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Backyard Composting, Recycling a Natural Product Home Garden Apr. 2002 HG-41 Backyard Composting Recycling a Natural Product o protect the äina, many people practice the three More simply, compost is the result of humans imi­ TRs of conservation. They recycle aluminum cans, tating nature’s disposal system. paper, and glass. They reuse paper as scratch pads and When vegetation dies or falls off trees in forests and line garbage pails with plastic grocery bags. Some re­ fields, insects, worms, and bacteria eat it. They leave duce their use of energy and materials through energy behind small loose particles called humus. Humus binds conservation and careful maintenance to make things soil particles together into larger aggregates, or grains, last. that allow water and air to enter the soil more easily. Apply the three Rs to yard trimmings and leftover Humus also contains important nutrients in forms plants food, and you have composting—an economical way to can easily use for healthy growth and reproduction. reduce solid waste, reuse organic materials, and recycle Mixed with soil, compost improves the soil’s tilth. nutrients as a soil conditioner. Composting is about be­ That is, it makes the soil looser, or lighter, which makes ing good caretakers of our environment. water, oxygen, carbon dioxide, and minerals more avail­ able to plants. Compost improves root penetration and It’s in the bag makes the soil easier to work. Compost conserves water In order to estimate how much you threw out last week, by helping the soil retain it better. gather one day’s garbage from your household. Weigh Because it is made from decomposed organic mate­ on a bathroom scale or estimate by comparing to a known rial from many sources, compost contains many of the weight, like a 20-pound sack of rice. Multiply by seven, nutrients plants require (although not always enough to and you have the amount of garbage produced by your sustain intense commercial production). Compost has household each week. even been known to reduce the inci­ Look at what’s in your garbage. dence of certain soil-borne diseases Any recyclable plastic or aluminum that have devastating effects on plant containers or old newspapers? Take health and productivity, perhaps be­ these to be recycled. See any food cause the beneficial soil microbes stuff – banana peels, fuzzy leftovers, added in compost outcompete the coffee grounds – or yard trimmings? pathogenic organisms. These materials are easy to compost. When you remove the recyclables, 20 How it works pounds of garbage is often reduced A balance of five essential ingredi­ to as little as 5 pounds. ents is the key to rapid, trouble-free composting. If you maintain a pile Imitating nature with the correct balances of moisture, Composting is a process by which air, and carbon and nitrogen contents organic materials (such as branches, of the raw materials, then decompos­ leaves, and fruits) biologically decom­ ing organisms—insects, worms, bac­ pose under controlled conditions. Often, over half of home teria, and fungi—will do the rest. wastes are compostable. HG-41, continuing the CTAHR General Home Garden Series, was first published as Instant Information Series 21, October, 1996. Published by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR) and issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Andrew G. Hashimoto, Director/Dean, Cooperative Extension Service/CTAHR, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822. An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Institution providing programs and services to the people of Hawaii without regard to race, sex, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status, arrest and court record, sexual orientation, or veteran status. CTAHR publications can be found on the Web site <http://www2.ctahr.hawaii.edu> or ordered by calling 808-956-7046 or sending e-mail to [email protected]. HG-41 Backyard Composting CTAHR — Apr. 2002 Water is required by all living things, including plastic sheet, or make it under a roof. Build it where it decomposers. The compost pile should be moist, but not can’t be flooded. too wet. A bad odor may indicate that excess moisture is Have a protected area to store finished compost if it inhibiting decomposition. isn’t going to be used immediately. Avoid mixing Oxygen is essential to most decomposers. Oxygen undecomposed materials with finished compost. cannot circulate well if the pile is too tight, too big, or too wet. If the pile is soaked with water, most decomposers Choose a composting method die and composting is taken over by a few “specialists” Set-ups for a compost pile range from simple to elaborate. that can live without air. Anaerobic