A 2016 study conducted by the Georgetown Mayor and City Council showed that more than half of the waste going to the Haags Bosch Landfill is organic waste – resources which can be good for both the planet and your pocket. These organic wastes, mostly consisting of kitchen and yard wastes, can be recycled by nature to create compost.
Composting is the natural decomposition of plant remains and other once-living materials to make an earthy, dark, crumbly substance called compost. Composting provides a free, top-notch soil conditioner that improves plant, garden and lawn growth.
Composting does the following:
* Converts waste into a valuable resource
* Helps break down heavy clay and sandy soils
* Helps reduce erosion
* Helps the soil retain moisture
* Improves plant health and growth, increasing yields *Increases nutritional quality of home-grown foods
* Raises the fibre in the soil, helping it bind together
* Recycles nutrients back into the soil
* Reduces reliance on land-filling of waste
* Reduces reliance on toxic chemicals & pesticides
* Reduces water demand of trees and plants
* Encourages a wider diversity of living organisms in your garden.
There are two main types of backyard composting: cold (also known as passive composting) and hot (also called active composting). Cold composting breaks down organic matter slowly, but it also takes the least amount of effort and maintenance. Anything organic decomposes eventually; cold composting is just letting Mother Nature do her job with minimal intervention on your part.
You do not need to worry about the ratio of compost ingredients, regular aeration, or monitor of moisture levels. Cold composting is the best process if you have little organic waste to compost and not much time to tend to the process, and if you are not in a hurry for finished compost.
Hot composting is a faster but more managed compost process. This method requires attention to keep carbon and nitrogen in the optimum ratio to decompose organic waste. It also requires the right balance of air and water to attract the organisms that thrive in an oxygen-rich environment.
Under ideal conditions, you could have the final compost product in a matter of four weeks to twelve months.
Make your own compost
Compost is easy to make! All you need are your materials – kitchen and garden/yard waste and water, and nature will do the rest with air and micro-organisms. To take it to another level, you will need a container, something as simple as a large tub, or as fancy as a barrel, bin, or block bin.
For efficiency, you will also need a container for collecting kitchen scraps, and a pitchfork, shovel or other turning device. Organic material should be added to the bin (should you decide to use one) as it is generated. Enclosed bins keep out pests, and hold heat and moisture.
Most compost is made up of organic materials like leaves, garden plants, newspaper, straw, grass clippings, manure, and kitchen scraps. Kitchen waste should include materials like vegetables and fruit peeling, eggshells, coffee grounds, etc. Meat, fat, and bone products should never be added to the compost pile, as they can introduce harmful parasites and attract animals.
You should alternate layers of green and brown materials. Green items include grass clippings and kitchen scraps, which add nitrogen to the compost. Brown materials add carbon to compost containers, and consist of things like leaves, newspaper and small woody materials.
Moisture and adequate air circulation are vital for composting. Therefore, they should be kept wet, but not soggy.
In addition, compost should be frequently turned with a garden fork, to aid in aeration as well as speed up the decomposition process. Depending on the materials used and size of the compost pile, decomposition can take anywhere from weeks or months to a year.
All organic materials contain a mixture of carbon and nitrogen, this is known as the carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio. For best results, your compost pile requires a balance of carbon and nitrogen. Organic materials can be divided into two categories: “green” & “brown”. “Green”, or “nitrogen rich” organic material, is wet and often green, like grass clippings or fruit and vegetables. “brown”, or “carbon rich” organic material, is dry, woody material that is usually brown, such as fallen leaves and tree-cuttings.w
Next week, we’ll continue our article on composting by sharing tips on making great compost.
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Sources
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/composting/basics/composting-basics.htm
For the EPA’s full Composting booklet, visit: https://www.epaguyana.org/epa/resources/booklets/summary/12-booklets/135-composting-booklet-updated
