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Composting

Compost

What can we compost? Almost everything that will break down naturally. Not just kitchen scraps and garden cuttings (nitrogen/green material) but also cardboard and paper (carbon/brown material). Old bills and office documents can be shredded and then composted; paper towels used to clean the kitchen and windows can be thrown in the bin as well (it is always best to use biodegradeable products so it is not toxic to worms and other organisms.) Glossy magazines cannot be used for mulch or composted, as they have metals in the inks and most likely toxicity in the varnish.
 
COMPOST ALLEY
AT Backyard
A side yard or "run" is perfect for compost bins.
     
AT Backyard   AT Backyard
We have reworked the run to place the bins side by side. New bins are made easily by old pallets bound together. Net expense: $30.
 
 
COMPOSTING: Building a pile
Batch Composter
Black plastic "batch"-type composting bin. Approx. $80. at most hardware stores.
 
Composting   Composting   Composting
Kitchen scraps gathered and ready for composting.   Sorting nitrogen waste (green/food material) from carbon waste (brown/paper material)   Chopping straw down to a finer size with an electric weed wacker. This allows the straw to digest more completely.
Composting   Composting   Composting
More straw wacking.   Laying the straw in to create a "sponge" like layer at the bottom of the bin.   Bin bottom with straw "sponge" layer.
Composting   Composting   Composting
Nitrogen layer (food scraps).   Carbon layer (straw).   Add water...
Composting   Composting   Composting
More carbon (paper scrap).   More nitrogen (food scraps).   Garden Kitty on patrol.

Once full, the batch bin takes about 6 to 8 weeks to fully mature, depending on the nitrogen load and time of year, while the larger compost bins can take months to mature, as we are continuously adding material to these until full.

 
FINISHED COMPOST
It has taken a long while for us to create a system of composting that we find works best for us...
Compost   Compost
Finished Compost: this is from one of the large bins that we've just emptied after a year. The compost is like moist, gorgeous, black soil.   This is compost from the small black bin that will be using for sheet mulching.
     
Compost   Compost
This compost is not quite ready: the straw is still detectable. But it's good for sheet mulching, so we have decided to use it.   The compost is spread over cardboard and newspaper. It's moist and full of worms.We covered this bed with straw and will water it regularly throughout the winter...
     

 
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