Compost Education

By Melinda Hamilton | September 26, 2022

Backyard Composting and Vermicomposting Resources and Links

The US Composting Council recognizes that composting is occurring at a variety of different levels across the US; from the homeowners composting some leaves and food scraps in their back yards, to the commercial facilities composting 1000s of cubic yards per year. It’s all good and it’s all part of our national composting infrastructure.

Here is some useful and practical information on backyard composting, vermicomposting. Master Gardener programs  include education about compost as well.

 

Our friends at the Institute for Local Self Reliance created a webinar and gathered resources on Composting at Home: an Introduction to the Basics.

US EPA Information Sheet

The Information Below is available on Washtenaw County’s  website www.washtenaw.org

Composting Basics: The What & Why

What & Why

Composting is nature’s own recycling system. Leaves, grass, and other organic matter provide a food supply for nature’s recyclers - bacteria, worms, fungi, and other microorganisms. These organisms feed on the plant material, breaking them down, and turning them into a dark, nutrient-rich organic product called compost.

Composting is a natural process that happens with or without human intervention. When nature composts organic matter on its own, it’s called decomposition. Waste from farming, raking, and food preparation, including leftover food scraps as well as unharvested parts of plants and other yard waste, contain valuable nutrients that can be turned into fertilizer through composting!

Composting is simple, with just a few basics to learn. Nature takes care of most of the hard work! If you have a garden, you will find composting to be a valuable source of quality fertilizer for your plants and lawn. If not, you can give your compost to a friend, neighbor, or family member. Some local organizations or community groups will happily accept compost for their gardens or landscaping. Composting provides an opportunity to turn what would otherwise be thrown in to the trash into an environmentally friendly and useful product.

Set Up: Piles, Bins, Tumblers & More

There are many composting options, all of which excel at the same task of breaking down organic material into a rich soil amendment. Composting can be accomplished with a variety of methods, including:

  • Bins
  • Piles
  • Pits
  • Trenches
  • Tumblers
  • Worms
  • Cover crops

Bins & Tumblers

Bins and tumblers come in a variety of different shapes and forms, and are made from numerous materials. Some materials you can use in building a compost bin includes...

  • Chicken wire
  • Garbage cans
  • Old lumber
  • Pallets
  • Plastics
  • PVC
  • Rain barrels
  • Snow fences
  • Many other items! What do you have lying around?

Bins are often preferred in urban settings, because they keep compost neat and tucked away while providing heat and moisture retention. Piles are generally easier to access and maintain if you have the space for them. Compost tumblers overcome some maintenance challenges of bins, but don’t have the benefit of keeping your compost in contact with the ground, a source of useful organisms vital in decomposition.
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Getting Started: Adding Organic Material

Compost materials are often categorized as either ’greens’ which provide Nitrogen or ’browns’ which provide Carbon. They are also known as wet and dry materials, respectively. Food scraps, green plants, lawn clippings, and tea bags are all examples of ’greens’; while leaves, straw, and twigs are examples of ’browns’. Standard ratios of one to two (1:2) green:brown gives best results and the quickest decomposition. These numbers can be visually approximated.

Manure from herbivorous animals, such as rabbits and chickens makes a great, nitrogenous addition to your pile, especially in winter when it can be used to jump start the process and heat up the pile during the cold months.

The list below indicates what materials you should and should not add to your home compost for best results. Municipal composting, such as composting provided by the City of Ann Arbor to its residents, can handle a wider variety of items because the compost piles are professionally managed, get much hotter, and are much larger.

Materials to Add
Most food scraps - like vegetables and fruits (no stickers)
Cardboard contaminated with food (like pizza boxes)
Coffee grounds and tea bags
Eggshells
Grass clippings
Hair and fur
Leaves
Paper towels and napkins
Sawdust and wood chips
Straw and hay

Materials to Avoid
Animal products - dairy and meats
Coal
Invasive or diseased plants
Cooking oils and very greasy foods
Wood ash

Document

There are a wide variety in compost bins you can build on your own or purchase for use. What you use will depend on your personal preference, compost location, and materials available.