decomposition—de­ Basic compost heap—Simply pile and mix the com­ tected by its swampy odor—is slow and inefficient. post materials on the ground. Cover the pile when it rains Carbon is abundant in most organic materials and to prevent it from getting too wet or losing nutrients to is broken down by decomposers to create food-energy. leaching. Turn the heap regularly (every week or two). However, other nutrients are needed for carbon to be Building the pile over a layer of scrap plastic pipes drilled readily eaten. Wood and paper are examples of materi­ with holes allows for air penetration from below and als that are high in carbon but may be deficient in other reduces the need for turning. nutrients and thus slow to decompose. Compost pit—Pits are ideal for composting mate­ Nitrogen is required by decomposers in relatively rials consisting mostly of food scraps. Dig a hole in the large quantities. It is a major ingredient in protein, a basic ground, add the materials, mix with soil in the hole, and building block of life. Without sufficient nitrogen in your refill the hole with at least 8 inches of soil. Fallow areas compost pile to assist digestion of carbon-rich materi­ of your garden are good places for compost pits. als, decomposition goes very slowly. Green leaves and Holding units—Bins help to contain the compost grass clippings are examples of nitrogen-rich materials. heap, keep it out of sight, and can make it easier to turn. Decomposing organisms produce heat by their ac­ They can be made of concrete blocks, wire mesh, or tivity. This heat in turn energizes them, and the whole wood (although wood may lead to termite problems). If process goes faster. Heat also helps kill disease organ­ the bin is a movable type, it can be lifted from the pile isms and weed seeds. The speed of composting varies, and placed next to it when it is time for turning; just but at some point the center of the pile should feel hot or shovel the heap back into the empty bin. Old garbage very warm to the touch. More mass (a bigger heap), more cans can be used as holding units if they have enough water, more air, or more nitrogen may be needed to get large holes to allow air to circulate and holes in the bot­ the process going. tom to allow water to drain. A well managed pile can produce compost in about Turning units—Some commercial composting two or three months. units feature rotating barrels that make mixing the pile easier and reduce the use of shovels or forks for turning. Getting started Another way to make turning easier is to build two or A proper surface is important. Compost is easier to turn three adjacent holding units. The first is filled with the when piled on concrete or another hard surface, but new pile. When the pile is turned, it is shifted into the worms and other beneficial organisms from the soil will next bin. By the third turning, the pile is usually on its have a harder time reaching the pile. Level ground is last month of decomposition. also a good surface. The dimensions of the pile, as a rule of thumb, should What to compost be at least 3 feet high by 3 ft wide by 3 ft long to maintain Organisms that decompose organic materials to form sufficient heat in its interior. If the pile is too large, air compost depend on a “diet” of carbon and nitrogen. has trouble getting to the center. Maximum recommended Fresh, green materials are rich in nitrogen, and so are size is 5 ft high by 5 ft wide, with no limit to the length. animal manures. Just as plants need nitrogen to grow, The appropriate location for a compost pile is a shady decomposers need nitrogen to fuel the decomposition area protected from wind (to prevent it from drying out). process. Grass clippings are rich in nitrogen, and wood Protect the pile from heavy rain by covering it with a chips are a carbon source. The key to making a compost 2 HG-41 Backyard Composting CTAHR — Apr. 2002 Some examples of compost enclosures pile is to combine nitrogen-rich materials with carbon the pile with a plastic sheet. sources in the right proportions, with the right amount 4. Inoculate a new pile, if desired, by sprinkling a small of moisture, and adequate aeration. amount of topsoil or compost between layers. Some composters believe this speeds the process by “seed­ Building a compost pile ing” the new pile with decomposing organisms. This simple recipe for making a compost pile should 5. Monitor moisture content; test by feeling a handful produce ready-to-use compost in a few months. of compost and squeezing it as you would a sponge. It 1. Accumulate enough materials for a pile at least 2 x should feel moist without yielding more than a few drops 2 x 2 ft; or even better, to make a 3-ft cube.
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