerd, aren't you?")




Not only does compostable garbage unnecessarily take up landfill space, landfills seriously affect our air and water. Food waste in landfills, unlike compost piles, breaks down to produce methane (CH4), a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming by trapping the suns heat in our atmosphere and changing ecosystems around the world. This happens because of the absence of oxygen as the food is often buried under garbage and requires a different type of bacteria to break it down. There is also a lot of water in food waste, which mixes with all the other garbage creating a toxic sludge called leachate. Leachate can leak into ground water and get into our rivers and lakes. When we compost food waste, we reduce the amount of methane and leachate created and conserve space in our landfills.  I'm learning that gardening, composting and recycling are all related and ALL happen to be great for our planet!


I'm also learning that there are about as many different ways to compost as there are opinions and recommendations about what you can and can't compost and what amounts and ratios you should use in your compost bin. The recommended nitrogen to carbon rations can range anywhere from 1:20 down to 1:1 according to various websites. However, it appears that the majority of your compost materials should be brown carbon items. There are many articles written about what you can compost. Below is a short list of what seems to be the most popular composting items for backyard compost bins. The list is by no means comprehensive but intended to get you started. As you learn more about composting, you'll find what works best for you. I keep a composting pail on our counter to remind my family to save food scraps since we are so used to throwing them in the trash.

GREEN Organic Material (Nitrogen)	BROWN Organic Material (Carbon)
Vegetable & Fruit Scraps	Fall Leaves and Dead Plants
Nut Shells	Twigs, Vines & Branches
Egg Shells	Paper Towles, Napkins, Newspaper & Tissue
Coffee Grounds	Cornstalks
Weeds, Grass Clippings & Fresh Leaves	Pine Needles
Livestock Manure (NOT pet or human)	Chopped Twigs & Small Branches
Old Herbs & Spices	Straw, Wood Chips, Sawdust & Cardboard

You will also find that many websites and YouTube videos tell you that meat, poultry, fish, dairy, food items containing animal fat, and any cooked food should NOT be composted. There is conflicting information on the internet regarding this, however. After research on university website test programs and professional composting service websites, I discovered that all those items CAN, in fact, be composted and are composted every day by individuals and companies who compost. It just requires more work and attention to the compost pile or bin. However, the reason why these food scrap items are typically not recommended for the average backyard compost bin is because they take a long time to decompose, attract pests and smell bad during decomposition. Even human and pet feces, which are never supposed to be put into the compost bin, are compostable. The process can take a long time, but the by product is actually considered safe to use on crops if companies follow health regulations and compost it properly. Apparently, there are even composting toilets! I had no idea.

Some websites I have found helpful in learning about and starting my composting bins are:

Energy and Environmental Affairs
US Composting Council
Eartheasy - Solutions for Sustainable Living
Environmental Protection Agency
Organic Gardening: 50 Things You Can Compost