Composting with communEATi, Part 1

Anyone who says that gardening is glamorous has probably never tried composting -- or gardening, for that matter. Being elbows-deep in soil with an ache in your back while your neck turns an unflattering shade of red hardly exemplifies elegance. But before you know it, your garden is lush and overflowing with flowers, fruits, and veggies, and you can see that it was worth all the effort (and tan lines).

But back to the task at hand: composting. You’ve probably heard of composting, and may have even taken a stab at it already. Whether you have acres of farmland or you share a rooftop garden with the other residents in your apartment building, you (and the environment) can benefit from composting!

Benefits of Composting

• -Compost is free, easy to make, and good for the environment because it offers a natural alternative to chemical fertilizers.
• -Essentially a soil conditioner, compost adds nutrients to your plants and helps soil retain moisture.
• -It’s a great way to recycle: as much as 30% of your household waste can be composted.
• -Composting introduces beneficial microscopic organisms into your soil, which can help aerate it and break down organic material for your plants. They can also help ward off plant disease.
• -When you compost, you’re helping to reduce landfill waste. Currently, it’s estimated that one-third of landfill waste is made up of materials that could have been composted. 

What to Compost

Material	Carbon/Nitrogen*	Info
table scraps	Nitrogen	add with dry carbon items
fruit/veggie scraps	Nitrogen	add with dry carbon items
eggshells	neutral	best when crushed
leaves	Carbon	leaves break down faster when shredded
grass clippings	Nitrogen	add in thin layers so they don’t mat into clumps
garden plants	-	use disease-free plants only
lawn/garden weeds	Nitrogen	only use weeds which have not gone to seed
shrub prunings	Carbon	woody prunings are slow to break down
straw/hay	Carbon	straw is best; hay (w/ seeds) is less ideal
green comfrey leaves	Nitrogen	excellent compost ‘activator’
pine needles	Carbon	acidic; use in moderate amounts
flowers/cuttings	Nitrogen	chop up any long, woody stems
seaweed/kelp	Nitrogen	apply in thin layers; good source for trace minerals
wood ash	Carbon	only use ash from clean materials; sprinkle lightly
chicken manure	Nitrogen	excellent compost ‘activator’
coffee grounds	Nitrogen	unbleached filters may also be included
tea leaves	Nitrogen	loose or in bags
newspaper	Carbon	avoid using glossy paper and colored inks
shredded paper	Carbon	avoid using glossy paper and colored inks
cardboard	Carbon	shred material to avoid matting
corn cobs/stalks	Carbon	slow to decompose; best if chopped up
dryer lint	Carbon	best if from natural fibers
clean sawdust pellets	Carbon	high carbon levels; add in thin layers to avoid clumping
wood chips/pellets	Carbon	high carbon levels; use sparingly

*Stay tuned for “Composting with communEATi Part 2” for why this is important.

You can also add a layer of garden soil to your compost to help mask any odors and allow microorganisms in the soil to accelerate the composting process.

What Not to Compost

• -Meat, bones, or fish scraps, which will attract pests 
• -Perennial weeds or diseased plants 
• -Pet manures in compost that will be used on food crops 
• -Banana peels, peach peels, and orange rinds, which may contain pesticide residue 
• -Black walnut leaves 
• -Sawdust with machine or chain oil residue from cutting equipment 

So now that you know a little more about how composting can benefit your lawn, garden, and the world, why not give it a try? On Friday, we’ll have another blog featuring directions on how to get your own compost pile going, indoors or out. In the meantime, don’t forget to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more gardening know-how and how-tos!