How to Compost at Home
With these principles in mind, everyone can make excellent use of their organic
wastes.
Why compost at home?
Composting is a practical and convenient way to handle your lawn, garden and kitchen waste. It’s a natural way of returning nutrient-rich plant matter to the soil.
Compost can be used to enrich the flower and vegetable garden, improve the soil around trees and shrubs, and serve as a soil amendment for houseplants and planter boxes.
How does a compost pile or bin work?
A compost pile is a microbial farm. Bacteria start the process of decaying organic matter. They are the first to break down the plant tissue and also the most numerous and effective composters. Fungi and protozoans soon join the bacteria and, somewhat later in the cycle, centipedes, millipedes, beetles and earthworms do their parts.
What can go into a compost pile or bin?
Anything growing in your yard is potential food for the decomposers in your pile.
Leaves, grass clippings, garden waste, fruit and vegetable scraps, crushed eggshells, tea bags, coffee grounds, even coffee filters are easily turned into a dark, crumbly humus by composting.
How do I get a compost pile or bin started?
A variety of backyard compost bins are available on the market today. Check with your local garden center or home improvement store.
Or, if you prefer, building your own bin can be cheap and easy. Common materials for building a bin are wooden pallets, snow fence or chicken wire. Instructions on building your own bin are available through the University of Missouri Extension Offices.
Surface Area
A bin should be between three and five feet across and can be square or cylindrical. The more surface area the microorganisms have to work on, the faster the materials are decomposed. Chopping or shredding waste will also speed up the process.Volume
A large compost pile will insulate itself and hold the heat of microbial activity. Its center will be warmer than its edges. As microbes decompose the organic materials, their body heat causes the temperature in the pile to rise dramatically. The center of a properly maintained heap should reach a temperature of 110-140 degrees Fahrenheit in four to five days. Afterwards, the pile will begin to settle, which is a good sign that it is working properly.
How do I maintain my compost pile?
Moisture and Aeration
The microbes in a compost pile function best when
the compost materials are about as moist as a wrung-out sponge, and are provided
many air passages. Extremes of sun and rain can adversely affect this moisture
balance in your pile. Turning the pile occasionally will infuse oxygen.
Maintain the Organic Ratio
Like all living organisms, microorganisms need
the right amount of oxygen, water, and fuel to thrive. The essential ingredients
of a compost pile are oxygen, water, nitrogen and carbon. Everything organic
has a ratio of carbon to nitrogen, ranging from 500:1 for sawdust, to 15:1
for table scraps. A ratio of 30:1 is ideal for the activity of compost microbes.
This balance can be achieved by mixing two parts grass clippings with one part
fallen leaves. Layering can be useful in arriving at these proportions, but
a complete mixing of ingredients is preferable for the composting process.